Great article in local paper

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/...270820,00.html
Nothing to hide
When the child is hungry, feed him, these women argue. Yes, even in public.

By Mary Powers
Contact
November 28, 2005

It was just after noon on an unseasonably warm Sunday in November and
Overton Park was starting to fill up as the mother and toddler settled on a
shaded bench.

Behind them vehicles streamed down the hill past the Memphis Brooks Museum
of Art heading toward the zoo.




About six feet in front of them, a half dozen patrons filtered up the
sidewalk toward the museum entrance. The mother consulted briefly with a
photographer who was trailing her for a photo project, then a few seconds
later she was nursing her son.

During the next half hour, Amber Parmley would photograph Christi Stavely
breast feeding her 17-month-old son Brent on that park bench, in a garden
tucked beside the museum's original

entrance and near the stone lions flanking the steps leading to the museum.

It was part of the "Project: Got Breast Milk," Parmley and Nicole 'Niks'
Hill launched nearly a year ago to support breast feeding by normalizing it.

Parmley's now photographed more than 50 women breast feeding in homes,
parks, restaurants, coffee shops, at a Memphis trolley stop and in Oak Court
Mall.

Most of the sessions occurred in Memphis and Shelby County, but she's also
photographed women in California and Georgia who contacted her after hearing
about the project.

"We hope to at least raise awareness about breast feeding. If that helps
just a couple of people try breast feeding or feel more comfortable nursing
in public, then we will have succeeded," said Parmley, 22, of Germantown.

So far, the project's resulted in a 2006 calendar. Parmley, who is a
portrait photographer, provides the images. Hill provides the text. They are
also working on a book.

"We didn't like how society views breast feeding," Parmley said. "We want to
show moms nursing in public and help get the facts known about the benefits
for the mother and child; that they don't have to hide it from their
family."

Stavely, a Memphian, learned about the project from a friend and was moved
to participate because of her experience breast feeding her four children.

"I am sick of people thinking I'm a freak. It is not abnormal to use your
breasts to feed a child," she said. "I'm very discreet. I think it is just
the idea (of nursing) that makes people uncomfortable."

The project sprang from the experiences of Parmley and Hill.

The women met through a local children's play group.

Both got interested in breast feeding after reading about its benefits.

Both persevered despite early problems and family skepticism.

Both eventually got tired of withdrawing to the bathroom or car or a back
room at home when their children were hungry and they were at the mall or a
restaurant or had company.

"At the beginning, if we were out at the mall, I'd go to the car (to breast
feed). I'm a very modest person, but eventually I thought, 'This is
ridiculous,'" said Parmley, who breast fed son Michael until he was age 2.

"At first I tried to put a blanket over my son's head (while he was
nursing), but he just screamed," she said, adding the nursing clothes she
wore provided modesty.

Hill, 22, of Bartlett, recalls her father once handing her a towel when she
was nursing Gavin. He is now 13 months old and still breast feeding.

"I laughed," she said. "My father said, 'It's not for him. It's for the rest
of us.'"

The women credit friends and La Leche League members with providing support
and practical advice. The league is a nonprofit organization that provides
breast feeding education and support.

State law specifically excludes nursing mothers from provisions targeting
indecent exposure and public indecency.

On a recent morning, the women sat in Parmley's Germantown studio and traded
stories about snide remarks they heard while nursing.

"People would say, 'Go do that somewhere else' or 'Ooo, gross,'" Parmley
said. "It is not a sexual thing at all. Anyone who thinks it is, that's just
sick."

Hill recalled the reaction of two women when she nursed Gavin at a local
restaurant.

"They would point, stare and shake their heads. They were trying to make
themselves known without making a scene."

The reaction isn't always hostile. No representative of a business or
institution has ever asked them to stop breast feeding.

"We've had some people enthralled by it. I had an older man come up and pat
me on the back and tell me how great it was I was" breast feeding.

To order a calendar or get information about the project, visit
projectgotbreastmilk.comInformation about breast feeding is also available
at lalecheleague.org.

-- Mary Powers: 529-2383

--
Donna DeVore Metler
Orff Music Specialist/Kindermusik
Mother to Angel Brian Anthony 1/1/2002, 22 weeks, severe PE/HELLP
And Allison Joy, 11/25/04 (35 weeks, PIH, Pre-term labor)

Good article, I've been trying to get Amber to New Zealand but I'm not sure
what if anything is happening about that yet. Her photos are wonderful.


--
Amy
Mum to Carlos born sleeping 20/11/02,
& Ana born screaming 30/06/04
http://www.freewebs.com/carlos2002/
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/ana%5Fj%5F2004/
My blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/querer-hijo-querer-hija/

I'd love to get that calendar, must find out how much they are to deliver to
the UK

Anne