Milk Mama Diaries: Experiencing the One Asia Breastfeeding Forum

Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (August). For this month, we write about the World Breastfeeding Week 2014 - Breastfeeding: A Winning Goal for Life and share how breastfeeding can help the Philippines achieve the 8 Millennium Development Goals developed by the government and the United Nations. Participants will share their thoughts, experiences, hopes and suggestions on the topic. 

Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of carnival entries. 

This is a much delayed post! I've been writing it for several months now but was not able to finish.  I finally found the drive to complete it in time for Milk Mama Diaries Carnival.  I feel that this post will help me explain the relationship of breastfeeding with the 8th Millennium Development Goal - Global Partnership.

Milk Mama Diaries Carnival: Breastfeeding, A Winning Goal for Life!

I can't believe that it has been almost 2 years since our last Milk Mama Diaries blog carnival!  My co-host Mec (Mec as Mom) and I have been busy and not been able to regularly host the carnival.   However, with the prodding of our breastfriend, breastfeeding diva Velvet Escario-Roxas, we decided to revive the carnival this month to help the public understand more about this year's World Breastfeeding Week 2014 theme:  Breastfeeding, A Winning Goal For Life!

This year's theme refers to the 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which were set by governments and the United Nations way back in 1990.  These goals aim to fight poverty and promote healthy and sustainable development by 2015.   WABA would like to emphasize the importance of increasing and sustaining the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding post-2015.   Likewise, by protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding, YOU can contribute to each of the MDGs in a substantial way.

Milk Mama Diaries: Wet Nursing

Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (September). For this month, we will tackle milk sharing and how it can nurture the community, and how this spirit of giving can be sustained. Participants will share their thoughts, experiences, hopes and suggestions on the topic. Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of carnival entries.

Wet nursing has been in existence for several centuries.  I previously wrote about a UK TV show which talked about other people's breastmilk.  Locally, milk sharing is done through milk banks or mother to mother donations.  And of course, we have all heard of Salma Hayek breastfeeding another baby.

Join our September Milk Mama Diaries Carnival - World Milksharing Week 2012

It is time for another Milk Mama Diaries Blog Carnival.  I apologize if my co-host Mec (Mec as Mom) and I have not been able to regularly host the carnival for the past 6 months.   However, this is a perfect time to host a carnival as next week, September 24-30 is World Milksharing Week 2012.  The theme is: Sharing Milk, Nurturing Community.

I have previously written about donating breastmilk and its importance especially during emergencies and calamities.   Milk banks are also constantly in need of donated milk to provide for the NICU babies who rely on them.

For this carnival, Mec and I are inviting mom/dad bloggers to share their thoughts/experiences on and hopes for sharing milk.   The carnival is also open to families who are milk recipients and would like to share their own experiences or challenges being a milk donee. Check out my previous carnival posts to get an idea of how the blog carnival works and how posts look like. To join, please fill up the form here or below.

On Breastfeeding Number Two - Redux

Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (February).  For this month, we focus on back to basics.  Participants will share advices - either the best breastfeeding advice they received and/or the best breastfeeding advice they can give to new moms.  Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of carnival entries. 

The best breastfeeding advice I received during the early days of nursing N was that it will get better and to take breastfeeding a day at a time.  And this advice was also most helpful during my experience with nursing baby E.

Early in my pregnancy, I wrote about my worries about breastfeeding baby E (nicknamed Flower at that time).  S and I were joking about how I had to live up to my blog (being a breastfeeding mom with Baby E) - otherwise I would have to rename it!
Baby E came on 21 December 2011 at 39 weeks and 2 days.  Labor and delivery was uneventful and although my wishes for a delayed cord clamping were not met, we were eventually put skin to skin and he latched within the first 30 minutes.  I kept him roomed-in during my entire hospital stay and nursed him round the clock.

Join the February Milk Mama Diaries Carnival

For the 1st carnival of 2012, our topic will be "Back to Basics".  Participants are asked to share one of two things:

1. The best breastfeeding advice they received OR/AND

2. The best breastfeeding advice you can give to new moms. 

Gifts of Breastfeeding

"Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (December). For this month, we want to honor breastfeeding for having enriched our lives and blessed us, maybe even empowered us, in a way that only breastfeeding can. Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants."

