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March 9, 2010

Off topic tuesday: what’s your cause?

I have a long history of always being involved in some sort of cause.  Before I had kids, I spent a lot of time in pet rescue.  Though I’ve moved on as far as where I spend the majority of my time, I still feel passionately about animal welfare and responsible pet ownership.  What I focus on now is supporting the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) in preventing unnecessary cesareans and supporting VBAC, promoting breastfeeding, and opposing routine infant circumcision.

What are you passionate about?  What causes do you support?  Please post a blurb about your favorite cause in the comments.  Include a link if you have one.  Please read everyone else’s comments, and let’s use this post to spread awareness.

March 8, 2010

Easy homemade salsa

Filed under: recipes — Tags: , , , — laurafields @ 10:00 am

I had a Tastefully Simple party recently, and ended up ordering their Simply Salsa mix.  It’s a mix of dehydrated veggies and spices, with no crazy ingredients you can’t pronounce.  The recipe on the container is simply to mix 1/4 cup of the mix with a can of diced tomatoes, but that sounded way too tame for me.  So here’s what I did, and if you like spicy foods, you’ll love this.

1 10 ounce can of Rotel, hot (the one with the habaneros – you can tone this down if you want to), slightly drained
1 large or 2 small tomatoes, chopped
1 diced jalapeno, membranes, seeds and all (to tone it down, discard the seeds & membranes)
1 clove (or 2!) of fresh garlic, minced or chopped small
Fresh cilantro, chopped, to taste
1/4 cup Simply Salsa (click here for more info on this)

Just mix all the ingredients together and chill for at least 2 hours.  I left mine overnight.  Very tasty, very spicy!

March 5, 2010

Genetically modified foods

Filed under: Education, Health, Nutrition — Tags: , — laurafields @ 8:02 am

Genetically modified foods have gotten a lot of press in recent years.  These foods have been modified on a molecular level to enhance certain traits without taking the amount of time it would take to do that with traditional growing.  Genetically modified foods may be more resistant to drought,  pests, and disease, and more tolerant of chemical treatments used on foods.  Because they can be grown more quickly they may provide larger amounts of crops to countries with food shortages.

This all sounds swell, so what’s the problem?  On an environmental level, growing genetically modified foods may have a negative impact on other, naturally occurring things, including the transfer of altered genes to surrounding crops and plants.  These foods may also create a resistance to pesticides (pesticide use on food is another entry entirely!).

On an individual level, we may see an increase in severe allergic reactions to foods that have been genetically modified.  Studies are inconclusive on the effects of GMOs on health, but there really is no way to know if these genetically altered foods will have a long-term effect on our health.  Children may be more susceptible to health problems from GMOs than adults.

This link contains information on how to avoid buying genetically modified foods.  The headline says 6 ways, the video says 4, and the site actually lists 7.  But despite their apparent math issues, it’s still got some good information:

http://bytestyle.tv/content/top-6-ways-identify-avoid-gmo-foods

March 4, 2010

Guest Blogger Rachele Bee: Sweet Milk, Sweet Memories

Filed under: Breastfeeding, Pregnancy and Birth — Tags: — laurafields @ 9:50 am

Sweet Milk, Sweet Memories

Breastfeeding a toddler or older child can sure be an adventure!  My nursling is almost 2, and sometimes I feel like a combination jungle gym/vending machine!  Most people in our lives don’t understand it, and I could rattle on about the WHO recommendation of at least 2 years, I could list all the many ways that it benefits her body and mind… but all health reasons for full-term breastfeeding aside, I’m still so glad for this special experience, despite how others may degrade it in their minds.
The way my little one exclaims “Beebees!” with such utter glee, the way she smiles while nursing and pats my breast, the way she can slow down her crazy little life and have a peaceful moment with me now and then, the way she giggles and pushes my husband away if he teases her and starts going after my boob… It’s all so silly, special, comforting, and yes, occasionally irritating, lol.  I wouldn’t trade this for the world.  Even when I feel literally drained, just seeing how incredibly happy and healthy she is rejuvenates and blesses me like nothing else!

I hope that by sharing this post, moms that are “still” breastfeeding will be able to relate, and hopefully get a smile or giggle from it too.  I hope that this may also help others realize that full-term nursing isn’t just something done by “natives” or “hippies” (terms I’ve actually heard people use to describe people who nurse beyond a year, ugh)!  It isn’t something we do just for the sake of being weird.  It isn’t something that becomes perverted just because your child passes their first birthday.  It is still just as healthy and comforting to them as it was when they were little babies, and we do it just because it is NORMAL.  I hope you enjoy the following quotes, and please feel free to add your own in a comment!  Big thank you to everyone that contributed to this post :-)

My eldest son, who self-weaned at about nearly 3, came into my bedroom about 6 months later while I was dressing. He saw me with no shirt and exclaimed, “THERE’S my boobies!!!”

My 3 year old said,” mmm, tastes like HONEY!”

My 21 month old son who is still nursing recently called me “mama cup” while patting my chest.  Also, when i asked him what my milk tasted like, he said “chotat” which I think meant chocolate! Nursing has been such a blessing for us.

My 5yo sister has called nursing “ump” since she was a baby. When she was old enough to talk, we asked her why. She said, “Oh, that’s how I used to say bumps when I was little.”

My 3 year old tells me all the time he wants to give me booby kisses like sister HayLee does.. :)

I can remember my mother nursing me on demand, and I was at least three, possibly even four. Knowing she was there for me to snuggle up to and comfort nurse was the most… safe… feeling, and it’s almost impossible to recreate as an adult. ♥ Thank you, mom.

My 2.5 yr old just weaned 2 months ago. Sitting on the potty the other day she said “I’m a big girl, I go potty, no more Momma’s milk for me, bye, bye momma’s milk”. So sweet….

My daughter is 5; she self weaned at 37 months. The other day as she watched her little brothers nurse, she said to me “I loved mama milk. It was so warm and sweet.”
My 3yo son and I were in a fabric store and when I picked him up, he put his hand on my breast and said, “I like your boob. I like your milk. I like you.”
My son when he was just over 2-ish, would go up to strangers who had a young crying baby and tell them “that baby need boob. give that baby boob.” lol
My daughter called it “her sleepy drink” one night…that made me remember how comforting it was to her to nurse to sleep.
My, at the time, almost 3 yo son was nursing and he pulled off my breast, he looked at me and said I want booby. I am thinking you were just having that. He says with great expression “The Big Booby right there”. He meant the one he hadn’t already deflated. He would constantly tell me that he loves booby and he still does…..lol
Morgan talks about it all the time, lol. She says “Your milkies taste like ice-cream, Ethan and Abby are lucky”.
This morning my 3 yrs & 5 mths old daughter spontaneously said to me ” Mummy, I like to kiss you sooo much and I like your milky all the time because I love you soooo much.”
“Mom if i knew the milk would go away if i stopped, i would have never stopped!” my son nursed until he was 4, and apparently would have nursed longer had he known he was in charge of the milk supply.

Awhile back my 4 y/o daughter took my bra and smelled it (LOL). I asked her what she was doing and she said, “This smells like your milk and I miss nursing.” Unfortunately our bf’ing journey came to a short end, but I’m still nursing my 19 month old and there is no sight of him self-weaning :)
According to my 2 year old, my milk tastes like chocolate milk!
My 2.5 y/o daughter says “mommy milk tastes like ice cream”. We also goof around with each other and I will say “my boobies” and she responds “No, my boobies!”
My 3yo (then 2.5), who was planning to tandem nurse, would tell me when I was pregnant, “I have to SHARE the breastmilk. First the baby, then me.”
I’m tandem nursing my 23 month old and newborn. The 23 month old doesn’t say many quotable things yet but if the baby starts to cry she says “baby nine” (her version of nurse).  She’ll also try to wake the baby because she knows if I’m nursing the baby I’ll probably let her nurse.
Sometimes when I am nursing JoAnna (18 months), her older brother asks if he can try again…just to see what’s it like. I asked him if he remembers what it was like. (He is 10 now). Nope, he don’t remember breast feeding, well, he remembers doing it, but not the taste. He acts like he misses it and so he lays down beside me while I nurse JoAnna. He has always been very close to me. I had nursed Jay for 2 1/2 years. He would be still nursing today if I would let him. LOL
Daniel says ”boobie is my best friend” he hugs my boobie, then latches on. It’s so cute, he also says he want to go booby night night.
Elyse still is mainly talking in one-two word sentences but she has patted my boob before and said “love”.  When I was going through some hormonal pain while nursing and I explained how mommy needed a break she said “boo boos” and kissed my breast.  Yesterday she was at the doctor’s office and there were a lot of newborns there.  She was pointing them out to my husband and telling him how the babies need ”bubbas” (her word for nursing).  She was also saying, “milk milk, yum” with a big smile on her face.
My daughter used to call it “Yummy juice”, but now she only wants me to nurse her baby brother, because, you know, she can eat pizza and stuff. ;)
Sophie has always said such sweet things about it, both when she was still nursing, and now that she has weaned.  :)   Some of my favorites:  “I want milk.  I love your milk.”, “I love your boobies.  They smell like honey!”  After latching on for a moment recently:  “I’m done nursing!” and walking off happily!

