earth day special GREEN PARENTING: CREATING the
NEW NORM
April 2013 12
A HEALTHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL Imagine how many healthcare dollars we could save with normalized breastfeeding, less cancer? less diabetes? Imagine how many sick days and lost wages would be saved by normalized breastfeeding; working moms can breastfeed. Normalized breastfeedingmeans
BREASTFEEDING
I
Improving Family Health: A Cultural Norm The breastfeeding debate is just one facet of the Mommy Wars. There is enough guilt surrounding a mom's every decision, especially a new mom! I love the New Mexico Breastfeeding Task Force's mission: “To improve the health of New Mexico's families by creating an environment in which breastfeeding is the cultural norm.” The goal is not to badger or guilt families into breastfeeding. It's to create a culture that is naturally supportive of breastfeeding. We hear it a lot: “Breast is Best.” Breastfed babies have higher IQs, fewer infections, reduced chance of diabetes, fewer allergies, and many more psychological and long-term physical benefits. Breastfeeding moms have reduced likelihood of postpartum hemorrhage, burn more calories, have less chance of breast, uterine and cervical cancers and many more psychological and long-term physical benefits. But this is a skewed perspective. Instead of saying "Breastfeeding improves health," we need to realize that breastfeeding is normal.
THE GOAL: TO CREATE A CULTURE THAT IS NATURALLY SUPPORTIVE OF BREASTFEEDING. www.InspiredABQ.com www.facebook.com/inspiredbirth
The 550 million cans of artificial baby milk sold each year to bottle feed US babies alone stacked end to end would circle the earth one and a half times; 550 million cans equals 86,000 tons of tin and 1,230 tons of paper labels. Imagine the huge reduction in the carbon footprint of feeding our babies if we normalize breastfeeding? Healthy Ingredients Some formulas list corn syrup and then sugar as the FIRST ingredients! My guess is that the better formulas, especially organics with milk and whey as primary ingredients (still, sugar isn't far behind), cost much more and that many families must choose the cheaper version.
BY AMYLEE UDELL 've written on many topics here, but I've never written on the topics on which my business is built: childbirth and breastfeeding. This is because I have strong, passionate opinions on these topics and so objectivity will be harder for me to maintain. And so in a discussion of the all-around awesomeness of breastfeeding, I know some readers will think I'm making those who did not breastfeed feel guilty or bad. Know that I understand there is a place for substituting mother’s milk; adoptive families for whom breastfeeding wasn't an option. I also know of nonbiological mothers who stimulated milk supply and used supplemental nursers to provide a breastfeeding experience and families who chose to avoid store bought formulas in favor of homemade versions like milk from a milk bank or donated milk from other families.
CHOICE!
pumping breaks for moms in the workplace; not asking moms to fight for these short breaks. Pollution Reduction Then there are the other environmental reasons to breastfeed. Breastfeeding requires no water to prepare formula, no plastic bottles, no packages of formula, no energy to boil or heat water, no refrigerator to store extra and no washing after. Breast milk is a renewable resource that is delivered directly to the end user with no use of industrial or transport resources. For every three million bottle-fed babies, 450 million cans of formula are consumed. The resulting 70,000 tons of metal in the form of discarded cans do not have to be recycled.
Clarifying
Meditative WORK APRIL 27
281-0684 THE WAT CENTER 145 MADISON NE
Formula needs to be purchased. Imagine the economic impact on a family of not buying formula. Now imagine the economic impact of normalized breastfeeding on our entire state if families needing state assistance did not need formula! How I would love for our tax dollars to purchase breast pumps and professional breastfeeding support instead of corn syrup laden formula! And then just imagine the related reduction in tax subsidized healthcare costs when our babies and children stay healthier! The goal of normalizing breastfeeding does not mean 100 percent breastfeeding rates. Again, I understand there will always be a need for supplementing and replacing mothers’ milk, but in a breastfeeding supportive culture, this need could be immensely reduced. So what can you do to normalize breastfeeding and improve overall health for individuals and our entire state? When you see a mom nursing her baby, congratulate her on doing a great job. Ask her if she needs anything. Tell her what you loved about nursing. Or, just smile.
A workshop for people from any meditation tradition, as well as for people interested in teachers such as Eckhart Tolle, Pema Chodron, Toni Packer, Thich Nhat Hanh and Krishnamurti. Sitting and discussion, April 27, 2-3:45pm, at the Wat Center, 145 Madison NE, in Albuquerque. $2 donation. Reservations, info at 281-0684, www.cuttsreviews.com.