Countdown to August

August is my most favorite month of the year and I am sure you can guess why.   It is breastfeeding awareness month and it is the month when I get to promote the reason for why this blog exists.   This year's theme for World Breastfeeding Week is Breastfeeding Support: Close to Mothers and you can read more about that here. 

I am pleased to share about kick-off activities that support breastfeeding month that will be starting this July!  There will actually be more activities in August and I am excited to share them with you in a future blog post.  But for this month, let us focus on a peer counsellor training and a milk sharing activity.

First up is a Peer Counselling Training in Cebu City.  Last year, a peer counsellor training in Davao City was completed by Mommy Sense and Arugaan.  After that training, Velvet shared how she would like to conduct a training in Cebu as well.  I tried emailing some friends early this year but didn't get any firm commitments.  After my trip to Cebu in May, I realized how badly the city needs trained peer counsellors.  Velvet already had an upcoming trip to Cebu in mid-July.  When the reason for that trip was cancelled, Velvet shared that she would be happy if a peer counsellor training can be organized instead.

Along with Mylene and Shirly/Emily, we quickly mobilized with people I met during my May trip.  I love Facebook because of how easily we can connect and after creating a group chat and adding people, the training is now a reality.  Would you believe that this peer counseling training was organized in just 2-3 weeks? 

If you are a Cebuana breastfeeding mom and would like to get training to support other moms, this is YOUR chance!  Why get trained with Arugaan? Because they are breastfeeding experts! The trainers here get constantly updated by attending international trainings and learning is not outdated or stagnant. Plus their purpose is to share the knowledge and not keeping it amongst themselves in hopes of profiting from it.  If you have experienced the joy of breastfeeding, this is your chance to spread the word and share this joy with fellow moms - WITH the correct training.  See the poster for more details and sign up today!

Meanwhile, if getting trained is not your thing, you can still get a head start on breastfeeding promotion month by joining JCI San Juan Pinaglabanan chapter's Pinay Power event.

JCI is calling lactating mothers to bring their milk or they can also express milk at PCMC.  PCMC is one of the government milk banks who can pasteurize milk and is in constant need of donations.  So if you have excess milk, want to donate to NICU babies, consider spending your Saturday afternoon at PCMC.

August here we come!