Regarding Cherise:  “She needs you to nurse her!”  “Aww Sewise!  You having your milk??  It’s yummy!”
Just this morning, my 3yo said, “Mamma, is the baby sister in your belly having mommy milk yet?” “Not yet, honey.” “Kai (my 1.5yo) and I love your mommy milk. But, I’m not a baby anymore. So, I’ll share mine with baby sister and then when she’s asleep I’ll drink the rest all up.”

My two year old in the morning (he was recently night weaned): “Is the milk still sleeping?” He also often says, “The milk was yummy” after nursing. If he gets hurt, “I want some milk to make me feel better.”

About Rachele:

I am a daughter, a wife, a mother, a sister, and a friend. I have views that many people in my “real life” find confusing or downright horrifying, but thanks to the internet I’ve discovered that I am not the only person in the world with these beliefs. Some people would label me as an “Attachment Parent”, and I’m great with that, but I tend to think that following one’s parental instincts is what is truly normal, and everyone else is a “detachment parent”. I practice and advocate full-term breastfeeding, safe co-sleeping, baby wearing, natural birth, the right to home birth, the right of all children to genital integrity, and positive parenting in general. I am a human, and if you met me in real life, you’d have no idea that I am a “freak”. I shop at Wal Mart. I like an occasional cheeseburger. I wear jeans, t-shirts, and flip flops. I even wear make-up and dye my hair, gasp! In most ways, I’m just your average woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother. I am generally a laid back gal that just likes to spend time with my loved ones. I just also happen to believe that many “mainstream” parenting beliefs and practices are unhealthy, either physically, emotionally, or both.

Click here to visit Woman, Uncensored.

February 24, 2010

Wordless Wednesday: Henna tattoos during pregnancy

Filed under: Art, Pregnancy and Birth — Tags: , — laurafields @ 9:15 am

For information on henna tattoos, contact Talitha Seibel here.

February 18, 2010

Why hospital birthers should care about homebirth

Filed under: Education, Pregnancy and Birth — Tags: , , — laurafields @ 7:40 am

In Georgia, midwives are unable to be licensed to attend homebirths.  This means that Medicaid and insurance companies typically will not reimburse for homebirths, so couples must pay out of pocket.  It also means that every time a midwife attends a homebirth, she risks being prosecuted for practicing medicine without a license, and that midwives often have a hard time establishing a really smooth transfer protocol to an obstetrician at a hospital, for those instances where a mother needs to go into the hospital during the course of labor.  This can make transfers stressful for midwives and families.

The studies on homebirth all say the same thing: homebirth is just as safe as hospital birth for both mothers and babies, with much, much lower rates of every intervention you can think of.  Outcomes are as good or better (when you consider morbidity as well as mortality), and women and babies are treated with the utmost respect, and labor intervened with only when truly necessary.  When safety is not an issue, why should the government be involved in telling women where to give birth?

If you are a hospital birther, you may be asking yourself what this has to do with you.  You have no interest in homebirth for yourself.  But think for just moment about what it means for the government to restrict ANY birth choice.  What if, instead, the government determined that since nearly one third of women who give birth in the hospital are put through surgery to do it, that hospital birth is clearly riskier than homebirth?  What if they said that even if you want a hospital birth, you must give birth at home?  What if they decide that since epidurals can result in paralysis or death, they are unsafe and you’re not allowed to have one?

