Tuesday, September 30, 2008

the letter c




the other day, e shaped her hand like the letter 'c' and said, "look mama, a little c!" she was so excited about it. then, she made a big 'c' for me and another little 'c' for the bear. we talked about how her friend, caleb has a 'c' in his name. but, she insisted that the little 'c' is for the bear and the big 'c' is for me. precious.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Breastfed Children Growth Charts

Today, we went to the pediatrician. We barely ever need to go there but wanted to check in on e's weight gain merely to avoid having a CPS report filed on me for failure to comply with a follow up visit. The last time we went, the doctor was concerned about her status on the CDC charts. Now, i am aware that the CDC chart is not based on exclusively breastfed children. And, it's not based on children who eat a healthy vegan diet. Therefore, it's going to have heavier weight averages for children that do not really apply to my family. But, hey i am a mama bear and worry nonetheless...even when i know better!

Well, today, i was frustrated by a few things, mainly what the pediatrician said and did. I do not like her general disposition or the way she "handles" my children even. The nurse was kind to e and even gave her a sticker to hold while she was being weighed so she could keep her hands together instead of leaning on the table beside the scale. I did notice that she rounded down a bit for e's weight which pissed me off b/c we were there specifically to show that she had gained weight and i wanted every ounce to count! She asked if we had any concerns about her weight and i said that she is doing well. i spelled it out and said that we're careful how we talk about it in front of her. The nurse understood and said, "does she like to eat?" "well, then i wouldn't worry a bit about it!"

We prepped e that she would have her eyes and ears checked and her heart listened to. When brave e said, "are you going to check my ears?" with little patience or kindness, the ped responded with, "i already did. don't you remember?" she was not gentle when she had e stand up against the door to have her height taken. ugh!!! e was so brave and respectful of this person, even though she was not deserving of it in my opinion. on that walk into the other room for a height check, the ped saw two babes and exclaimed, "hola! wow! muy grande. muy grande!" in a praising sort of tone.

So, she gets her CDC chart out and plots e on it. e has gained almost 2 pounds since her last visit which was about 2 months ago. e was born early and tiny then. she is still slender like her family. i could go on and on about all the things that ticked me off but let me just say one that is breaking my heart for our babe. We don't let e eat lots of sweets usually but we became more lax about it when the ped encouraged us to let her eat cake and ice cream, etc. So, we did let her indulge in these things more often. When the ped looked into her mouth, she said, I think she has three cavities. Now, the bottomw rigth one has been there for a while and i know about it and talk with e about it, even. there is a little bit of one on the top right...maybe. and, on the bottom left a tiny potential of a cavity crept up over the last week! But, duh!!! She's eating way more sweets and juices! i am just kicking myself. Great that she has gained some weight but at the expense of getting more cavities? Is this worth it? and, now that e has experienced the yumminess of chocolate cake, how do we go back to avoiding it and denying her like we once did? we'll strive for moderation.

so, i have been doing some reserach partially to put my mind at rest but also for all those other parents out there and perhaps to send some research to the peds. When i mentioned that the CDC charts are not based on breastfed babies, she replied that she has seen some chunky breastfed babies. uhm, okay, yeah...look to your right at my youngest! she's probably in the 25% on those charts, even and is totally breastfed! as we were walking out, i asked exactly what percentile e falls in. as she showed me the chart, i noticed that all along the right hand side it are lists of FORMULA types/brands!!! ON THE ACTUAL CHART! When i pointed this out to her, she replied, "the forms are free. believe me, it's nice to have!" WOW. Really missing the point aren't you?

Here is the link to a reserach article comparing the actual differences between the CDC and the WHO charts. WHO Charts for baby girls up to 6 months and other info here. If you want the entire document that has the percentiles, charts and everything else, it is in the Multicentre Growth Reference Study found on this page. Please contact me if there is any way you think that I can help you with this information. I am no longer a research assistant but this information is easy enough to understand that there is a clear difference between the two charts!

A vegan pregnancy

This article was in 'Midwifery Today' a few years ago.

Vegan Pregnancy Diet by Mindy Goorchenko

[Editor's note: This article first appeared in The Birthkit Issue 46, Summer 2005.]

good nutritious foodsAside from the details of my homebirth of twins, Psalm and Zoya—a vertex son and a footling breech daughter—the questions I get most frequently concern my vegan diet. Many, many women are interested in, even long for, a vegan diet, yet find the idea seemingly impossible to implement. I wrote the following post on an Internet message board to provide an example of a vegan diet during a pregnancy that resulted in an 80 lb weight gain and twins who were 7 lb 10 oz and 8 lb 11 oz.

Breakfast

For breakfast, I usually ate cereal (often flax) or oatmeal with fortified soymilk. I also ate fruit of some sort and a whole grain or sprouted bagel with Earth Balance (a buttery spread made of cold-pressed oils and containing omega-3s and no trans fats.) Sometimes my husband would make me a bagel sandwich with hummus, sprouts, tomatoes, romaine lettuce and Earth Balance. Occasionally, he added tofu.

I also drank a green drink such as vegetable juice made with spirulina, spinach and other veggies or, near the end of the pregnancy, a powder mixture called "Peaceful Planet—The Supreme Meal," which consisted of such ingredients as quinoa, millet, amaranth, spirulina, flax, sprouts and so on. This protein drink came in during months seven to nine, when I really felt compelled to "top off" my protein intake each day.

Lunch

Lunch would be a full meal, courtesy of my wonderful husband, who does all the cooking in our household. He would make tostadas, consisting of homemade corn tortilla chips covered with black and pinto beans, brown rice, romaine, tomatoes, sprouts, corn, sometimes celery or carrot slices, and Bragg’s Liquid Aminos. Or we would have a dish like sauteed tempeh and broccoli on a bed of brown rice. We also ate "chili potatoes"—baked potatoes with Earth Balance and all the tostada ingredients.

Dinner

For dinner, as an example, we would have a big pasta dish with salad and good bread. I spent a lot of time at a local vegetarian restaurant, eating lots of great food, because my husband worked there. He would bring home containers of soup, and I would mix them with brown rice and eat them as a snack. (Big, thick stews can prove priceless during pregnancy when a quick, filling snack is desired.) I feasted on tofu/eggplant casseroles, plates of rice and beans, broccoli, collard greens, tofu and tempeh. I am a big fan of burritos, because you can place a wide variety of ingredients in them, and they taste so good! Watch out for and avoid partially hydrogenated oils in tortillas.

Snacks

A snack would consist of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or two on good whole-grain bread, carrots, fruit, crackers, raw trail mix and so on. I ate a lot of dried, unsulphured apricots for iron and vitamin A. My husband would pack me a bag of the aforementioned snacks and I would take it with me, often with a big glass of soy milk or other non-dairy milk like almond milk to go. I ran my real estate practice through most of my pregnancy, so I took bags of food with me wherever I went. (Humorously, I just saw a woman recently who hardly recognized me. The last time she had seen me, I was squatting, with a gigantic belly, putting a lockbox on a waterpipe.) I remember eating constantly, so I never felt "hungry."

"Extras"

Every day, I took four to six Vitanatal prenatals. I added a lot of salt to my food (the blood volume goes up 100% with a twin pregnancy!). I don’t remember taking any herbal supplements, aside from some echinacea at one point and garlic for herpes prevention a few times. I drank 2–3 litres of water a day throughout, in addition to other liquids.

Sometimes I would add tofu to my meals as a side dish. I put nutritional yeast on whatever I could, if I was in the mood. For a while, I ingested a couple tablespoons of flax seed oil a day with orange juice, but then it started to make me nauseous, and I quit. I tried to follow my tastes.

I ate no junk food (or packaged food, for that matter), partially hydrogenated oils, preservatives or refined sugar. I only had one to two cups of organic coffee the entire pregnancy. The day after the birth, I lost all taste for many of the "carb" foods I had enjoyed, like bagels and pasta. I didn't really police myself during the pregnancy. I just had to eat good wholesome foods or my body would turn up its nose.

For fast food, I would have burritos at Chipotle or Indian food at a local market. (Chipotle is a place with a bar of food options where they make big, fresh burritos per your specifications.) However, I lost interest in those foods after five months of pregnancy, favoring bland dishes (except for salt).

Midwifery and Pregnancy Diet

While researching healthy twin pregnancies and births, I learned that many midwives who work with twin moms believe nutrition to be the key ingredient in a full-term twin pregnancy. My midwives, prior to learning of our twin gestation, provided me with a guide to protein and nutrient sources based on each of three major dietary styles: omnivorism, ovo-lacto vegetarianism and veganism. Their respect for the dietary choices of their clients impressed me greatly, and I appreciated their simple suggestions, such as eating dried apricots for iron. For clients who are vegan or interested in incorporating vegan food choices into the diet, I recommend Simply Vegan by Debra Wasserman and Reed Mangels. The recipes have simple, basic ingredients and take little time to prepare—a must when hunger strikes!

Mindy Goorchenko, her husband, Alex, and their four children live in Southern California. Mindy currently teaches childbirth education in affiliation with Birthworks and offers nutritional counseling. She studies midwifery with Ancient Art Midwifery Institute. The Web site describing their twins' homebirth can be found at www.EarthBirthProductions.com.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Paperhand Puppet Intervention

growing up so fast.
gnawing on a bean
super cute penguin clippie from Moxie kids; we had a gift certificate for the store. We went by there before the show began. While she make look a bit apprehensive in this picture, I assure you that she was really enjoying the show!

The rest of my pictures of the actual show did not turn out well. In order to have a picnic dinner, we sat on the lawn in the way back. We could see everything well but that did not pick up as true on my camera. Needless to say, the costumes were amazing, the storyline fun and easy to follow either as an adult or a child. The costumes spoke more than the plot sometimes and they were absolutely gorgeous. Personally, I thought the bike gang was cool and I really liked the earth ball. We have seen these peeps in parades but never a live sit down performance. It did not disappoint and I hope to see them, again and again.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

the hurrican hit my garden

little hands
plucking rosemary for dinner
what we felt from the hurricane
peppers leaning
lots of leaning
struggling chives
banana pepper close up

wishing wellness to all of the people struggling after the hurricane hit.

Friday, September 19, 2008

picking wildflowers

running back to the house.
the very back of my backyard

the front of my backyard
alex in her baby carrier. handmade dress from her mamatoo.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

link from hubby

Hubby sent me this article today from CNN.com. We have plenty of friends and family people who are not vegetarian (not, yet, at least; there is always hope). I feel real concern for their well-being as well as the other animals being hurt when i read articles like this. The abuse in the factory farming industry (both of those creatures who live on land and in water) is what convinced hubby to transition into a vegetarian lifestyle. Read on...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- An Iowa sheriff said Wednesday he has launched an investigation into a videotape showing abuse of pigs at a farm.

A sow was sprayed with blue paint for more than 30 seconds, PETA said.

A sow was sprayed with blue paint for more than 30 seconds, PETA said.

The video, shot by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, shows farm workers hitting sows with metal rods, slamming piglets on a concrete floor and bragging about jamming rods into sows' hindquarters. Greene County Sheriff Tom Heater told The Associated Press that he had met with PETA representatives Tuesday.

"They provided us with what appears to be some really good information," he said. "Our next step is to secure interviews with potential suspects, and definitely make sure that there's no further abuse occurring down there -- that's our main concern at this point."

Asked if crimes had been committed, Heater responded, "It appears that there were, yes." Video Watch undercover PETA video »

On the video, obtained by AP, a supervisor tells an undercover PETA investigator that when he gets angry or a sow won't move, "I grab one of these rods and jam it in her [anus]."

The farm outside Bayard, Iowa, about 60 miles west of Des Moines, is a supplier to Hormel Foods of Austin, Minnesota. PETA wants to use the results of the investigation to pressure Hormel, the maker of Spam and other food products, to demand that its suppliers ensure humane treatment of pigs.

Hormel spokeswoman Julie Henderson Craven called the incidents "completely unacceptable."

PETA is seeking prosecution of 18 people on animal cruelty violations. According to PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich, the video shows eight people directly abusing animals.

"Abuse on factory farms is the absolute norm, not the exception, and anyone eating factory-farmed meat is paying to support it," Friedrich said.

After getting a whistleblower complaint from someone inside the farm, PETA sent two undercover investigators to get hired at the farm and document its practices -- one from June 10 to September 8, and the other from July 23 to September 11.

At one point on the video, an employee shouts to an investigator, "Hurt 'em! There's nobody works for PETA out here. You know who PETA is?"

The undercover PETA investigator replies that he's heard of the group.

"I hate them. These [expletives] deserve to be hurt. Hurt, I say!," the employee yells as he hits a sow with a metal rod. "Hurt! Hurt! Hurt! Hurt! ... Take out your frustrations on 'em." He encourages the investigator to pretend that one of the pigs scared off a voluptuous and willing 17- or 18-year-old girl, and then beat the pig for it.

Records at the Greene County Assessor's Office show the property was owned by Natural Pork Production II LLP of Iowa until August 18, and then was transferred to MowMar LLP of Fairmont, Minnesota.

Lynn Becker, an owner of MowMar, called the abuses on the video "completely intolerable, reprehensible. We condemn these types of acts. If any animals were abused in the brief time we've owned the farm, if we still employ these people, any attempt will be made to investigate and initiate corrective action immediately."

Becker said his company provided animal welfare training to the staff when it took over the farm.

Natural Pork Production II referred questions to AMVC Management Services, which managed the farm under its ownership. Mark Jones, AMVC's network manager, said the video showed "unacceptable practices" and that his company is working with the new ownership to investigate.

Craven, the Hormel spokeswoman, said the farm became a Hormel supplier only after the change in ownership, and that MowMar "shares our commitment to animal welfare and humane handling."

Craven said it was her understanding that the abuses took place before the change in ownership. But PETA's Friedrich said the abuses continued, and that the new manager abused animals by shocking and kicking pigs.

Dr. Jennifer Greiner, a veterinarian and director of science and technology at the National Pork Producers Council, said the industry condemns "willful abuse" of pigs and that the video depicts acts that are not acceptable.

"Our industry is committed to handling pigs humanely," she said. "My industry is full of good people."

At one point in the video, workers are shown slamming piglets on the ground, a practice designed to instantly kill those baby pigs that aren't healthy enough. But on the video, the piglets are not killed instantly, and in a bloodied pile, some piglets can be seen wiggling vainly. The video also shows piglets being castrated, and having their tails cut off, without anesthesia.

Temple Grandin, a leading animal welfare expert who serves as a consultant to the livestock industry, said that while those are standard industry practices, the treatment of the sows on the video was far from it.

"This is atrocious animal abuse," Grandin said after PETA sent her the video. But she disagreed with PETA's contention that it was widespread in the industry.

"I've been on many good farms, and the pigs are handled gently," she said. "This was blatant, deliberate animal cruelty. These people are sick. They need to be prosecuted. There are certain people that enjoy hurting animals and they should not be working with them -- period."

secret austen spy cam

want to know why i think that there is a secret spy cam in my life or that i am really part of a show like the movie where the guy's whole life is a sitcom?

i watched a movie today, "the jane austen book club". it was a worthwhile flick. immediately after watching it, i clicked on soulemama's blog to see the "jane austen" dress she made for her daughter. then, as i attempted to nurse the bear to sleep (she didn't actually fall asleep), i read "the birth house" by ami mckay. it's a book that i have wanted to read for a while but just ordered recently.

And, yes, I am trying to overlook the fact that it's a novel b/c i really do not like novels. even the word, "novel" feels wrong in my mouth. i am a huge narrative non-fiction fan. but, with movies i can watch romantic comedies all night long.

Anyway, there is a reference to Jane Austen, to Catherine and Henry from "northanger abbey" and i just smiled as i read it. what's next? is jane austen really such a three times daily part of my life? and am i just noticing now? coincidence? the point of all of these references?

my friend, tobi was starting a jane austen book club recently. she asked me to join but i wasn't super interested. you know, being the novel-hater than i am. let me say for one minute, that i considered reading all 6 of her books...with a group!

Sunday, September 14, 2008


Thinking about it all

Thanks for all of the comments (both in person and left here on the blog) and the e-mails about my last post. I am still trying to figure out what to do and as of yet, do not have a clear sense of direction. The common denominator may be an anatomy and physiology class taken locally for whichever next steps i take. Exciting!

I have been working on my etsy shop recently. A photographer friend took pictures of the necklaces for me, which i posted recently. I created and posted some notecards celebrating pregnancy and homebirth. They would be great for a mother's blessing. I am in the process of creating a simple mother's blessing kit with the basics people could use for a blessing. I am still trying to figure that out though. So far, i have candles, cards and string for the web of support. I need to find/create a larger senterpiece candle though that is affordable enough to package. And, maybe create a foot bath scrub? I hope to type up a brief outline that would inspire people to tweak for their own goals. That's it so far!

I have had two doula clients in the past month. I have two in Septemeber and then my best friend is due in October. I am backing someone up in Oct. but wanted that to be free for ashlove. Two friends are due the same week in Novemeber so let's hope that they go into labor at least 48 hours apart so I can rest in between supporting them.

After these births, we'll make a trip up to Ikea to see Nancy who just got engaged then fled town. We've got a fabulous halloween party, then 4 months of birthdays starting with e turning 3! WHAT? How is that even possible? Hopefully December will find us by the woodstove contemplating what to do with our lives. Or, maybe we'll have a few things figured out by then!