Call Me Crazy Because I Am

I have not forgotten this blog. Besides my personal site at Rancid Raves and my odd compulsion to participate in the NaBloPoMo thingie, I have also taking up food blogging in support of my husband's new business venture - FoodieBytes. This is the 2nd business I have watched him build, so this not something entirely out of his realm. This is the first time, however, that I have played such an active role. Some of the stuff discussed in this post are really old, but this has been hanging out in my drafts folder, so I will go ahead and get it out anyway......

Over the past months, a few things came up breastfeeding-wise that I wanted to post about, but I was so late to the game that I felt I had nothing new to add. Weanergate? Yeah, those people criticizing Jen were IDIOTS. When they began questioning her use of the article "the" instead of using "a", I quit listening to her detractors. Weaning is a careful dance between a mother and her baby (or babies) - everyone has needs that must be met.

I would like to point you over to Jackie at Nursing Your Kids - Jackie has had some great pieces lately. One clarifies some facts missing from many of the news articles surrounding the Sophie Currier Case. For example, the following accommodations were offered to Currier:

* permission to express milk in a private room at the testing center during the allotted break time;
* permission to bring food and drink into the testing room;
* permission to pump milk while in her separate testing room;
* the option to leave the test center to breastfeed during the allotted time.

Jackie has some great insight/thoughts on this and I encourage you to read her post on it. In addition, Jackie has also posted about the new study that was released that shows that breastfeeding infants may end up not being such picky eaters after all, from the article she provides the following quote:

"Whether you are breast-feeding or formula-feeding, once you start introducing a food, make sure you offer your baby opportunities to eat fruits and vegetables. They need to taste them to learn to like them."

I would say that my experience has been fairly similar. Sure, there are some foods that my 2 year prefers over others, but hell's bells - there are foods that even I prefer over others. In the White People Food category, my son loves Greek yogurt, rice, fries, pizza, cauliflower, stinky cheeses, tomatoes, avocado, and all fruits. In the Indian Food category, he loves just about anything South Indian and he likes some things North Indian. We mostly cook South Indian at home and he has rarely turned away a veggie cooked South Indian. One of his favorites is a specialty from my husband's state of Kerala. It is a fish with red sauce that is comprised of spices, onions, and a stinky, pulpy fruit similar to tamarind called kodumpuly. It does not matter which sort of fish we cook with, my son will eat it.

Does my son eat such a variety because we were open to shoving such different things in his mouth? Or is it because he was breastfeed exclusively? Or did we just luck out? I will never know for sure, but as I am on the cusp of starting solid foods with Anjali, I have been thinking back to the lessons I learned with Arun. First and foremost, I am not sure how much I will mess with cereal. What a waste of time, effort and money. And canned jars of baby food? Again with the time, effort, and money. With Arun, I was a New Mom and had it in my thick skull that babies eat cereal and baby food. Now, I am not necessarily wiser, but not foolish enough to have Best Laid Plans. When Anjali turns 6 months old, I will attempt to give her some things, but am not going to stress about it.

My doctor said it best: "Solids before 12 months is a skill to be learned not a nutritional requirement."

It is YOU?

Anju has started this thing the past week where she will pull off while nursing, look around, and then notice me. Her face is a mix of amusement, amazement and fascination. As if she only just realized I have been the Gal Behind the Boobs all this time.

In other news, there are articles abounding on the gene that links Breastfeeding to IQ - apparently, a specific gene can allow for better metabolism of fatty acids in the breastmilk.

The gene in question helps break down fatty acids from the diet, which have been linked with brain development. Seven points difference is enough to put the child in the top third of the class, the researchers said.

In the past people have had different results about whether breastfeeding improves IQ and this would sort out the reason why. Some 90% of people carry the version of the gene which was associated with better IQ scores in breastfed children.

I thought this was simply interesting. That is all. Of course, now it is allowing for snarky comments via the comments section of the article - comments such as "More scare tactics! Breastfeeding isn't for every woman and in fact some babies get on better with a bottle."

I am not breastfeeding in the hopes that I get granted a little Baby Einstein. I am breastfeeding to simply feed my baby. It is free, healthy and it is formulated just for her.