If this were to happen, homebirth advocates would be just as vocal against it as we are about fully legalizing homebirth.  We support a woman’s absolute right to make the choices for her birth that she feels the most comfortable with.  You would have us on your side, because we believe that if you want an epidural, it is 100% within your rights to get one.  We would never dream of trying to force someone to give birth at home, and we would be outraged by a government pronouncement to that effect.

The only way we will see the licensing of homebirth midwives is if our politicians start to hear about homebirth from large numbers of people.  Only 1% of American women choose to give birth at home, and no matter how loud we are, the politicians just don’t care about 1%.  We need your help for our cause.  This is not just about homebirth; it’s about protecting the birth autonomy of ALL women.  Please contact your government representatives and let them know that this issue matters to more than just 1%.  We would do it for you.

February 17, 2010

Belly casting

Filed under: Art, Pregnancy and Birth — Tags: , — laurafields @ 5:13 pm

Belly casting is a great way to memorialize your pregnancy.  There are kits you can buy to do it yourself at home, or you can get help from a professional.  You can be as artistic as you like.  A belly casting is a great activity to include in a baby shower or blessingway.

For help with belly casting contact:

Crystal Bowden: http://www.lovinglabor.com/bellycasting.php

Nichole Feinauer: bellasop@aol.com

February 15, 2010

Munchy Monday: homemade apple sauce

Filed under: Health, Nutrition, recipes — Tags: , , , — laurafields @ 12:00 pm

I recently started getting weekly fruit & veggie deliveries from www.farmersmarketbaskets.com.  I love it, but have found myself overrun with apples!  I looked at several online recipes for apple sauce, and ended up using a kind of hybrid, though I’m sure this exact recipe exists somewhere.  It’s very easy!  What you need:

10 apples, peeled, cored & chopped (use different varieties of apples for different flavors – I used half Fuji, half JonaGold)
1/4 cup of brown sugar (next time I’ll probably use only 1/8 cup – you don’t need the sweetness so much as the flavor)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup of water

Combine all the ingredients in the crock pot and stir them well.  Cook on low for 8 hours.  Use a stick blender to reach the desired consistency once it’s done.  I left mine kind of chunky.  You can also experiment with adding different fruits to the mix.  Very easy and delicious!

Picture from one of the sites where I got recipe ideas, http://cookincanuck.blogspot.com.

February 12, 2010

Once a cesarean, always a cesarean?

Filed under: Education, Health, Pregnancy and Birth — Tags: , , , , — laurafields @ 12:00 pm

Almost one woman in three in the United States will have her baby surgically, by c-section.  Many women would prefer to avoid surgery, but what if you’ve already had one cesarean?  Is it really safe to have a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean)?  The science says yes!   The main risk involved with VBAC is that of having a uterine rupture, but the risk of that happening is extremely low, occurring in fewer than 1% of women.  When deciding whether to have a VBAC or a repeat cesarean, be sure to also consider the risks of a c-section.  Take into account that the risk of some things increases with each addition c-section.

A new study found women having a vaginal birth after three cesareans have the same odds of a successful VBAC and the same level of risk as women planning a vaginal birth after just one cesarean.  Even if you’ve had more than one cesarean, you aren’t forced to continue to have c-sections.  http://www3.interscience. wiley.com/ journal/12326660 8/abstract? CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

If you think you’d like to have a VBAC, here are some tips:

  • Find a supportive caregiver.  This is often the most challenging part of planning a VBAC!  But truly supportive midwives and obstetricians do exist.
  • A great source of information regarding cesarean sections and VBAC is the International Cesarean Awareness Network.  The national group is here, and our local Atlanta chapter is here.  The Atlanta group includes a message board where you can find reviews of care providers.
  • Take a good childbirth class.  Even if you plan to get an epidural, a natural birth class tends to be much  more thorough than a prepared birth class.  You want to get as much consumer information as possible when planning your birth.  Baby Steps offers classes, and there are many other organizations that have good classes as well.
  • Hire a doula.  Having a doula reduces the c-section rate by half, in addition to making your labor more comfortable.

February 10, 2010

Wordless Wednesday: Breastfeeding is beautiful

Filed under: Breastfeeding, Education, Health, Parenting, Photography, Pregnancy and Birth — Tags: , , , — laurafields @ 4:37 pm

Click here for more lovely images of nursing babies and toddlers.

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