Conscious Birth

I just saw the cover of TIME Magazine. In case you haven’t seen or heard about it, it has a three year old boy standing on a chair nursing. Mom and child have odd looks on their faces, which gives way to the imagination to decide what they are thinking. The article is suppose to be about attachment parenting and Dr. Sears.

Even if you don’t know the basis of attachment parenting, most of you would agree that one of the wonderful things about breastfeeding is the nuturing, loving feelings that mom and baby have while doing it. I’m sure this mom and baby feel warm and fuzzy, or they wouldn’t have kept it going for 3 years!

However, the photo on the cover does not convey any of these ideas. Instead it conveys negative feelings and makes the idea of nursing a toddler seem weird, dirty, and sexualized. The mom even stated that the magazine photographer took some shots of the mom holding the child while nursing, with the two looking at each other.

Then, why didn’t TIME choose to use these photos? You know, the photos that would have made it look like the mom and baby were actually nursing and enjoying what they were doing?! I’ll tell you why, because they wanted to sell more magazines. I will admit, the photo chosen does make one pause, and probably buy. But it doesn’t support the cause of getting more moms to breastfeed their babies, or getting them to continue breastfeeding their babies into toddlerhood.

With all we know about breastfeeding with science to back it up, it should be a no-brainer to advocate for healthy breastfed babies. Unfortunately, it continues to be a battle in some areas, and this type of reckless journalism makes it that much harder for any positive messages to be heard.

Shame on you, TIME Magazine.

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/breastfeeding-mom-time-magazine-cover-speaks-today-show-article-1.1076845

I am so excited to share with you my latest venture! LA Family has asked me to write a weekly column on all things pregnancy, breasfeeding, and women’s health related. Please check it out…WEEKLY at http://www.lafamily.com/

To read my first installation, go to http://www.lafamily.com/pregnancy-fertility/when-see-lactation-consultant

Of course, I will still post here, so stay tuned!

Parents love to hear that their baby is gaining weight. A chubby baby is what we expect in our society. But what if our baby looks chubby and healthy, but isn’t considered a big baby because they are in the 5th percentile on the growth chart? This can confuse and frustrate a parent.

My oldest daughter was always in the 25% percentale or lower as a baby. She didn’t even inch into the 50% percentile range until her 3rd birthday. But I wasn’t worried because she had rolls, she looked healthy, and my husband and I aren’t “big” people. My pediatrician was also very reassuring. But I have heard many friends, even those who work in healthcare, talk about their child’s weight and “low percentile” with a lot of anxiety.

I recently read this blog, which gives a wonderful explanation of growth charts and what they really tell us. I hope it takes the anxiety out of watching our healthy children grow!

http://blog.nurturedchild.ca/index.php/2012/03/24/breastfeeding-weight-gain-and-growth-charts/

Calling all nursing moms!

Be a part of the “nurse-in” at University Village shopping center (in front of the kids’ play area) Monday, Dec 5 at noon. There have been a couple of incidences where nursing moms have been asked to cover up. Public breastfeeding is protected by Washington state law.

Show ‘em what those things are for!

A new study from California State Univeristy, Fullerton is asking for your participation. All you have to do is complete a short survey, which is found at the link below.

The study is approved by the CSUF Internal Review Board (IRB #
HS-11-0190). The survey is completely voluntary and anonymous, and no
compensation is made for participation. This research will help
scientists understand the role of pregnancy, childbirth, and lactation
on women’s sexuality, including sexual desires, behaviors, and
attitudes. The survey should take approximately 20-40 minutes to
complete (depending on the woman’s reproductive, relationship, and
sexual history). The survey can be found at the following link:

https://fulertonhumsoc.us.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_5zkiLc0DU15YTpq

Thank you for your participation!