That is a no-brainer to me. Of course, I was formula-fed. Whatever.

There is No Truth in Numbers

As this article suggests, it may be that breastfeeding does not cause your girls to sag, after all. According to a study presented at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Plastic Surgery 2007 conference in Baltimore:

"Many women who come in for breast surgery tell us their breasts are sagging, drooping or are less full because they breastfed," said Brian Rinker, MD, ASPS Member Surgeon and study author. "Although the amount of sagging in the breasts appears to increase with each pregnancy, we've found that breastfeeding does not worsen the effect."

The study examined 93 women who were pregnant one or more times prior to having cosmetic breast surgery. Fifty-eight percent of patients reported breastfeeding one or more of their children. The duration of breastfeeding ranged from 2 to 25 months, with an average of nine months. Fifty-five percent of respondents reported an adverse change in the shape of their breasts following pregnancy.

As the first study to examine what impacts breast shape in connection to pregnancy, plastic surgeons found that a history of breastfeeding, the number of children breastfed, the duration of each child's breastfeeding, or the amount of weight gained during pregnancy were not significant predictors for losing breast shape. However, body mass index (BMI), the number of pregnancies, a larger pre-pregnancy bra size, smoking history, and age were significant risk factors for an increased degree of breast sagging.

Frankly, I was not particularly impressed with a study of 93 women. That seems hardly indicative of a population size. Truthfully, I do not care if I become a bit of a saggy hag after I am done with the breastfeeding business.

Not Forgotten

I have not forgotten this place. In short, Arun is cutting 2 year molars and I am working on a project for my husband's new business he is building. I was very disappointed that I could not submit something for the Breastfeeding Carnival on Sleep. I had a draft I was working on, but ironically, two straight nights of Twin Terrors fighting the entire subject of sleep left me with no time to finish it. Again, the irony is killing me softly. Sigh.

Regarding "not posting", the other quandary I have is this: I am not sure what the crossover is in the readership here in relation with the power bloggers. I am assuming that if you read this site, you are reading other breastfeeding bloggers as well. I try my best to not post the same material and it is frustrating sometimes. Last Friday, as I went to bed, I had grandiose plans to post about Bill Maher and his breastfeeding diatribe that I had just watched live, but The Lactivist had already posted about it by Saturday. No, it is not a competition, but rather my desire to not send duplicate topics to everyone's feed readers.

Anyway, in other news...........
Sophie Currier lost her case - the Brookline MA medical student had sued to be allowed extra time to pump breast milk while taking the medical board exam. She must take and pass the exam before she can graduate and begin a residency program.

In a three-page opinion, Norfolk Superior Court Judge Patrick Brady said Currier could still find a way to expel her milk during the test or on regularly scheduled breaks.

"The plaintiff may take the test and pass, notwithstanding what she considers to be unfavorable conditions," Brady wrote. "The plaintiff may delay the test, which is offered numerous times during the year, until she has finished her breast-feeding and the need to express milk."

Currier�s lawyer, Christine Smith Collins, said she will appeal the decision to a state court of appeals judge, who could still issue a ruling before Currier takes the exam next Monday.

I am a licensed CPA and have taken the CPA exam -- therefore, I feel for Currier. To face a grueling test and to have to worry about pumping and not disrupting my milk supply? I cannot imagine. I find it difficult to believe that the exam board could not find a way to accommodate her in a way that would have served as a disadvantage to others taking the exam.

Dandelion Whine.

Formula companies strike again.

This Washington Post article details how the Human and Health Services department toned down a series of ads that promoted breastfeeding after the powerful formula company lobby pressured them to do so.

In an attempt to raise the nation's historically low rate of breast-feeding, federal health officials commissioned an attention-grabbing advertising campaign a few years ago to convince mothers that their babies faced real health risks if they did not breast-feed. It featured striking photos of insulin syringes and asthma inhalers topped with rubber nipples.

Plans to run these blunt ads infuriated the politically powerful infant formula industry, which hired a former chairman of the Republican National Committee and a former top regulatory official to lobby the Health and Human Services Department. Not long afterward, department political appointees toned down the campaign.

