Dallas Area Breastfeeding Alliance

Honors Those Who Support

Breastfeeding Women

In The Dallas Area

at the 2007 Annual Awards Luncheon

The Dallas Area Breastfeeding Alliance (DABA) celebrated World Breastfeeding Week on August 2, 2007 with the Fourth Annual Awards Luncheon, held at the UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.  The Alliance also honored a person and an organization from the community who promote, support, and protect breastfeeding and breastfeeding women in the Dallas area.

Judy Eastburn, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant who works in private practice, presided over the luncheon as President of DABA.

Esther Phillips, Deputy Regional Administrator for the United States Department of Agriculture in the Southwest Region presented a summary of the federal activities that support breastfeeding for local women.  She also attended the Dallas City Council meeting on August 15^th, where the Mayor presented the Proclamation declaring August as World Breastfeeding Month for the City of Dallas.

Rani Garcia, a local attorney specializing in labor and employment law and executive member of DABA, presented an update for the state level support for breastfeeding, as well as a brief history of the Texas Breastfeeding Coalition. 

Ann Dunnewold, Ph.D., a specialist in Women’s Health Psychology, presented the keynote address.  She outlined strategies for women to be a “perfectly good mother” in a culture where there are increasing demands for perfection in parenting.  Dr. Dunnewold has a private practice in the Dallas area, specializing in postpartum depression counseling.  A valuable resource for local lactation consultants, Dr. Dunnewold has long been a supporter of breastfeeding.

The 2007 theme for World Breastfeeding Week focuses on support for exclusive breastfeeding, beginning with early initiation and extending through six months.  Two honorees were chosen from the community for their involvement in promoting these topics among women in the Dallas area.

Dr. Julie Y. Lo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the UT Southwestern University Hospital St. Paul and is board certified both in Obstetrics and Gynecology and in Maternal-Fetal Medicine.  Providing high-risk pregnancy services to her patients with newborns, Dr. Lo has been a strong advocate for the support and advancement of breastfeeding for both physicians and new mothers in the hospital setting.

Texas Instruments works diligently to assist their employees who are nursing mothers by providing several private pumping rooms throughout their buildings, along with medical grade pumps and information about breastfeeding or pumping when requested.  Betty Purkey, Manager of Work/Life Strategies, accepted the award on behalf of the organization.  Support from an employer is critical for a woman to continue providing breast milk as she may return to work through her child’s first year. 

Those attending enjoyed a delicious lunch provided by the A.W. Harris Faculty Club which was sponsored courtesy of the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld.