Breastfeeding… News of the Week!

Posted on May 19, 2011 by llpitlwp

Strange and Disturbing Breastfeeding News of the Week.

This has been a week for breastfeeding news. Again, I am referring my readers to “Phd in Parenting” s blog. She is such a wonderful advocate for moms and babies.

California Protective Services visited Mariah Carey in the hospital, because she was drinking beer to help produce a better milk flow…she is breastfeeding her twins. Good for her…breastfeeding twins is a challenge and according to current scientific findings beer in moderation will not hurt or her babies.

Now, on to the legislation in Georgia which seeks to restrict where a mother can breast feed a toddler….

Please check out the link above for a great discussion.

50 Reasons for Breastfeeding Anytime!

Posted on May 18, 2011 by llpitlwp

NOTEWORTHY WEDNESDAY!

By now if you read this blog at all you know that I am a fan of “Phd in Parenting” and her blog. She is an ardent supporter of breastfeeding as am I.

To be truthful…I did not breastfeed due to medications that I was taking which were excreted in my breast milk. This was a few years back since I am now a grandmother. I missed the opportunity to breast feed way back then. But I did not miss being discriminated against.

Once when I asked to be seated in a restaurant in a large West Palm Beach department store, the hostess asked me if I intended to breast feed as it was not allowed in the dining room because it was offensive to the other patrons, who were mostly elderly. She then suggested I use the ladies room for privacy. What a relief came over her when I told her I was not intending to breast feed.

I never forgot this incident and it seems that not much has changed over the last 25 + years. How sad is that?

I share this post below “50 Reasons for Breastfeeding Anytime”…I could not say it better.

Once again, there has been an incident where someone went up to a breastfeeding mother and told her she had to cover up or leave. Once again, the media feels to need to create a breeding ground for ignorance by asking questions like “should there be any restrictions on breastfeeding in public?” The answer to that stupid question and yes…there are stupid questions, is simply NO. There should not be any restrictions. There is a myriad of reasons why women should and are able to breastfeed anytime, anywhere.Human Rights1. It is illegal to discriminate against or harass a woman because of her sex, including pregnancy and breastfeeding. or if it isn’t where you live, it should be!

via 50 Reasons for Breastfeeding Anytime, Anywhere | PhD in Parenting.

Freshology | Fresh Mommy

Posted on May 17, 2011 by llpitlwp

This is such a “fresh” idea and I am neither pre- nor post-natal. I think it is worth a look…or a try!

FRESH

FreshMommy is a fresh meal delivery program for pre- and post-natal women emphasizing nutrition and (post-natal) weight loss.

GOURMET

Proper nutrition is an essential part of a healthy pregnancy and post-natal life. Nothing is more important than the health of your baby, which is why the entire FreshMommy menu is designed with nutrient-rich ingredients essential for a growing family. After your new baby’s arrival, the FreshMommy menu shifts to encourage weight loss while…….

via Freshology | Fresh Mommy – Healthy Pregnancy Diet – Healthy Diet Food Delivery.

Are you too invested in parenting highs?

Posted on May 14, 2011 by llpitlwp

“Are you too invested in parenting highs?.

Can we forgive our mothers for not being omnipotent? Can we see imperfect children (including ourselves) and not blame the mother? If we could forgive our mothers for not being perfect would that make it easier to forgive ourselves? Can we forgive our children for coming into our lives at the wrong time? For being too needy? For not being needy enough? Can we forgive them for remembering things differently than we do (especially if that paints us in a bad light)? Can we forgive our children for having a better life than we did and not appreciating it? Can we forgive our children for not being all the things we wanted to be but weren’t or can we forgive them for being the things we wanted to be when we couldn’t. Can we forgive ourselves for all of our imperfections, poor choices, failures and inadequacies.

But there is one question she asked that I left out of that list because I wanted to write a separate post about it and start a discussion on it with my readers. She asked:

Are you too invested in mothering highs (supermom moments)? Does that set you up for disappointment in other moments?

What do you think? In your quest to be the best parent that you can be while also being realistic about the fact that you are not a perfect parent, do you calmly swim with the ebb and flow and good and not so good parenting moments? Or do you seek out those supermom moments everyday and beat yourself up for being a bad mom when you cannot live up to that? If it is the latter, what do you think you can do to turn it in the former?

Please click the following link to join this discussion…from a wonderful “mommy” blogger from Canada. I think you will love her posts and discussions. You may not always agree with her insights but you will certainly be stimulated by her thoughts.

http://networkedblogs.com/hPFPt

Can a Little Cough Ease the Pain of a Shot?

Posted on May 12, 2011 by llpitlwp

Parents…to reduce pain,check this out before your child goes for vaccinations !

“A study that was published in an issue of Pediatrics caught my eye . The title “Cough trick may reduce pain of routine immunizations” seemed relevant to my practice so I decided to preview the study a little early.