The ads ran instead with more friendly images of dandelions and cherry-topped ice cream scoops, to dramatize how breast-feeding could help avert respiratory problems and obesity. In a February 2004 letter (pdf), the lobbyists told then-HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson they were "grateful" for his staff's intervention to stop health officials from "scaring expectant mothers into breast-feeding," and asked for help in scaling back more of the ads.

Again, I don't judge mothers that use formula, but I DO judge formula companies and their nefarious corporate practices.

I also came across this OpEd piece that had some fun snarky commentary on our society talking about breastfeeding titled Talking About (Blush) Breastfeeding:

Meanwhile the nation’s mothers spend nearly $3 billion on breast milk substitutes. Not needing breasts any longer to protect kids’ health, they merrily spend another $1 billion on enhancing them, so they look great.

All with the encouragement of your friendly Bush administration and their consumer-friendly motto:

“Better Things for Better Living Through Dissembling.”

Zoloft and Breastfeeding

I am still not convinced that taking Zoloft is the way to go for me since I am fairly certain this will pass eventually. I would rather ride it out by trying the diet and exercise route before committing to something more serious. Frankly, I hesitated even posting about it, but decided to go ahead in light of the long history of women struggling alone.

There is no shame in numbers.

I'd like to personally thank Andi from Mama Knows Breast for sending me some awesome linkage about taking Zoloft while breastfeeding (Note: the search cannot be directly linked to because it expires. My search string was "breastfeeding and Zoloft"). She also mentioned that Dr. Thomas Hale, a pharmacology expert, had ranked it an L2 drug (L1 being safest, L5 being the most unsafe). I found this link on Kellymom regarding Dr. Hale's view on Zoloft. Also, Jen at The Lactivist also has some great information regarding breastfeeding and Zoloft. In short, taking Zoloft while breastfeeding appears to be safe for both mother and child - obviously, you would need to discuss this with your doctor if contemplating this path.

Regardless, I am comforted knowing that if things get worse and I don't feel I can go it alone that Zoloft will be an option.

Mama Knows Breast: A Book Review

Correction: Oops! There IS an index. My bad!

On Thursday, I received a copy of Mama Knows Breast: A Beginner's Guide to Breastfeeding by Andi Silverman. By Friday evening, I had finished it after just two sittings.

In short, this is a quick, easy, interesting read that will make an excellent gift for a mother - new or experienced. The author has an engaging tone and a moderate, non-judgmental voice that should make any mother feel at ease, even if she ends up supplementing or not breastfeeding at all. I would feel totally comfortable giving this as a gift, without feeling pushy towards the mother.

The book is divided into 8 chapters that cover the topics of pros/cons, basic breastfeeding instructions, pumping/supply maintenance information, breastfeeding etiquette, spousal support, sex, public nursing, and finally, weaning. This little gem is small, compact and easily held in one hand. Despite its small size, it still can get you through the entire process of breastfeeding - from the first latch to the last.

There were a few things I found lacking. This book can't be used as an "end all, be all" reference - it covers the highlights, but it doesn't have an index (I am a total Index Whore - I love me a good index). To make up for the lack of an index, it does provide an ample list of extra online resources, though. I also was disappointed in the paragraph regarding co-sleeping - it was a few sentences, mostly which served to highlight the dangers, rather than the benefits. Considering that co-sleeping can go a long way in supporting a breastfeeding mother, I'd like to see more about this in a future edition.

However, overall, I just loved this book and declare it to be an Inhaler * . The illustrations are quirky and the text is light and humorous. I enjoyed that because breastfeeding can be very stressful, scary and downright painful to a new mother. Per my quick Amazon searches, there simply aren't any fun, positive books regarding breastfeeding. Who wants to read a textbook if they don't have to? I'd rather have a friend holding my hand - and this book does just that by walking you through it in a reassuring and comforting manner.

Again, I think this would be a great, unique gift for a mother planning to breastfeed, which is why I posted it here over at Rancid Raves as well as here.


*in-hal-er
noun
1. A book so compelling or suspenseful that it must be consumed immediately in only a few sittings.
2. A book so easy and enjoyable to read that it can quickly be consumed in only a few sittings.

