On a lighter note, some links from around the Web.
1.
Something’s rotten in Denmark. Striking because you want to drink MORE beer on the job?
2.
European airline RyanAir is going to charge to use the bathroom on flights. Supposedly it’s not about making money, but about changing passenger’s behavior so they can remove one bathroom to make room for six more seats.
If it were really about “changing behavior”, then they’d just remove the extra bathroom and let the longer lines deter people from using the bathroom on a plane. Although I don’t know of anyone who holds it all through the airport so they can cram themselves into an airplane bathroom.
RyanAir flies in Europe; I’m not sure the policy would fly (har de har har) in the US, because it seems to me that it violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. Some people have to have access to a bathroom, having Crohn’s disease, for example. Or Mr X, who has polyuria (which means he makes a lot of urine.) What do you think? Is access to a bathroom on an airplane a right, or a privilege?
3.
Mothering Magazine ran a fascinating and hilarious article on a woman’s experience breastfeeding in Mongolia. The culture regarding nursing is completely different. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!
Breastfeeding in the Land of Genghis Khan
I don’t think my husband will ever want me to fill up a bowl of fresh breastmilk so he can have a nip. Just sayin’.
4.
New study out in Pediatrics says that not breastfeeding costs $13 billion dollars in the US. Of course it hit the Internetz with a huge storm and backlash, flaring the mommy wars. What do you think? And why is it that we can’t say something is good without others getting defensive (in this case, women who don’t breastfeed) and crying foul?
Check out the spin on the ABC story. They instantly take sides, printing warnings from researchers that the study will stigmatize non-breastfeeding mothers and reposting a flawed analogy to driving and morality.
5.
Have you seen Knock Off Wood? She takes furniture designs from catalogs and gives out free plans for making it yourself. We’ve got our eye on this easy trundle bed, which husband dear promises to make (as long as he can buy a new tool for it… ::wink::)
6.
HighHeeled Mom ran a two part series, What Pediatricians Want You To Know. Read Part 1 and Part 2. Fascinating. Again, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
7.
I recently got a cell phone. It’s an older model – okay, it’s a brick from 2006, but I wanted a touch screen and that’s what I could afford! Anyway, I was quite disturbed to discover that not only can my nine month old baby walk, she also can text.
Heaven help me.
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Re: What your pedi wants you to know: I knew intellectually that my kids’ doc probably doesn’t take it personally that they pretty much seem to hate her… but it’s nice to have a pediatrician say it right there in print.
Re: Breastfeeding: I never understood why people say formula feeding is more convenient. Mixing formula, keeping it in stock (and at such a price!), having to always have feeding supplies with you in the diaper bag, washing nipples and bottles, plus all the counter and cabinet space taken up by all of the above—where exactly is the convenience? The boob is always ready, never needs to be scrubbed out, is supremely portable, and never spoils. I’ve done both, having adopted a baby (all formula, of course) and having breastfed a biological child, and definitely consider breastfeeding more convenient. Of course, I never had to spend extended periods away from my baby or do a lot of pumping (after the first month or two anyway).
I think a lot of the convenience factor comes from having the ability to have someone ELSE handle feedings. Breastfeeding is more convenient than formula, unless Mom is not available for every single feeding. Pumping is less convenient than formula, as is driving home on your lunch hour to nurse a baby.
Very interesting articles–don’t even get me started on breastfeeding issues. And #7–hilarious!
I talked about the breastfeeding study in my quick takes as well. I think the huge issue is working, and just providing a special room is really the tip of the iceburg to a multitude of issues. If you are a shift worker how would you have the time to pump? If you bill hourly how do you make up the time lost from pumping without staying at work even longer? Etc. Etc.
I really think that if it is best for everyone that mothers breastfeed for 6 months, then we should all be given 6 months of maternity leave. It’s that simple. Everything else just isn’t enough to get those who aren’t doing it to change their ways.
It is a difficult issue. I worked full time when Miss C was born. I had my own office, but the layout of the company (small company) was such that my office did not have a door. Our office was in an old show room, and none of the offices had doors, just largish openings and three and a half walls. So if I pumped in my office, it was in the open. But we only had one bathroom – can’t take that space up for 20-30 minutes, even if I wanted to pump in the bathroom. I started working there when Miss V was 6 weeks old. I worked part time at two different jobs and pumped between my shifts (7a-1p at one company, 2p-7pm at the other company.) So I pumped in my car for both babies (though for Miss C’s first couple of months of life, my boss let me bring her to the office and she hung out in her carrier under my desk or in my sling.)
Mothers working is an issue without an easy solution. Some moms must work, although some do choose to work. Longer maternity leave might solve some problems, but it is unpaid. I only took 2 weeks maternity leave with Miss C because it was unpaid. And what of employers? It’s not fair to them to require them to keep a position open for a mom for six months. Two fiscal quarters? How can you run a business that way?
I am a big proponent of stay at home moms. I think that moms should stay home if they can. But the reality is that it’s not always possible. Some moms are the main breadwinners. Some moms are the only breadwinners. It’s not always just about vacations or living a more affluent lifestyle (often it is, but not always.) I definitely do not think daycare is the best place for baby, but life isn’t perfect.
Recent trends towards flex time, telecommuting, and on-site child care would help. Imagine if business centers/corridors/tech centers – places where business congregate – intentionally made space for day cares during building planning (Many have restaurants at street level, why not childcare centers?) Imagine if moms could just take an elevator down a few floors, or walk a block over, on their breaks and lunch hour to nurse, or even just to read a book to their kid.
That pic of your baby texting is adorable. Love it!
