In celebration of the International Week for Respecting Childbirth, the UP Open University (UPOU) Office of Gender Concerns (OGC) has teamed up with L.A.T.C.H. (Lactation Attachment Training Counselling Help) Los Baños and Isabell Steinert Photography for a Breastfeeding Awareness and Respectful Birth Campaign entitled "Wonderfully Made. Empowering Mommy. Nurturing Baby."The campaign aims to encourage expecting parents to look into their birth options and make informed choices, encourage medical professionals to work together to make sure that every mother, every parent and every child has a respectful and dignified birth experience and ensure that breastfeeding is supported and protected.
The campaign will include a public forum, a photo exhibit, and a breastfeeding class. The public forum on "Respecting Childbirth. Protecting Breastfeeding. Working Together Towards Mother-Baby Friendly Care" will be held on 20 May 2016, 10AM to 4PM at the CCDL Auditorium, UP Open University, Los Baños, Laguna. This forum is open to all medical professionals, educators, advocates, parents, parents-to-be, or anyone interested to learn about birth and breastfeeding. Topics will include Human Rights in Childbirth, the Milk Code and Protecting Breastfeeding, Unang Yakap Protocol, and various subjects about childbearing and childbirth. Speakers will be coming from Conscious Birth Manila, LATCH Los Baños, Pinay Doulas Collective, Birthing is a Blessing and Shiphrah Birthing Home. The event is free but pre-registration is required here or though Facebook.
The public forum will culminate in the opening of the KAYA MO Photography Exhibit by birth photographer Isabell Steinert at the Galeria Sinag, UPOU Community Hub, Los Baños, Laguna. This exhibit will feature birth photos of empowered Filipino mothers and will run until 17 June 2016.
On 21 May 2016, a breastfeeding class entitled "Best Beginnings in Breastfeeding" will be held from 9AM to 2PM at the Audio-visual Room of UPOU in Los Baños, Laguna. The class will tackle the impact of a positive birth experience in facilitating a smooth start in early motherhood and breastfeeding. Pre-registration is also required for this free class especially since only 50 slots are available. Register here or through the LATCH Los Baños FB page.
For more details about the event, inquiries can be directed to (049) 536-6001 local 451 or to [email protected].