Beer, Babes and Boobs

As I was writing a post about beer on another site, I realized that folks may question a breastfeeding mother who openly admits she consumes alcohol.

The La Leche League is very clear about its stance on alcohol consumption for a breastfeeding mother.

The effects of alcohol on the breastfeeding baby are directly related to the amount the mother ingests. When the breastfeeding mother drinks occasionally or limits her consumption to one drink or less per day, the amount of alcohol her baby receives has not been proven to be harmful.

Dr. Jack Newman, member of the LLLI Health Advisory Council, says this in his handout "More Breastfeeding Myths":

Reasonable alcohol intake should not be discouraged at all. As is the case with most drugs, very little alcohol comes out in the milk. The mother can take some alcohol and continue breastfeeding as she normally does. Prohibiting alcohol is another way we make life unnecessarily restrictive for nursing mothers.

Also, the ole "Pump n' Dump" maneuver is not needed. Your body produces milk in a quasi-JIT environment - pumping n' dumping does not get rid of the alcohol any faster:

As alcohol leaves the bloodstream, it leaves the breastmilk. Since alcohol is not "trapped" in breastmilk (it returns to the bloodstream as mother's blood alcohol level declines), pumping and dumping will not remove it. Pumping and dumping, drinking a lot of water, resting, or drinking coffee will not speed up the rate of the elimination of alcohol from your body.

Obviously, the message is not that a breastfeeding mother should go tie one on at her local pub. However, it seems clear to me that she should be able to enjoy an alcoholic beverage of her choice while relaxing and watching the latest episode of her favorite polygamists. Say, a pint of Boulevard Lunar, perhaps?

Five Breastfeeding Mistakes

My husband had told me about this article, but failed to send the link. Which, hello - not helpful. Then, my friend Alicia thoughtfully sent it - thank you! Because these fingers are too lazy to start walking all over CNN.com in search of the article. Know what I mean?

Anyway, the article highlights some common breastfeeding mistakes - here are the "short n' sweets". The article provides more details.....

Mistake 1: Moms go it alone
Solution: Get out of the house -- fast

Mistake 2: Moms forget about their successful breast-feeding friends
Solution: Invite one over

Mistake 3: Moms assume they don't have enough milk
Solution: Rethink your baby's nursing behavior

Mistake 4: Moms get intimidated breast-feeding in public
Solution: Have snappy comebacks at the ready

Mistake 5: Moms panic when milk doesn't gush out
Solution: Realize that at the very beginning, you're not going to see a lot of milk

After reading this, it highlighted even more so how fortunate I was in my experience. Not only did I have my sister, but I also had a good friend who was active in her Leche League group - both my sister and my friend were just a phone call away. Even if I had not had such awesome lactation consultants at my hospital, I was still a bit ahead of the game in the way of support.

In short, if you are a new mother the moral of the story is "Buddy Up to Your Buddies".

Good Grief

This article covers the recent controversy with Katie Price giving an interview where she totally puts down breastfeeding. The article includes photos of Katie feeding her baby with a specific brand of formula which apparently, violates a UK law where the promotion of formula for children under 6-months of age is prohibited. In the OK! article, Price is quoted as saying

It's brilliant -- I have 20 crates of teats and bottles. I don't have to sterilize or heat anything, you literally take the teat out of the pack, screw it on, throw it away. I don't care what people say - you don't have to breast-feed. They gave me a tablet that dries your milk up so my boobs haven't hurt or leaked or anything. I don't want a baby drinking from me -- the thought of it makes me feel really funny. I think only a certain person could handle my knockers!

Good grief, for someone who is supposed to be comfortable with her body image, this reeked of issues. Normally, I put these articles underneath "celebrating celebrities" but frankly, there is nothing to be celebrated in such a piece. It makes me angry to think of how many young girls who idolize Price will be reading this article and will come away with a negative image of breastfeeding.

A few good things.

The Pool
Remember the baby pool? Well, we have a winner! Bethany of Ice Cream Mama came in with the correct guess of 8 lbs, 1 oz. It's a damned shame that ice cream doesn't ship well because we have two awesome local ice cream places here. Congrats, Bethany and I will be contacting you for your particulars so that I can mail your non-melty-like prize. It will be lame, but hey, bragging rights are priceless, no?

