Trace Melamine Found in US Formula

Yet another reason to breastfeed: after reports of over 50,000 sick babies and 3 deaths related to formula in China, the US began to test its formula. The FDA released a statement today that some formula has trace elements of Melamine. Since a safe level has not yet been established there will be no recall. Read the rest of the story here.

The Chemistry of Breastmilk

When my husband, a Chemical Analyst, brought home an issue of Chemical and Engineering News with an article entitled “Unraveling Breastmilk” I was a bit skeptical. There was a photo of a breastfeeding infant on the cover, which addmittidly was quite impressive. However, the objective of unraveling the chemical components of breastmilk seemed to be to create a superior formula, and I wondered how a superior formula would help with encouraging women to breastfeed, which has far greater benefits than the nutrition and antibodies alone.

I read the article with a critical eye, but I found it to be both respectful of the amazing substance that is breastmilk, and extremely fascinating. To see just how complex breastmilk is on a scientific level, and how hard it is for them to replicate this amazing substance was really very interesting.

The article can be found here: Unraveling Breast Milk: Analytical scrutiny reveals how complex fluid nourishes infants and protects them from disease

I have to warn you that the article is written for chemists, so it is not the easiest thing to read. Even though I didn’t understand the entire thing, reading about the chemistry of breastmilk really gave me a new understanding and appreciation for the substance. I think the last sentence of the article sums it up nicely; “It is a remarkable fluid,” German emphasizes. “It’s extremely embarrassing how little we still know about it.”

All a twitter…

Now you can follow Birth Activist on Twitter. Come on, you know you want to…

March of Dimes Gives US a ‘D’ for Prematurity

This week the March of Dimes gave the US a report card on prematurity. As some would have suspected, we are not doing well. Overall the US got a ‘D’ but my state was given an ‘F’, as were the states around me. Below you will find a post where Dr. Laura Riley talks about some things to be done to decrease the number of premature births in the US. In fact, she talks about prematurity from inductions and cesareans that are on the rise. My question would be how much is caused by what the physician wants and how much is the patient’s impatience? With so much focus on one day, could we lower the prematurity rate by simply giving the 38-42 week span as the possible due date?

You can go here to sign the March of Dimes petition for premies.

March of Dimes Interview for Prematurity Awareness Month

Dr. Laura Riley answers some important questions on prematurity and birth interventions for the March of Dimes and Birth Activist.

International Baby Wearing Week (Activist Alert)

As the mother of many, I’ve found baby wearing. Unfortunately it wasn’t until baby number two. But once I found it I never went back. It was so much easier to carry my children, not to mention it was nice to be close to the and have my hands free. I talk to a lot of moms about how to carry their babies so that they can enjoy the benefits of baby wearing.

I was thrilled to see that November 12-18 is the inaugural Baby Wearing Week. It will hopefully help spread the word about baby wearing and the benefits to moms and babies. I actually have some pretty hilarious photos of me wearing the twins in two slings!

So whether you’re a fan of a sling, a mei tai, moby wrap or baby bjorn, join together and send a note to Motrin. For this week, they’ve decided to post an ad that is very anti-baby wearing. You can check out the ad for yourself. You can also contact them to offer your opinion.

Rally for Home Birth

My small city paper covers the “home birth” story about every three years. Something about the topic is edgy, dare I say “trendy”? If what is normal is trendy and gets the media’s attention, fine. I was delighted to read The New York Times article “Baby, You’re Home.” I hope millions of others read the article and watch the slideshow attached to it.

As women in our society, we have much to learn from each other. Often we think that those of us who advocate for normal birth are enlightened, have already made the paradigm shift, and that it’s the others in our society who need to change. While this may be true, we advocates also need to learn how to reach out to the mainstream, even the tech- and intervention-crazy birthers to dialogue with them, discover what it is they fear so that we can hopefully help them replace that fear with love and trust.

After all, isn’t birth based in love and trust what home birth is all about?

