Hooray for Boobies - nurse-in in Columbus, Ohio

This nurse-in event is planned for June 26-27 in Columbus, Ohio, as part of the Comfest community festival there.

Since it is actually legal to for women to be topless [topfree] in Columbus, participants are encouraged to do so (though it is not required).

Please see NormalizeBreastfeeding.info for more specific information - download their flyer.

Bra fitting problems video

I just ran across this informative video about common bra fitting problems. The video talks about and shows examples of the band riding at the back, underwires digging in, or breast tissue bulging out.

Problem Solving Bra Guide

Breastfeeding is Not Obscene

Here's a fairly new breastfeeding related blog: Breastfeeding is Not Obscene. It's filled with beautiful nursing pictures!

Breasts of Australian women getting larger

A recent news story from Australia tells us that 40% of women in Australia wear a bra size DD or larger. The data comes from bra sales.

The factors to blame for this situation are rising obesity rates, most importantly. People also speculate that the pill and estrogenic substances in the environment may be partially causing it.

Calgary pools and breastfeeding

This is an old issue: that of public breastfeeding. Should it be allowed at pools or not?

At Calgary, some pool guards thought not. So, mothers were ready to stage a protest, but the city's officials clarified the guidelines, which DO allow breastfeeding at or near pools, so they canceled the demonstration.

Protest dropped after Calgary confirms breastfeeding allowed in pools

So, all is well!

Boob jabs?

Alice Hart Davis is a beauty write at Times Online in the UK. She had interest in the "boob jab" or the injection of Macrolane both for personal and professional purposes.

She narrates her story with Macrolane injections in Injectable Macrolane gel: my big 'boob jab' disaster.

It's a good cautionary tale and worth reading.

Victoria's Secret now has small-breasted models

I found this post quite enlightening and good news at Beauty and Breast blog:
Victoria’s Secret’s New Models

The author Krista explains how much she liked their new swim-wear catalog where Victoria's Secret had used 10 new, small-breasted models. She also shows several photos from the catalog.

Maybe, finally, like Krista mentions, the big fad for big breasts is beginning to be OUT...

Breast augmentations down last year

Not surprisingly, the economic meltdown and recession have brought down the breast augmentation numbers.

Cosmetic surgical procedures have plummeted 15% in the past year. Breast implant surgeries fell from nearly 400,000 in 2007 to 355,671 in 2008. That is about an 11% drop.

Despite being down in the past year, breast augmentation is the No. 1 surgical cosmetic procedure, surpassing liposuction.

Read more: Boob-job biz sagging: Economic meltdown is causing many to delay cosmetic surgery, survey says.

Italy may ban breast implants for teens

The Italian Health Ministry is considering banning breast implants for teenagers because of the health risks.

The statistics are quite alarming: 14% of 16- and 17-year-old Italian girls said they would be willing to undergo surgery for breast implants, according to a survey of 500 women between the ages of 16 and 45 by polling company SWG Srl.

Read more: Italy Moves to Stop Breast Implants for Teens

Clothing for big busted women

There's a new clothing line for women with larger breasts called Bustin' Out.

Their blouses and dresses are sized according to waist AND cup, for a truly customized fit. Each item also features a higher neck line and longer waist.

From their website:

"American clothing today is made to fit a woman with a size B cup. More busty women know that your shirts are either too low, too short, or are gaping between the buttons. Now is the time to rebel. Stop wearing clothes that don’t fit. Stop wearing clothes you not are comfortable in and get rid of the layers and safety pins! Bustin’ Out is a new clothing line for women with cup sizes ranging from C to G. "

I applaud this and other similar companies that cater for the needs of larger-breasted women.

Salma Hayek and wet nursing

Salma Hayek has created a bunch of discussion by breastfeeding another mom's baby on her trip to Sierra Leone, Africa.

ABC News has a good coverage of the news item, including pictures and video.

The question really is, why does it spur such a controversy in America? Wet-nursing has been commonplace all through the ages. Like the article notes, "In many African cultures, it is not just a nice thing to do, it's expected -- although it's mostly within families."

The good thing about all this is that PUBLICITY and TALKING about these issues can help change people's attitudes! And an attitude change is needed in Sierra Leone, too. There, men believe that they cannot have sexual relationship with their wives if the wife is breastfeeding, so they discourage women from nursing their babies!

Fast-food diet cancels breastfeeding benefit with asthma

A new study shows that while children who are breastfed at least 12 weeks have a lower risk of asthma, this benefit is reversed if the child later on eats fast food at least once or twice a week.

Read more:

Fast-Food Diets Reverse Benefits of Breast Feeding and
Study: Children's fast-food diet cancels breastfeeding benefits