I love the picture of your baby texting! How adorable!
#1: I read that story and as a teetotaler, WOW. That’s all I have to say!
#2: As a person with multiple (and still undiagnosed-I’ve stumped quite a few gastroenterologists!) GI issues, I have to say that bathrooms in (any) public places are a RIGHT, not only for folks with GI issues, but for people with small children, menstrual cycles, polyuria, as well as for any other person who happens to have either (or both) a bladder and bowels (healthy or not)!
#4: As a person who isn’t a parent but has nearly two dozen nieces and nephews (2 more on the way!) I completely agree that feeding a baby from the breast and not the bottle is not only healthier for the child (nutritionally, emotionally, & promotes healthy jaw development, among other benefits), it IS easier and more convenient for both parents. Until I was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease -Bipolar II, for which I must take medication every day for the rest of my life- I always planned that when/if the time came, I would definitely breastfeed. However, because of the teratogenic medications I rely on to live, breastfeeding (if I were to become pregnant, which for me is extremely unlikely due to other medical problems, as well as the BP) would NOT be an option -healthy or otherwise- for both my child and for me. This is a disappointment for me (because of the financial and health costs for any future child of mine) but I absolutely would not have the option to breastfeed.
Wow, your baby is way ahead of me; I’ve never texted or received a text. i just noticed on your sidebar you go to the TLM. We do to.
Re RyanAir, I think you’re right that it won’t go over well with Americans in general (who in America PAYS to use the bathroom?!). But, here in Israel, at least, paying to use landbased restrooms is a common practice, especially in bus terminals and tourist areas. It’s how they keep people from messing up the facilities with graffiti and other forms of mess. Usually the fee is about 2 shekels (about $0.025). As an American, I can’t wait to get back to the sanity of free nose powdering.
#4 -I breast fed all three progeny because….I am just basically lazy. The source is right there after all. It meant that I didn’t have to heat up a bottle in the middle of the night. And I could have gotten formula REALLY cheap (read that as free) from my father who was an OB/GYN. I am just lazy. Why someone breast feeds or bottle feeds really is their business and in my mind one choice should not be lauded at the expense of the other. As long as your choice is an informed one.
#7 – Oh hilarious!
Glad I’m not flying RyanAir anytime soon! My unborn baby boy enjoys using my bladder as a trampoline. I’m going all the time!!! I was shocked when I went to Scotland and had to pay to use the loo. My host thought it was kinda funny that I considered using the loo as a basic human right. I kinda figured that if we had to pay for use of bathrooms in the US, those who physically could (mostly men) would just pee on a wall!
The Mongolian article was really interesting. I like that she experienced such freedom to breast feed. I remember having engorged breasts, screaming infant and trying in vain to find a decent spot to breast feed while everyone around me felt compelled to make comments for or against breast feeding in general. I now belong to the facebook group “If you don’t like breastfeeding, put a blanket over your head.”
Extended breastfeeding doesn’t sit with me. I can’t imagine breastfeeding my 4 year old, but that’s just me.
As for sharing my breast milk, well I dunno. I am irked when people get all grossed out about breast milk. My brother nearly gagged when he read an article about a chef who made cheese out of his wife’s breast milk. “Discusting!” It was for his personal use and experimentation. I countered that breast milk is actually very tasty.
Why is human milk so “discusting” and milk that comes from a cow or a goat just fine? Then again, many of the same people gag at the thought of drinking raw cow or goat milk. They’d rather have it over-processed and completely ruined by fakey cocoa or strawberry powder. Now, I’m not saying we moms attach ourselves to pumps and feed the nation, but I hope you catch my drift….yeah I’m beginning to ramble.
I commented on the article about breastfeeding and billions of dollars on LAF. While I obviously agree that breast is best, I did offer in my comment a disclaimer that those who cannot physically breast feed for whatever reasons (I cannot seem to get beyond 3 months no matter what I do) to not be discouraged or feel like less of a woman.
I can’t stand when people get defensive on either side of the issue. (Any issue) Get the facts, make up your own minds, do the best you can.
Kate
Kate, I agree. I’ve breastfed all of my children, but also formula fed them too. We’ve weaned anywhere from 12 weeks to 1 year of age, for a variety of reasons. I really don’t know why people are so squicked out by breastfeeding, but they are. I think that we have a weird sense of privacy – showing cleavage, belly buttons, “whale tails” is OK, but a nursing infant isn’t.
Perhaps people are just uncomfortable witnessing such an intimate act – a mother nourishing her baby with her very body.
I breastfed my baby for over 2 years, despite going back to work 25 hours a week when he was 12 weeks old. I worked in a cubicle at the time, but I arranged to pump in a small storage room, sitting on the floor next to a refrigerator full of blood samples (yum!). It quickly became part of my daily routine and a peaceful break I looked forward to. He refused the bottle around 14 months, so I stopped pumping then but continued breastfeeding for another year+.
I don’t think pumping is any less convenient than formula, particularly if you want to breastfeed when you and baby are together–not pumping would be uncomfortable and damage your supply. You have to wash bottles either way.
And with breastfeeding, you get to eat a lot!
I am hoping to breastfeed this one until he weans himself, but my supply is very borderline. He’s much happier now he’s getting a bowl of cereal at night though. I would totally give my husband breastmilk if my supply wasn’t so low; he gets sick too much.
ycw- there are herbs you can take to increase supply. Also you can find “mothers milk tea” at the grocery store (sometimes it’s in the tea aisle, sometimes it’s with the organics, it’s made by Traditional Medicinals who make the Throat Coat tea.)
I’ve used breastmilk as eardrops to cure an earache before.