gASP Breastfeeding 2024

2024 9th annual gASP Breastfeeding Event

To all the moms who made this possible.
To Lansinoh for standing with the moms for our event and moms across the world.
348 women stood here representing all the moms across the world that work hard to normalize breastfeeding and get the things we deserve to the women around the world.
That's right. For our 9th year we broke the record, AGAIN.
Why do we do this Every. Single. Year (In record breaking 117 degree weather?
This week is World Breastfeeding week, and we stand here together to stop sexualizing breastfeeding.
To see a mom and praise her for nourishing her child with the power of her own body rather than sexualize her body.
To stand up and make it to this event and stand together and make a really really loud call to all the hospitals to get us in the labor and delivery bags to get the moms support from day one. To get IBCLCs in the room hours after birth instead of days.
To get into the OBGYN offices and get the pregnant moms education before mom's even have their babies.
To the pediatricians offices to tell them to send the moms and babies to us before you push formula. Let us get them support, let us find them the tools they need to help them before they need to go to formula.
To get support help and get education to teen moms, low income families, mom's who don't have the support and examples of breastfeeding women in their lives.
The get pumps and breastfeeding necessities and/or donated milk to Moms that have been sex trafficked, sexually abused, and hurt and can't breastfeed due to PTSD.
To get donated milk to moms that have had mastectomy's.
To fight to get ALL things for people of color who statistically have less breastfeeding education and support than white people in America.
To show that breastfeeding comes in ALL forms.
Whether thats breastfeeding with a pump, your breast, a bottle, Supplemental nursing, whether you co parent and only have your baby 50% of the time, or your breastfeed someone else's baby, or you feed your baby donated milk.
No one breastfeeds for attention.... To get YOUR partner to look at our boobs. Trust... This hurts and sucks sometimes and if we could do it in a cool place at home instead of in public, hot, sweaty, and a toddler/baby ripping our nipples off while kicking us in the face, around people with judgy eyes and terrible attitudes.... we would.
But we do it because we believe it's best for our baby and if it doesn't work we believe we can help all moms get breastfeeding in any version that she wants.
We want to help get moms the things they need. Whether you need a IBCLC and can't get one or your insurance won't award you with one. If you need pumps or nursing pads, or Milk bags. WE want to get those in your hands.
Statistically mom's who had breastfeeding education and support BEFORE they have their baby have a much higher success rate to continue breastfeeding 6 months and beyond.
We are here to be that for you.
To be able to stand here together to show YOU, the mom looking at this that you are not alone. We are here to help. We are here to hold your hand and get you through this journey.
You are never alone.
We stand here looking at you and telling you not only are we proud of you but you need to be proud of you.
What you are doing is HARD. Hard on the daily. Hard on time. Hard on the body. Hard on the mind.
But what you are willing to do for your baby is admirable.
The moms here came from all walks of life. They fed in ALL different ways. They came from different background. They came alone. They came with support. They came young. They came older. They came with one baby, twins, or 5 kids, or a toddler!
They drove near and far.
All to bring attention to something we hold SO near and dear to our hearts and we want and NEED to help.
We need to build the breastfeeding community. We need to not be bullied out of it.
And if we have to be the face of it, we will.
We have changed laws, we have been on countless news stations, we have been on blog after blog, we have fought companies. But at the end we stood together and did it all.
We will keep going.
We still have work to do. Believe me we were getting SLAMMED for this event this morning.
We can't thank all the people behind this event.
Not only these women. Who are absolute WARRIORS!!
But the men/dads partners, family standing behind me smiling so proud, we couldn't do this without your support and love.
My family worked SO hard on everything.
My volunteers rock it EVERY YEAR!
To Lansinoh USA For partnering with us this year and supporting this event and standing with us moms wholeheartedly. For sending each mom an amazing gift.
Thank you to @milk by mom Go-Lacta and Oats Overnight for sending gifts for all the moms.
And all the local vendors that donated items to the bags and sold at the event.
I do this every year and each year I'm in awe watching these women and their strength and their power and poise. Through the tears and frustration of it all they somehow wake up the next day and do it again.
I am PROUD of you all. To the ones that paved the way from or original event to this and those that keep coming. I owe it all to you. The breastfeeding community as a whole would be no where with out you all.
Next year is TEN YEARS ... I know big things are coming. I WILL keeping making changes. I will FOREVER fight for you. I will do all in my power to get you what you need to have a successful journey.
Support. Love. Educate.
From the gASP community ( gASP Breastfeeding ) to you... We are proud of you mama. Don't give up. We see you even if no one else does. We are rooting for you. and we are fighting for you personally.
Xoxo