NYC Hospitals Remove Formula Samples from Gift Bags
In support of World Breastfeeding Week, NYC hospitals took the forward step of removing formula samples from the free goodie bags that are dispensed to new mothers. As the article goes on to say:

Instead, new mothers will get a tote bag stuffed with disposable nursing pads, a mini-cooler for breast-milk bottles, and pint-sized T-shirts for the babies that proudly declare "I eat at mom's."

Awesome!

News Roundup

News Roundup
Here's an interesting article about pregnancy advice regarding alcohol consumption - it gives a nice perspective of how some Europeans regard the issue.

An article on Why Women Don't Nurse Longer. A pretty standard article that lists all the usual reasons.

And great scott - here's yet another article about co-sleeping. Confession time: These articles piss me off (is that language allowed here???). Sleeping with my children feels so right and natural - it boggles my mind how the "experts" declare it to be unsafe. Yes, have some common sense - don't crowd your kid out with comforters and pillows, don't go to bed drunk and if you are heavily overweight, don't sleep with your children. But for the rest of us? Co-sleeping can go MILES in comforting parents AND babies. These days, I can't even remember when Anjali wakes up. I don't bother fumbling for my glasses to see the clock because that would be wasted effort. I roll over when she squawks, get her latched on and she begins nursing. At some point, I must pull her off because by the time the sun rises, she is no longer attached to my breast. And truly - I love waking up and seeing her little face furrowed in sleep. Precious. Simply precious. Also, for the record, my own doctor is 100% on board with co-sleeping and even admitted that she thinks parents should sleep with their children, but she would never push that opinion on her patients.

It makes me sad to think of how many parents are afraid to sleep with their own children because of articles such this.

World Breastfeeding Week

I realize I've been a little self-absorbed these past few weeks. ...ahem.... I've been meaning to mention that World Breastfeeding Week is starting tomorrow, but again - the self-absorption..... Anyway, World Breastfeeding Week starts August 1st and will continue through August 7th - an entire week in which our breasts can reign supreme. Here are some great links regarding the coming week's events:

• The World Breastfeeding Week official site explains the premise of the week itself.
  
• The La Leche League site for the week's events as listed state by state. This year's theme is the Power of One - for example, breastfeeding within the 1st hour of birth leads to greater success. There is an event in my area at a local children's museum and I am thinking that would be a great activity for us this Sunday evening.
  
• Andi at Mama Knows Breast is reporting that Colleen at My Baby and More is challenging folks to give away their breastfeeding books via Bookcrossing. What a cool idea for passing along knowledge.
  

Just the facts, Ma'am.

Angela over at Breastfeeding 1-2-3 posted some excellent information on exactly how breastfeeding can benefit employers - for example, her site reveals:

CIGNA’s corporate lactation program for employees who breastfeed, revealed a savings of $240 thousand annually in health care expenses for breastfeeding mothers and their children.

This information is based on an UCLA Study of the CIGNA corporate lactation program. Good reading! I love seeing cold, hard figures associated with something like this!

I wonder why employers aren't more invested in supporting their new mothers? I suspect there may be a bit of an attitude amongst employers that employees aren't going to stick around for the long-term, anyway. Particularly, with the way many folks go from job to job more easily these days (no judging! I was one of those employees who didn't hesitate to take better opportunities!) This is definitely the attitude with insurance companies, which is why they don't support preventative measures as often as you would think - their reasoning is that by the time something serious comes along, you won't be on their plan any longer anyway. Maybe it would help to clarify the short-term benefits of breastfeeding to employers? They get to see the benefits straight away!

[tags]breastfeeding, breastfeeding in the workplace[/tags]

Round Up

A Vegan Lifestyle is NOT Necessarily Unhealthy for Babies
You may have heard about the couple in Atlanta who were convicted of starving their newborn daughter. Their defense was that they were vegan and that human breastmilk wasn't a valid part of the vegan diet. I do eat meat, but am respectful and knowledgeable enough of other lifestyles to realize that was the most ignorant statement I had ever heard. What disturbed me MOST is that folks who are NOT as knowledgable of other lifestyles would take such an ignorant statement to heart and think that ALL vegans think human breastmilk wasn't a good thing. This article sets the story straight - if you are not familiar with the vegan lifestyle, I highly recommend reading it. The parents recently convicted were NOT a good representation of what vegans stand for.

