The Joys of Breastfeeding Photo Contest: Enter to win $100 and other prizes

Here's another fun photo contest - and a good opportunity to show off some of those sweet baby pictures I just know you have stacks of.

But you need to hurry! The deadline to enter is 5 p.m. this Saturday, June 30.

The Breastfeeding Coalition of San Joaquin County is hosting its 2012 photography contest, "The Joys of Breastfeeding: Celebrating the bond between mother and child."

Current and former breastfeeding mamas are invited to submit pictures that help to normalize breastfeeding in our community, and that communicate the strong bond between mother and child.

Prizes will be awarded in three categories:

• Amateur/personal: A $100 prize, plus a professionally framed and matted 11x14 enlargement of your image.
• Professional: A $100 prize, plus a professionally framed and matted 11x14 enlargement of the winning image.
• People's Choice: To be chosen by attendees of the Birth Baby and Bonding Fair (1 to 5 p.m., Sunday, August 5, at University Plaza Waterfront Hotel), the winner will receive $100.

To be eligible, participating moms must have a San Joaquin County address and may enter no more than three photos per category. (Your photos don't necessarily need to be recent, though). Be sure to visit the Breastfeeeding Coalition of San Joaquin County website for full contest rules and to download an entry form.

The chance to win a professionally framed photo is reason enough to enter, don't you think?

Alas.

I don't know that I have a single breastfeeding photo of Alice. (I have plenty that show a baby who has clearly just been fed - you know the look?)

Let me make a little confession: I was super self-conscious about breastfeeding. Not just in public, but in front of anyone, really. I just didn't have any frame of reference for it - didn't grow up seeing women do that. And I know I'm not alone. Efforts like this one seem like really important ways to help mamas who want to breastfeed their babies feel supported in that decision.