The holiday season is here and what better topic for the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival than the gifts that breastfeeding has brought to my family?  I won't be talking about the benefits of breastfeeding but rather about the new horizons that breastfeeding has opened up to me.

Join the December Milk Mama Diaries Carnival

It's Carnival time again and since it is the holiday season, what better topic to have but "BREASTFEEDING GIFTS".  You can share about how breastfeeding has enriched your life, delighted you or maybe even changed you.  Talk about your most favorite gift, pair it with a popular Christmas song or carol (e.g Twelve Gifts of Breastfeeding) - be as creative as you can!  Feel free to make it as personal, introspective or grateful as you can.


If this is your first time to join a carnival, you can check out my previous carnival posts to have an idea how this blog carnival works.  To join, please fill up this FORM.   If you don't have a blog but would like to join, please email me or Mec so we can arrange to have you hosted as a guest blogger.

Barriers/Myths vs. Extended Breastfeeding

Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (November). For this month, participants share their experiences on extended breastfeeding. This includes tips to moms with young babies, as well as barriers and myths which discourage extended nursing. Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants.

My daughter, N, weaned at 3 years and 5 months. If you read my early days in breastfeeding, I wouldn't have thought that we would go beyond 2 years of nursing! I've previously shared about the challenges and the highs and lows I had in nursing a toddler. For this carnival, let me focus on the myths and barriers against extended breastfeeding faced by moms.

Join the November Milk Mama Diaries Carnival

Ok, so I have been remiss in my duties! This blog carnival was supposed to be in October but with baby on the way, things got crazy and with Mec's permission, I'm moving the carnival to November! :D

So our topic for this month would be extended breastfeeding. Participants are asked to share their experiences with breastfeeding their toddlers (past 12 months old) as well as their tips to moms with young babies. Participants can also talk about barriers to extended breastfeeding which includes myths or comments they received from people around them.

Effective Communication Bucket List

"Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (August). For this month, we join the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action in it's "Talk to Me!" theme where participants will share personal experiences, insights or recommendations in communicating breastfeeding intentions and goals to their support system. Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants."

Here's my bucket list of how you can be able to effectively communicate your breastfeeding intentions and goals to your support system.

Research
I have found that having done my own research ahead of time helps me become more confident in letting people know that I intend to breastfeed without supplements. Other breastfeeding moms have also shared to me that being knowledgeable about the benefits, problem resolutions, issues surrounding breastfeeding have made them steadfast in their beliefs and allow them to properly address the concerns raised by people around them who are encouraging the use of breastmilk substitutes.
But it is important that you get information from the correct resources. I previously shared the top books in my breastfeeding library and would like to add one more to this list - Bestfeeding by Mary Renfrew. It is currently on my nightstand and I like the way it explains and encourages breastfeeding. Review coming soon. If you don't want to buy books, go for online resources such as Kellymom, Dr. Jack Newman, La Leche League International. Again, let me reiterate - better informed = better armed!

Join the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival for August

Since August is Breastfeeding Month, we decided to have a special Milk Mama Diaries Carnival and adopt the theme of World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA):  Talk to me! Breastfeeding - a 3D Experience" on a more personal level.

Locally, our own Department of Health's National Center for Health Promotion has the theme "Breastfeeding: Talk and TSEK" which will be launched tomorrow, 8 August 2011.  So for this month's carnival,  we will focus on communication, as the third dimension in breastfeeding support. We are asking participants to share about how they communicated their desire to breastfeed and/or breastfeeding goals to their support system.

More on Breastfeeding Promotion plus a Guest Post

"Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (July).  For this month, we join the National Nutrition Council - Department of Health in celebrating Nutrition Month with the theme "Isulong ang Breastfeeding - Tama, Sapat at EKsklusibo!" Participants will share their experiences in promoting breastfeeding or their tips on how breastfeeding should be promoted.  Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants."
=================
I don't know if you have noticed but the Department of Health has become more active in promoting breastfeeding.  There was a launch of the campaign early this year, followed by a bloggers' event in May plus the creation of their Facebook page and hanging of tarps in MRT stations.  Then for Nutrition Month, DOH has decided to again focus on breastfeeding as its theme, resulting in various activities in several regions nationwide, all geared towards promoting breastfeeding.

