A New Kind of Milk Truck Rescues Breastfeeders

A new kind of milk truck is coming to Pittsburgh, PA. to help rescue breastfeeding women and to enable babies to eat anywhere at anytime.

In the state of Pennsylvania, as well as the majority of states within the US, there are breastfeeding laws that specifically allow mothers to breastfeed their babies in any public or private location, yet many women are still being discouraged and often are given a hard time. 

According to Jill Miller, artist and faculty member in the School of Art at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA., despite the breastfeeding laws, women who are breastfeeding in public are being harassed and asked to leave or to go to the bathroom to feed their baby.  Ms. Miller said, "My team and I have a simple belief that hungry babies should be able to eat anywhere at anytime." This is why she created The Milk Truck.

The Milk Truck will be part of the 2011 Pittsburgh Biennial at the Andy Warhol Museum from September 26 - December 10. During this time frame, the truck will be a mobile breastfeeding unit that will be driven around the city of Pittsburgh. The remodeled ice cream truck will have a giant breast on the top and be available to breastfeeding mothers.

Anytime a woman experiences harassment, is asked to leave or to go to the bathroom, she can send a text message to The Milk Truck or contact the truck through its Facebook or Twitter pages. The truck will then come to her rescue. The truck will park in front of the establishment and provide a comfortable place for women to breastfeed their babies. With its giant boob on the top, the truck will also serve to call attention to how the establishment treated a mother who is simply feeding her baby and advocate for a woman's right to breastfeed her child anywhere. The Milk Truck's website states, "Thought the nursing mother created a spectacle? Meet The Milk Truck!" The Milk Truck’s primary role is to call out haters, but will also make appearances at scheduled special events. 

Ms. Miller and her team plan to take the truck to other cities once this project is complete. If you would like to help keep the truck operating, please contact www.themilktruck.org to make a donation.

The Milk Truck project could not have come at a more crucial time. A national campaign is needed to educate the public on the importance of breastfeeding and to advocate for women to have the right to breastfeed their babies anywhere in public without being made to feel uncomfortable or harassed.

Breastfeeding is as nature intended and all mothers who are able to breastfeed should be able to breastfeed their infants whenever and wherever without feeling that they are offending anyone or that they are doing anything wrong. It should be accepted by our society as a normal function of human life.

Breast milk is critical for the health of developing babies as it provides the right balance of nutrients needed for long-term good health. A recent research study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition links short-term breast feeding along with cow's milk proteins and the early introduction of cereals and fruits as causes for Type I Diabetes. Children not exposed to cow's milk formulas were 60% less likely to develop Type I Diabetes. According to Neal Barnard MD, of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), "The study adds more support to the long-held theory that cow’s milk proteins trigger the production of antibodies that can destroy a child’s insulin-producing cells." Infants who are exclusively breastfed tend to need fewer health care visits.

It is essential for infants to receive breast milk and that each community make accommodations for mother's who are doing what is best for their children! Every major city in America needs to implement The Milk Truck so that the stigma of breastfeeding can be eliminated!

The Milk Truck needs lots of support. Please tell your family and friends!

If you would like to create a more vibrant and healthy life and need personal support and assistance to help you get started, please contact me today! I can help you 866-330-5421. Services are provided nationally via telephone sessions. In person sessions are currently available for those living in the East Texas area!

Thank you very much for reading my blog and please continue to visit often.

I wish you good health, happiness and love!

Danielle

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