The study was performed at The University of Nebraska and involved 68 children (small sample size) and they were all receiving vaccines at either the pre-kindergarten visit (age four to five years) or at the 11 to12-year-old visit when routine immunizations are again given.

In this study the children were all instructed to COUGH while getting their vaccines and then the children as well as their parents and nurses were surveyed to see how painful the procedure seemed. For the kids they used visual scales (pictures of painful faces) to demonstrate degree of pain.

…. the time and cost was NONE as the children were taught to give one BIG cough prior to the injection and then coughed again at the time of injection. What a wonderful discovery! Easy, efficient and no training necessary for staff. In this study it wasn’t clear that it helped all children, and interestingly it seemed to be more effective in certain racial groups than others?

via Can a Little Cough Ease the Pain of a Shot? | The Kid’s Doctor: Your Partner in Parenting.

Pregnancy Style…

Posted on May 10, 2011 by llpitlwp

Head on over to Isabella Oliver and see the great styles for summer and enjoy free shipping if you qualify.

When you look good you feel good!

Premature birth gene…

Posted on May 9, 2011 by llpitlwp

MARCH OF DIMES…noteworthy news!

There is evidence of a gene that is related to the incidence of premature birth and it may be part of the evolutionary process of mankind (womankind).

“Premature birth gene

Scientists in the US and Finland say they have discovered a gene linked to premature birth. Investigators from Vanderbilt University (including a March of Dimes grantee), Washington University and the University of Helsinki report that variations in the gene for the follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) may increase a woman’s risk for delivering her baby prematurely.

The researchers believe there must have been evolutionary pressure to “adapt and shift the time of birth” to produce a smaller baby to ease delivery. A large head and a narrow pelvis are uniquely human traits. The report, published in PLoS Genetics, discusses evidence that gestation length has decreased throughout the evolution that leads to modern humans, and that human gestation is shorter than predicted compared to other primates.

To find genes that have changed to regulate birth timing, the researchers used comparative genomics to identify a set of “human accelerated genes” – genes that were most altered in humans compared to six other animals. They screened 150 of these accelerated genes in Finnish mothers and found that certain variations in the FSHR gene were more frequent in mothers who had experienced preterm birth. The same variations may also be associated with preterm births in African Americans.

Professor Louis Muglia, from the department of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University, is a co-author of this research and a March of Dimes grantee. Dr. Muglia said, “Ideally we’d like to predict which women are at greatest risk for having pre-term birth and be able to prevent it. That would really have an impact on infant mortality and the long-term complications of being born prematurely.” Here’s hoping future research reveals more soon.

Tags: follicle stimulating hormone receptor, FSHR, human gestation, premature birth, preterm birth

via News Moms Need » Blog Archive » Premature birth gene.

Happy Mother’s Day….take care of yourselves!

Posted on May 7, 2011 by llpitlwp

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY !

I can think of no better way to say this than by sharing this message with all women…mothers or not…we all have mothers so if you are not one share it with one as your gift to her!

National Women’s Health Week

generations National Women’s Health Week kicks off on Mother’s Day, May 8th, a day when we are already focusing on the important women in our lives. Help celebrate your mom, your step-mom, your daughters and friends by helping them stay healthy.

The theme for 2011 is “It’s Your Time.” National Women’s Health Week empowers women to make their health a top priority. It also encourages them to take steps to improve their physical and mental health and lower their risks of certain diseases. Those steps include: getting regular physical exercise; eating a balanced nutritious diet; getting regular checkups with your health care provider; stopping smoking; wearing your seatbelt; getting enough sleep and managing stress.

This year, help empower women nationwide to make their health a priority by celebrating National Women’s Health Week and holding events in your local community. You can even register your activities on the National Women’s Health Week website and order free educational materials to distribute — including posters, bookmarks, prevention guides, brochures, and more! It’s easy — just go tohttp://www.womenshealth.gov/whw/my-account/register.cfm and follow the steps.

Help the women you love stay healthy. And have a wonderful Mother’s Day!

Tags: Mother’s Day, women’s health

Why Car Seats Expire: Keep your child safe…

Posted on May 6, 2011 by llpitlwp

“With the right combo, you can realistically only buy two to three seats, for your child’s entire life, without sacrificing safety. Three-in-1 seats can’t do this because of harness heights and weights, but also because of one other factor not everyone knows, and some don’t believe: Car seats expire.

Now, I know there are some conspiracy theories out there about how seats “don’t actually expire” and that’s it all just a ploy to get you to buy a new seat. I’m all about questioning the motives of companies, but in this situation, it’s true. Your seat really DOES expire.”

via Why Car Seats Expire: Details to Keep Your Child Safe | The Stir.

Children’s car seats are made to provide a safe ride for your child…please understand that children’s car seats do expire. You should be aware of the expiration date and realize that the materials that the car seats are made out of have a life span and that the seats should not be used beyond that life span. Hand-me down car seats should be used with caution and not beyond the expiration date.

Please read the above link on child car seat safety…it may save the life of your child!