DOH Breastfeeding TSEK Tarp at Baclaran Station of LRT Line 1
*Photo from DOH Breastfeeding TSEK Facebook page

The efforts are indeed laudable BUT (of course there is a but!) I feel that there is much more to be done for the promotion to be effective.  For my post today, let me start with a bucket list of other ways by which breastfeeding can be promoted before I share the guest post.

Join the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival for July

July is Nutrition Month!  For this year, the National Nutrition Council - Department of Health has decided that the theme will be "Isulong ang Breastfeeding - Tama, Sapat at EKsklusibo!" So what could be a more apt topic for this month's carnival but this?!
Breastfeeding has been receiving a lot of bad press lately from torture to bad advice to wrong help from professionals.  However, we all know how beneficial breastfeeding is to both mom and baby.  We really need to promote and spread the word about breastfeeding and its benefits.  For this month, please share about your experiences on how you were able to promote breastfeeding or how you think breastfeeding should be promoted in this country to increase breastfeeding rates and encourage more moms to breastfeed.
Read my May Carnival post to get an idea on how a blog carnival post looks like.  To join the carnival, please fill up this FORM.   Please include this short blurb on the top of your post: "Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (July).  For this month, we join the National Nutrition Council - Department of Health in celebrating Nutrition Month with the theme "Isulong ang Breastfeeding - Tama, Sapat at EKsklusibo!" Participants will share their experiences in promoting breastfeeding or their tips on how breastfeeding should be promoted.  Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants."
If you don't have a blog but would like to join, please email me or Mec so we can arrange to have you hosted as a guest blogger.  Submissions are due by 19 July 2011 and the carnival will go live on 22 July 2011. 

Our Breastfeeding Library

Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (May).  This carnival is dedicated to all moms, celebrating Mother's Day today.  Participants will share various topics covering A Breastfeeding Mother's Top Ten List.  Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants.

Our bookshelves are groaning and we are running out of space!  Thought of getting a Kindle and did a test run on Stan's iPad.  But nothing beats leafing through pages and the smell of new books - so I guess I just need to find space for more books!!

Bookaholics that Naima and I are, I thought of a perfect topic for this month's carnival - A Breastfeeding and Babywearing Family's Top Ten Must Have Books: 

N's books

My books

So what's the Top Ten on our list?


For children's books, top on the list be Mama's Milk.  This is a picture book showing mother animals nursing their babies - with interesting factual tidbits! Did you know that a baby platypus is called a puggle and that baby elephants nurse up to 5 years?!  We donated a copy of this book to N's school and N got another copy for her own.  Mama, Mama is also a great book for toddlers - with simple words with melodious rhythm.  Not really a nursing book but more of the general actions a mom shows in expressing her love for her child e.g. hugging, cuddling (in the animal kingdom!).  N also likes looking at the photos in A Ride on Mother's Back - a babywearing book showing how mothers wear their babies in different countries.  Then N proceeds to wear her own baby in her mini ring sling.  Maggie's Weaning is actually my choice of book.  N is beginning to understand what weaning is and when we get to the weaning party, she always get teary-eyed.   Honestly, this book is not very well-made (easy to rip paper, etc.) but it was the only book I could find about weaning - which could help me explain what weaning is to N.