Wealthy Moms Breastfeed Longer?
This article is about findings that show that wealthy moms are able to breastfeed longer. While I question such a bold headline for a study that include such a small sample size (399 mothers total) in such a small location (Yolo County in CA), the findings were nonetheless interesting. I've always felt a little bad that overall, breastfeeding was easy for me - I stay at home so I was able to fully concentrate on the task at hand. Since I'm not going back to a working environment, I won't have to worry about ensuring I get enough breaks to pump, figure out a room where I can pump in, then find a suitable place to store it for the day. Furthermore, I just got done spending a hefty amount on Soothie gel pads that will go a LONG way in helping to relieve the early weeks of nipple pain. Not every mother can afford to do that. I am not sure what the answer is, but the article did get me to thinking.

Nice. Real NICE.

Recently, in Germany there was a furor over a magazine cover that depicted Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, breast-feeding the twin leaders of Poland, President Lech Kaczynski and the Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski. As the article puts it,

Evidently, the aim was to highlight Polish dependency on Germany and explain what the magazine sees as a climbdown by the twins, President Lech Kaczynski and the Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski.

Okay, politics aside, I was disturbed by the fact the an image of breastfeeding was used as a way of PUTTING DOWN the three leaders involved. How rude. How condescending. Need I go on?

Round Up

Again, with The Moxie.
A reader today has asked Moxie about weaning during pregnancy - since I just discussed it yesterday, it seemed appropriate to include the link. The commenters are coming up with some good suggestions for weaning.

Make Breastmilk, Not War
An interesting article, War on Terror? More Like War on Breastfeeding, details a situation where a breastfeeding mother attempts to get breastmilk through security. She was traveling for work and did not have her baby with her, which complicated matters. On several fronts, all I can do is sigh.

Housekeeping Note
Apparently, I am having a baby. Shocking, yet true!

My due date is 7/6, but you know how these kids are - they come when they wanna. The latest my doctor will let me go is 7/13. I am going to do a "day-by-day" diary of at least the first two weeks of breastfeeding, although my goal is three. For me, by Week 3, I felt very comfortable and on board with the whole thing. The problem is that I don't think I will have an Internet connection at the hospital - it appears they don't have WiFi, although I could look into dial-up. But I haven't used dial-up since 2002 - does this laptop even have a modem? Landlines? Do those still exist? So, I am looking into it. Regardless, I will take copious notes and update here when I get home to keep the integrity of the "day-by-day" theme. When I go into labor, I will post here to ensure my absence isn't mysterious.

I have to confess, all this BoobTalk has made me excited about breastfeeding. Sure, I dread the first weeks of cracked nipples, but overall, it was such an incredible, empowering experience. I was very fascinated with my body during the entire pregnancy with my son - it absolutely amazed me how my body just "did it". All I had to do was eat right and take care of myself! Still, pregnancy was no comparison with how blown away I was by the breastfeeding experience. How it all comes together. How my son grew so much during 6 months based soley on what my breasts provided him. Amazing. I wish everyone could feel that way about it.

Product Placement

Bravado Nursing Bras
I received an email about Bravado Designs for a 15% coupon. In short, enter the coupon code SUMMER15%-123 when checking out. It ends June 30th and I am definitely planning on using it. When I was pregnant with my son, I did the rounds at Target, Wal-Mart and Motherhood Maternity - I did buy bras at all 3 places in an effort to "save money". Ha. Frankly, I was disappointed in all 3 places - particularly, Motherhood Maternity who gave me incorrect advice. After my son was born, I went to the Mommy and Me store at a local hospital here and had a lactation consultant help me find new bras. I got one Leading Lady bra and two Bravado bras. I LOVE the Bravado bras and decided to go ahead and get a few more. 3 bras are probably just not enough now since I probably am not going to have time to do laundry as frequently as I did with my son.

