Walk In The Park Promotes Breast-Feeding

Slurp. Slurp. Burp.

Breast-feeding families will line up with strollers and balloons at the Clock Tower in Spokane’s Riverfront Park on Saturday morning to promote their favorite cause.

The nip-a-little, nap-a-little gang will take a 1-mile hike through the park, part of a world-wide event called La Leche League International World Walk for Breast-feeding.

For centuries, women turned to their mothers, aunts and sisters for breast-feeding advice. Now that women often live so far away from their extended family, many call La Leche League for support.

The No. 1 question from breastfeeding mothers is: “When will my baby sleep through the night?” says Tamy Roloff, a local league leader.

“People like to have a pat answer and a lot of questions don’t have pat answers,” she says. “Everybody’s different. Sooner or later your baby will sleep through the night. Every baby does.”

New mothers are easily stunned by sleep deprivation. They wonder if they’ll ever feel normal again. Roloff reassures them. Her children are 8, 10, 12 and 14.

“To a mom like me, those days seem long ago and really very short,” she says.

Roloff can reel off the advantages of breast-feeding: It’s easier, cheaper, more convenient, not to mention healthier for both mothers and babies.

Today’s mothers need special help, though, because many insurance companies now require hospital dismissals 24 hours after birth, and many women are quickly headed back to the workplace.

The La Leche League helps mothers in both situations. A new league meeting for working mothers will begin in September at West Central Community Center. To join this group, call Roloff at 535-4918.

The La Leche League walk, which starts at 10 a.m., will promote a baby’s favorite elixir, breast milk. It’s open to anyone. There is no fee. Some members will seek sponsors, and world-wide, the organization hopes to raise $200,000.

, DataTimes