For my books, the list includes a mix of reference and memoirs.   I'm glad I waited until this year to purchase LLLI The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.  A lot of moms found this book judgmental - after all LLLI discourages moms from returning to work.  What I do like about this book is the pull-out sheets summarizing xxx .  If you hate reading, the choose Breastfeeding with Comfort and Joy a beautiful photographic guide to the basics of breastfeeding - including position, latch, nursing multiples.  I always try to bring this book to LATCH break-outs so I could better illustrate breastfeeding information to pregnant moms. 
Since I am a fan of Dr. Jack Newman, I couldn't NOT buy his book - Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers.  The book is in a question and answer format and contains most of the information found on his website.  Although you can opt to skip purchasing his book if you have constant access to internet, I still recommend that you buy since you will be helping to fund his breastfeeding clinic.  
If you are curious about the history of the milk formula industry marketing and breastfeeding activism, a good book to read would be Politics of Breastfeeding.  This book is quite an eye-opener and I used to wonder why several advocates I knew were against Nestle and really thought and firmly believed that formula marketing was evil.  After reading this book, I realized how subtle the anti-breastfeeding practices and marketing strategies were, undermining moms' chances, even without them realizing it.
Meanwhile, a gift from fellow advocate Jen - How My Breasts Saved the World was a fun read.  The author, Lisa Shapiro shared her experiences as a first time breastfeeding mom - which mirrored my own experiences.  Her experiences (and I'm sure that of most first time moms) emphasize the importance of signing up for breastfeeding classes while pregnant and making sure that you have a breastfeeding friend or counselor on speed dial during those early days!
Finally, not really a breastfeeding book but I highly recommend The Vaccine Book by Dr. Robert Sears.  I vaccinated N and I liked this book because it explained the vaccines that were going into her body.  I made certain decisions which were contrary to my pediatrician's recommendations (e.g. spacing out vaccines, skipping flu vaccines) based on information in this book and further research.  I know some moms who totally chose not to vaccinate and I believe that this book helps each mom make their own informed choice on what is best for their family.


So how does your bookshelf look like?


Check out the posts of other carnival participants:
Mec's Top Ten Breastfeeding Partners
Ichel's Ten Things a Handy Mommy Can Do While Breastfeeding
Espie's Ten Life Altering Moments of a New Breastfeeding Mom
Dinna's Nurturing Rafael: A Breastfeeding Mother's Top 10 List
Frances' Ten Things I Now Know About Breastfeeding Because I Breastfed
Anthony's 10 Ways to Cheer Up a Breastfeeding Wife ---> our only dad participant!!
Em's Aria's Habits While Breastfeeding
Cai's Top Ten Tips for Pumping and Working Moms
Jenny's Our Breastfeeding Library
Nat's My Top 10 Favorite Foods for the Breastfeeding Mom
Tina's Tips on How to Breastfeed Your Baby in Public (1st of three parts)
Nyssa's Ten Reasons I still Breastfeed (Even as a Low Supply Mom)
Joey's Nursing Must haves and cheaper alternatives
Martine's 10 Things You Don't Say to a Breastfeeding Mom
Joyce's 10 Breastfeeding Nice to Have's

Join the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival for May

The first Milk Mama Diaries Carnival last March was a huge success! As previously explained, the Carnival will be held every other month.  For this month, we will be having the Carnival on Mother's Day - May 8, 2011.  Topic for May will be a Breastfeeding Mother's Top Ten - think of any list of 10 you'd like to talk about.  It could be the 10 gifts to a new mom, 10 benefits of breastfeeding, 10 myths of breastfeeding, 10 things you shouldn't say to a nursing mom, 10 places you've nursed in public, 10 problems with breastfeeding, 10 steps to successful breastfeeding, 10 tips to new moms, I could go on and on - but I hope you get the picture!
Read my March Carnival post to get an idea on how a blog carnival post looks like.  To join the carnival, please fill up this FORM and include the topic you will write about.  We will try to avoid repetition of topics or top 10 lists so the earlier you fill up the form, the earlier you ensure that you will be able to write about your topic.  In case your preferred topic has been chosen by another participant, we will email you immediately to request you to change your topic.  Otherwise, we will contact both participants so even if they will write about the same top 10, they can choose different items on the list.
Please include this short blurb on the top of your post: "Welcome to the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (May).  This carnival is dedicated to all moms, celebrating Mother's Day today.  Participants will share various topics covering A Breastfeeding Mother's Top Ten List.  Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants."
If you don't have a blog but would like to join, please email me or Mec so we can arrange to have you hosted as a guest blogger.  Submissions are due by 4 May 2011 and the carnival will go live on 8 May 2011. My co-host Mec will email you before carnival day for instructions on posting.