Study Shows That Pregnant Woman Do Not Lose Cognitive Ability

Here is the link to an article entitled “Pregnancy does not cloud the brain, says Australian study”. Many people, including pregnant women themselves, feel that pregnancy clouds their judgment. Perhaps this study will put that myth to rest.

Some notable quotes from the article:

A study by the Australian National University’s centre for mental health research found that there is no evidence to suggest that impending motherhood affects a woman’s cognitive ability.

“It really leaves the question open as to why (pregnant) women think they have poor memories when the best evidence we have is that they don’t.

The professor said research on rodents had found that mother rats had an improved capacity to do more than one task, navigated mazes more efficiently and suffered less anxiety and fear.

“There’s enormous changes in the rat brain during pregnancy so you might actually expect that women perform better during pregnancy than when they’re not pregnant,” Christensen said.

The Effects of Birth Trauma on Breastfeeding

Here is a recent article on new research from Cheryl Beck on the effects of birth trauma and breastfeeding. The article is entitled “Study shows birth trauma can impact new mothers’ ability to breastfeed”.

Highlights from the article include:

For some, the trauma propels them into persevering in breastfeeding to prove their “success” as a mother and perhaps to make up to their infant for the difficult birth.

Yet for others, birth trauma sets in motion a chain of events “intrusive flashbacks, detachment from their child, and physical pain” that can curtail their attempts to breastfeed.

Beck concludes that intensive one-on-one support for traumatized mothers may be necessary to help them establish breastfeeding. Sensitivity and awareness by medical professionals of the traumatized mother’s needs may also be helpful.

During the postpartum period, it is suggested that healthcare providers be attentive to the symptoms that may indicate a new mother is traumatized, such as being withdrawn, having a dazed look, or suffering temporary amnesia.

See the linked article above for more information.

A Serious Look at Post-Partum Depression

Post-partum depression hangs a dark cloud over what is otherwise supposed to be a happy, blissful time of unconditional love. Generalizations of tears, insecurities and hopelessness do not grasp the entirety of what PPD can entail.

A licensed professional counselor with a focus on post-partum depression recently gave a presentation to a moms’ group in my area describing symptoms, signs and prevention of PPD.

She shared a checklist that you can view online. She also recommended Post-Partum Survival Guide: It wasn’t supposed to be like this as a good resource for information, but I was unable to find it to purchase online. Surprisingly (or not), post-partum depression is still not widely studied and certainly not clearly understood. Some practitioners, be they doctors, counselors or psychologists, do not recognize PPD as an illness. For yourself or your friends, it is important to make sure that the person whose help you seek shares your philosophies and is compatible with the mom and her family.

Everyone is encouraged, of course, to research for themselves on this topic, and information provided here is not intended for medical advice. If you or someone you know shows signs of PPD, seek help. Sometimes just having someone validate the feelings is all that is needed. Other times, medication might be needed, but that is at the discretion of the doctor and client.

Here are a few suggestions, however, that are easily provided as a friend or that can usually be obtained if you only ask. We were told that these can help with regular depression, too.

Take time for healing
Eat, sleep, exercise
Take breaks
Maintain marital intimacy, dates (does not have to include sex)
Recognize achievements even if it’s just changing the diapers all day
Laugh daily
Express negative feelings
Attend to positive feelings, a gratitude journal might be helpful
Act to change, don’t just talk about it
Let go of self-blame
Get social support
Recharge your batteries
Let go of expectations
Have a loose structure; plan to rest
Allow some crying time; set a timer for 20 minutes if needed, but cut yourself off when the timer goes off
Avoid major life changes, if possible

With up to twenty percent of American women experiencing PPD, it is necessary to be aware, especially for African-American women and women in lower income levels who are more at-risk.

There is also Postpartum Support International that has a toll-free helpline and is working to pass legislation in support for mothers. Please visit their site for more information. An additional good article on PPD is on Scientific American.

Know the resources in your area. Be familiar with the signs and symptoms. Be willing to help a fellow mom. Be willing to ask for help.