Contact:

Samsarah Morgan, Founder, Birth Professionals of the Bay Area 510-496-3491

Press Release – For Immediate Release

Summer 2014 Bay Area Birth Justice Fair Aims To Reduce Maternal Mortality

“Breastfeeding: A Gift For Life!” to celebrate breast health and breast feeding

Oakland, CA – July 16, 2014 — “Breastfeeding – A Gift For Life” the Summer 2014 Bay Area Birth Justice Fair will take place Sunday August 3, 2014 at Urban Montessori Charter School, 5328 Brann Street in Oakland from 1 – 6 pm. The event includes a silent auction, food, and activities for children. Admission is free.

The Birth Justice Fair’s featured speaker will be Dr. Nancy Gardner who will present on breast health, holistic alternatives to mammography such as thermography, ways to lower your risk factors for breast cancer, and self breast exams. Professional lactation consultants, birth, and women’s health workers will discuss the benefits of breastfeeding for mothers and children at workshops and on panels at the event.

“The Birth Justice Fair is working to improve maternal and baby health in the most hard-hit urban communities. We believe that we will be able to demonstrate best practices by the improved outcomes that will come of natural health we provide to mothers and children,” says Birth Justice Fair co-founder Samsarah Morgan. “Past events have focused on nutrition and childbirth, and we anticipate that this time bringing breastfeeding professionals together in a circle with mothers in the grassroots model that is traditional among birth workers in a community will show in statistics in the coming months and years. Babies will be benefiting from breastmilk, moms will be healthier too, and women who come to our event will be empowered with information to care for their bodies.”

TaNefer Lumukanda, lactation educator at Alameda County Medical Center, will discuss her breastfeeding video, “Teach me how to breastfeed” which has enjoyed over a million views on youtube. The film “The Milky Way: Every Mother Has A Story” will be shown from 6 – 8 pm for a suggested donation of $5/person.

Doulas, midwives, lactation consultants and other professional health service providers will be present at the Birth Justice Fair with literature and will be available to answer questions.

A children’s yoga class with Chiqui Yoga will take place at 3 pm. Childcare will be provided throughout the event, free of charge.

The event sponsors include The Oakland Better Birth Foundation, Pacifica Maternity Center, Nia Healing Center for Birth and Family Life, Chiqui Yoga / Mariposa Family Services, and more.

This Birth Justice Fair is a fundraiser for the Oakland Better Birth Foundation, a birth worker grant fund. All funds minus expenses will be donated to a family seeking a home or birth center birth to cover their midwifery fees and for the eastablisment of a Non profit status for the Oakland Better Birth Foundation