Milk Mama Diaries Carnival and Guest Posts

With the success of the first Milk Mama Diaries Carnival, co-host Mec and I plan to continue it until the end of the year. The carnival enabled both of us to meet and learn about the experiences of other breastfeeding moms. We both wanted to make it a monthly carnival but realistically, we didn't think we could do a monthly thing.  So we decided to do it every other month.  We've already come up with themes but haven't finalized the submission deadlines and carnival dates.  Here's a quick run-down of the themes planned for the year. 


May - Mommy's Breastfeeding Top 5 (be it top 10 benefits, myths, tips, products, challenges, etc.)

July - Nutrition Month and Breastfeeding

August - Breastfeeding Month - Talk to Me! Breastfeeding a 3D Experience

October - Breastfeeding How to's

December - ???

No theme for December yet - suggestions are welcome.  We will be posting instructions for each theme at the start of the carnival month.

*Update 6 April 2011.  Just got word from Kate - theme for this year's nutrition month is just perfect - "Isulong ang BREASTFEEDING - Tama, Sapat at Eksklusibo" - in support of the launch of Breastfeeding TSEK.

Meanwhile, I'll be going on a 3-week vacation beginning mid-April and I'm not sure if I will have internet connection.  In my Facebook page, I asked for guest posts to help me keep this blog up during my vacation :)  There have been several people who have submitted their posts so don't be surprised if you will be seeing guest bloggers in this blog for the coming weeks.  

If you're interested to guest post, you're welcome to submit a post by contacting me through Facebook, Twitter or via email.  Since I will be posting on my blog, I do reserve the right to edit  the post or refuse to something that is contrary to my beliefs or ideals or post a disclaimer.  You need not write about a breastfeeding topic but can write about parenting, eco-living, WAHM-SAHM-WOHM challenges or other topics related to the main theme of the blog.   Please be mindful though of the blog readers - I will not post submissions which disrespect other people's choices.   You also don't need to have your own blog.  I do prefer that the post be original - but if it's not, I will accept reprinted posts as long as it is at least 60 days since it was last posted.  Finally, copyright belongs to YOU, the author, but I ask that you don't re-post on your blog until after 60 days when I post it in this blog.

I will email you when I plan to post your submission (thanks to scheduled posting!) and link to your blog or Facebook page.  Please don't forget to write a short description about YOU which I will include in the post.  If you have questions, feel free to contact me. 

Please think before you comment

Welcome to the first Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (March). To celebrate National Women's Month, our participants share how breastfeeding has changed them as a woman. Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants.

Naima is now 38 months and still nursing. The weaning has not been quite successful and because we are going on a long-haul three-week trip this summer, I don't want to be without my magical defense against hunger, boo-boos etc. - and thus, active weaning is temporarily on hold. After the challenges we faced in our early breastfeeding relationship, I never realized that we would still be nursing beyond 2 years old!

In the early days, I remember walking about topless - to air out my sore nipples and allow Naima easy and frequent access to milk. I didn't think what my relations thought (I lived with my aunt and her family back then). As Mi'Ann of Babymama shared, breasts became like feet - purely functional and, in my case, visible to everyone at home.

And as we reach the toddler nursing stage, I'm again faced with new challenges, such as how to be nice when answering statements as - "she's still nursing?!" or "you still have milk?" accompanied with an arched eyebrow and incredulous voice. Comments such as these started when Naima turned two and I get them everywhere - from my relatives, officemates, strangers, etc. etc. And I find it strange that I have to hear these comments when I see 4, 5, 6 year olds still being bottle-fed!

I had long been planning to share my thoughts on this matter and found the perfect opportunity when Mec suggested the topic for this month's carnival - how breastfeeding has changed me as a woman. Let me start by saying that when I was single, I probably had the same reaction as the people around me. I probably would have encouraged nursing moms to use their breastfeeding cover or lactation rooms in the mall. But all these changed when I had Naima.

So has breastfeeding changed me as a woman? Yes, I say but I'd like to add that breastfeeding has changed me also as a person and has opened my mind to the choices made by each individual. I've learned that some moms may say that they want to breastfeed but do not truly believe in it while others really tried their best but failed at it. I'd like to think that I've learned to keep my mouth shut in front of formula feeding moms and be more circumspect in my comments.

