Media Release: New Mothers rely on La Leche League International for Education, Information, and Support During Breastfeeding as Featured on Television's "The Balancing Act"

Schaumburg, IL-January 2002. For many working women, having a baby presents enormous challenges. In their effort to balance careers and parenting, an important choice mothers need to make during pregnancy is whether or not to breastfeed.

Fortunately, nature has made this an easy decision. For most women, breastfeeding comes naturally. Human milk is produced as a baby nurses. It requires no special equipment, sterilization, or extra expense. It's always the right temperature and always available to the baby. Human milk also provides a strong dose of immunological protection against disease that no commercial formula can duplicate.

The benefits of breastfeeding go beyond those experienced by the infant. Breastfeeding helps a new mother to lose weight more easily, and it causes her uterus to return to its normal size and shape more quickly. It releases a hormone in a woman's body that helps a mother feel more loving toward her baby and thereby promotes more cuddling and bonding time.

Originally founded in 1956 by a group of seven mothers, La Leche League International has been a beacon of light for nursing mothers who need support and information about breastfeeding. As an international not-for-profit organization, their purpose is to help mothers to breastfeed their babies through mother-to-mother support, education and information. With support from home, work and organizations such as La Leche League International, women can give their children the very best start to a healthy life.

The next edition of The Balancing Act, the television series dedicated to addressing the issues facing today's professional woman, will feature La Leche League International. For updates on the dates, times and networks and for information about working and breastfeeding, please visit www.lalecheleague.org.

The Balancing Act is hosted by actress and director Joanna Kerns and explores the "balancing act" of juggling a career by day and motherhood by night. The independently produced series will air on the following networks: Oxygen, The Discovery Channel, Bravo, The Food Network, and The Health Network, nationwide. The series may also be viewed via streaming video on www.vstar.com. The episode will be available by streaming video on the La Leche League International web site, www.lalecheleague.org, as well.

Five Star Productions, an Emmy Award-winning television and radio production company based in Delray Beach, Fla., produces five nationally-syndicated television programs with some airing in as many as 53 countries. Currently, Five Star produces and syndicates: Parenting and Beyond, Today's Health, The Balancing Act, Today's Environment and The Best of Wine and Food. Additionally, Five Star produces and specializes in professional sports programming, production, graphics, animation and large-screen entertainment to keep the crowd "in the game." President and founder, Scott Woolley, was also named Ernst and Young's 1999 Florida Entrepreneur of the Year.

[For more information, see our web page of additional materials, or contact the LLLI Public Relations Department. Although the broadcast is over, we will have it available on the website for viewing in the next few days.]