Mama Wrappings
A blog I read has just opened an Etsy store selling breastfeeding-related gift bags - the store is called Mama Wrappings. What a sweet way to give a gift that doesn't include the ubiquitous bottle symbol. Nah, I didn't mind receiving gifts decorated with bottles, but it always struck me as odd since I knew I would be going the breastfeeding route.

Close 2 U, Baby
Another blog I read (and fellow BlogHer 06 attendee, I've actually met her!) has an Etsy store called Close 2 U, Baby selling baby slings, pouch slings, boppy covers and even accoutrements for dolls such as slings and quilts. Honestly, slings just did not work for my son. I had borrowed one from a friend, but quite simply, Arun was a "shoulder and chest" baby and did NOT like to be held in the cradle position. He always wanted to be upright so he could see the world. Therefore, the Bjorn worked best for us - I got many, many miles out the Bjorn. However, every baby is different and if my daughter is a Sling Baby, I will definitely be checking out Close 2 U, Baby.

Round Up

Mothering Magazine Goes Digital
As subscriber to the print edition of Mothering Magazine, I was just given a special offer to receive the digital edition (6 issues/1 year) for all of $5. It seems wasteful to receive it online AND in hardcopy, so if you are interested in receiving the online edition, give me a holler at cagey333ATgmailDOTcom (per the email I received, the offer expires this Thursday, so don't dawdle!) Yep, the offer says I can pass the code to a friend, so whoever emails me first with interest is officially my friend.

Breastfeeding Mother Given Parking Ticket
This article details how a mother was given a parking ticket for parking in a restricted zone while breastfeeding her baby. The mother is quoted as saying

"As I'm breastfeeding and therefore my son is fed on demand, I need to stop right away. I feel with the government both locally and nationally trying to encourage mums to breastfeed that it was unfair of the man not to take that into account or even bother to ask me to move or give me a few minutes to feed my child."

There is some discrepancy in the story because the mother is also claiming a parking attendant said she could park there (although, that contradicts her actual quote, if you read carefully.) Okay, if that was truly the case the parking attendant said she could park there, then maybe she has a leg to stand on. But, she can't expect to park in a restricted zone just because her kid is hungry. That's crazy talk! Sure, it IS stressful when your child is hungry and you are driving. Listen, my parents live a good, solid 45 minutes away from me. Furthermore, I live in a large, spread-out metro area where I can easily be 30-45 minutes away running simple errands. So yes - I've done that routine of having to pull over and find a spot to nurse. It's not fun. But, I never expected to be given special permission to just park anywhere I wanted.

Malta Airport Opens Mothering Room
Hooray! An airport thinks ahead and opens a mothering room. Sure, I doubt I'll ever need a mothering room in MALTA, but maybe other airports will start to take notice. I don't mind hunkering down in a waiting area and nursing my kid - there are NO other choices so I'm not going to dwell on it. But, it would be nice to see a trend. I'm still more than a little horrified that the actress Amanda Peet had to pump in an airport bathroom. I personally make it a strict policy to touch as little as possible in an airport bathroom as it is, so my heart went out to her that she had to pump in one. Yikes.

Work sought for 'Art of Breastfeeding' open show
Do you know any budding artists in Oregon? This art show is looking for artists of all ages to creates pieces celebrating the art of breastfeeding. Very cool!

Can't Resist

Okay. I've been resisting this story all week long. The story regarding the British Breastfeeding Mayor - yeah, that one. All week long, a variety of stories have been offered to us. Basically, the former mayor of Trafford gave birth 2 months before she accepted the office.The stories started out by saying that she was simply not allowed to breastfeed in the mayor's "official" car that is provided by the city to take her to official engagement (articles such as this one - or variations on that one where folks merely complained.) This story is portraying the situation in a different light - one in which attendants basically did not want to take care of the baby and/or be seen as nannies. And this story is providing even more details - such as, she wanted to take her baby with her everywhere for the first 6 months of his life, even to a Palace garden party. Wow.

At this point, it is difficult to even tell what is really going on, but I will say this - if she was truly thinking she could just take her kid with her and have official mayoral attendants take care of her baby, then yeah, that's just wrong. I will continue to keep an eye on this story, though because I find it fascinating how the details keep changing!