As much as I hate people coming up to me with that "she's still nursing?!" statement, I know that formula feeding moms or mixed feeding moms also feel upset when they hear comments about exclusive breastfeeding, etc. I try to keep my comments to a minimum, unless I am posting in this blog or on my Facebook page or attending a breastfeeding event. I believe that if you are on my blog FB page or at the breastfeeding event, then you are interested in breastfeeding and would be open to comments.

Whether or not you are a breastfeeding mom, this statement applies to you: "please think before you comment": When you talk to a nursing mom, don't ask her if her milk is enough or why her baby at age xx is still nursing. When you talk to a non-breastfeeding mom, don't ask her why she didn't breastfeed or go on about how breastfed babies are better, healthier than formula fed babies.

A lot of breastfeeding advocates may disagree with me but I still believe that breastfeeding is a choice. Rather than disparaging her choice not to breastfeed, let us educate the woman in making the choice. Like me, she may most likely not have been educated about breastfeeding or exposed to the formula-feeding culture. Again, before you comment about that breastfeeding picture or that nursing toddler or that formula feeding mom, think before you open your mouth. And if you've got nothing nice to say, then don't say anything.

Happy International Women's Month, everyone!

Do check out the posts of other Milk Mama Diaries Carnival Participants:

Breastfeeding Changed Me at Apples & Dumplings

The Choice to be More Than a Woman at Mec as Mom [@delisyus and Facebook]

Breastfeeding made me a better and stronger mom...and woman at Ethanmama: The Working Mom...Finding Balance [@ethanmama and Facebook]

Feeling Fab at 40 at I'm Perfectly Created

Supercow Isn't Sexy at Rainy Days and Mom Days [Facebook]

Of Nursing and Self-Awareness at Changing Nappies in High Heels [@Lilly_pad and Facebook]

Same Old Brand New Me at the odyssey of dinna

Juggling Mommy Act: Fully Breastfeeding while Caring for "ME" at Handy Mommy

Breastfeeding and my self-image at Topaz Mommy [@FrancesASales and Facebook]

My Breastfeeding Story at Manila Fashion Observer [@cd_mfo]

Breastfeeding and My Career at Soprano Mom Writes [@touringkitty]

Joining the milkwagon at domestication of dotty b

A Love Story at Misis Teapot [@stellapastores]

Breastfeeding Has Made Me a Better Woman at Truly Rich Mom [@tinasrodriguez and Facebook]

Please think before you comment at Chronicles of a Nursing Mom [@MamaBabyLove and Facebook]

Join the Milk Mama Diaries Carnival

Since late last year, I've been toying with the idea of hosting a local blog carnival. I've participated in a breastfeeding and natural parenting blog carnival - both hosted and organized by non-Filipino moms. With the growing number of Filipino breastfeeding bloggers, I think that it's high time that we have our own carnival and share our thoughts about issues and topics relevant to local nursing moms.

What is a blog carnival? Wiki has an explanation but basically, it is a compilation of blogs written about a specific topic which has been previously set. The blogs are submitted to the host (that will be me for this carnival) and will be published on a stated date. The published blogs will include links to the posts of other carnival participants. What I like about carnivals is that it helps me meet like-minded moms and allows me to discover new blogs I haven't previously encountered.

Since March is National Women's Month, what better time to start this carnival, than now? Plus Mec over at Hope to Help You (our co-host for this carnival) suggested a very apt topic!

Our topic for this month's carnival is "has breastfeeding changed you as a woman?" You can write about whether or not breastfeeding changed your views about your body and how? Did you become conscious about nursing in public? In front of family? Did breastfeeding results in changes in your hygiene, (beauty) rituals, wardrobe? How has it affected the roles you play as a woman?

Please include this short blurb on the top of your post: "Welcome to the first Milk Mama Diaries Carnival (March). To celebrate National Women's Month, our participants share how breastfeeding has changed them as a woman. Please scroll down to the end of this post and check out the other carnival participants."

For samples, you can check previous entries to the Carnival of Natural Parenting or the Carnival of Breastfeeding.

If you don't have a blog but would like to join, please email me so I can arrange to have you hosted as a guest blogger.

Submissions are due by March 14 and the carnival will go live on March 18. To join, please fill up this FORM in order to join. I will email you by March 17, 2011 with instructions for posting.