From 6-9 p.m. Friday, Ann Arbor will be hosting the annual Green Fair on Main Street. 

This exciting event celebrates and shares what businesses and organizations are doing to help our environment. I heard about this fair last year. One of my neighbors, John Harding has an electric scooter business and he was going to have a booth at the Green Fair. I thought the idea of a “green fair” was cool for Ann Arbor because, as a longtime resident, I feel we really try to do our part for protecting the environment. When I travel, I am always proud to say I am from Ann Arbor because we are known for two things: our football/U-M (of course!) and being green.

My next thought was about breastfeeding, as it almost always is, and I thought, wow, what is more “green” than breastfeeding? It is one of the few things I can think of that goes directly from manufacturer (mom) to customer (baby). And can grow a whole baby!

I wasn’t surprised that others agree. According to EcoMall, “Breastfeeding is probably the most overlooked means of contributing to the health of our planet.”

I began to think about what does it take to formula feed a baby? I thought about all of the energy and resources it would take to produce formula. Then I thought of all of the trash the use of formula creates. I thought about the equipment needed to actually feed the baby the formula. I started looking around for some data on how many resources are used in the formula feeding process. I found some interesting links to some estimates on this subject. Then I wondered about how healthy these cans were for our landfills - would they cause leaching of toxins?  

After that, I started to worry about our babies; I was not aware of the leaching that takes place within these cans of formula.

La Leche League of Ann Arbor will be hosting a booth this year to help promote breastfeeding and support breastfeeding families. Breastfeeding information will be provided, as well as a comfy chair to come and take a break and nurse your baby.

Barbara Robertson is a local International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She is the owner and operator of the Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor, which offers comprehensive breastfeeding services. Visit her website bfcaa.com for more information. This blog is not meant for medical advice. If you have breastfeeding questions or concerns please contact your health care professional or local IBCLC.