Win a $250 Speesees organic cotton baby or toddler wardrobe from Nature's Child

Win a $250 Speesees organic cotton baby or toddler wardrobe from Nature's Child. I just signed up and hope you will too. Follow this link to enter: http://blog.thenatureschild.com/2008/08/win-250-speesees-wardrobe.html
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Cord Blood Banking and Early Cord Clamping

I've noticed a lot of commercials about cord blood banking in between the delivery stories on TLC (the stories that raise my blood pressure because they mostly portray women being saved from their "inability to birth" by way of a surgeon's knife). My thinking is that the best way to prevent many of the diseases CBB is intended to cure is to simply allow the umbilical cord to completely drain before clamping and cutting- a practice not common in our medically managed society. In the United States a woman gives birth and as soon as the baby is born the cord is clamped and cut unless the parents request otherwise. My son was born in the hospital after an epidural laced vaginal birth and I don't remember when they clamped his cord- I think it was directly after birth. But my daughter was born at home in a take-your-time atmosphere and we didn't clamp her cord until thirty or more minutes after birth. Her cord was thin and white- completely drained of the life-giving blood which is a stark contrast to the still pulsing cord so often cut too soon in hospitals. I understand the benefits of collecting blood from the cords as well, though, but was alerted to an alternative to CBB recently from another Natural Mama: collecting stem cells from baby teeth that could be a better solution. I've listed some scientific research which sheds light on why babies need the cord blood directly after birth. Thanks Mother By Nature for providing this handy list.

Early cord clamping deprives the baby of 54-160 mL of blood, which represents up to half of a baby's total blood volume at birth. "Clamping the cord before the infant's first breath results in blood being sacrificed from other organs to establish pulmonary perfusion [blood supply to the lungs]. Fatality may result if the child is already hypovolemic [low in blood volume]". -Morley, G. (1998, July). Cord closure: Can hasty clamping injure the newborn? OBG Mgmnt: 29-36.

Early clamping has been linked with an extra risk of anemia in infancy. -Grajeda, R. et al. (1997).

Delayed clamping of the umbilical cord improves hematologic status of Guatemalan infants at 2 mo. of age. Am J Clin Nutr 65:425-431.

Premature babies who experienced delayed cord clamping--the delay was only 30 seconds--showed a reduced need for transfusion, less severe breathing problems, better oxygen levels, and indications of probable improved long-term outcomes compared with those whose cords were clamped immediately. -Kinmond, S. et al. (1993). Umbilical cord clamping and preterm infants: A randomized trial. BMJ 306(6871): 172-175.

Some studies have shown an increased risk of polycythemia (more red blood cells in the blood) and jaundice when the cord is clamped later. Polycythemia may be beneficial in that more red cells mean more oxygen being delivered to the tissues. The risk that polycythemia will cause the blood to become too thick (hyperviscosity syndrome), which is often used as an argument against delayed cord clamping, seems to be negligible in healthy babies. -Morley, ibid.

Some evidence shows that the practice of clamping the cord, which is not practiced by indigenous cultures, contributes both to postpartum hemorrhage and retained placenta by trapping extra blood (about 100 mL) within the placenta. This increases placental bulk, which the uterus cannot contract efficiently against and which is more difficult to expel. -Walsh, S. (1968, May 11). Maternal effects of early and late clamping of the umbilical cord. The Lancet: 997.

Clamping the cord, especially at an early stage, may also cause the extra blood trapped within the placenta to be forced back through the placenta into the mother's blood supply during the third stage contractions. This feto-maternal transfusion increases the chance of future blood group incompatibility problems, which occur when the current baby's blood enters the mother's bloodstream and causes an immune reaction that can be reactivated in a subsequent pregnancy, destroying the baby's blood cells and causing anemia or even death. -Doolittle, J. & Moritz, C. (1966). Obstet Gynecol 27:529 and Lapido, O. (1971, March 18). Management of the third state of labour with particular reference to reduction of feto-maternal transfusion. BMJ 721-3.

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The above are excerpts from Sarah Buckley's "A Natural Approach to the Third Stage of Labour," Midwifery Today Issue 59

FREE Children's Clothing Swap, Eastern NC

Natural Mamas
Children's Clothing Swap
FREE FREE FREE

Saturday, September 6th, 2008
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Sheppard Memorial Library
530 S. Evans Street, Greenville, NC 27858
Meeting Room A

Bring gently used Fall or Winter children's clothing and baby items you no longer need to give freely to other members of your community. Browse through what others have brought and leave with what your family needs, regardless of whether you brought something or not!

Leftover items will be distributed to local charities.

Optional items for donation include:
Baby and children's clothing, maternity wear, bibs, hats, receiving blankets,
toys, diapers, breastfeeding supplies, nursery decor, bassinets, car seats, strollers, etc.

This non-profit event is hosted by Natural Mamas, a locally based social and support group for families interested in attachment parenting and environmentally friendly living.
This event is neither sponsored by nor endorsed by Sheppard Memorial Library.

For more information post a comment and I'll email you further.
To join Natural Mamas visit www.naturalmamas.com

Mine

I've heard it said that in other cultures the concept of possessions belonging solely to one person is nonexistent. That children in these non-violent, non-materialistic societies never primitively snatch objects from another's grasp and say "Mine!" It is said children are taught this selfish concept from adults and so we shouldn't be surprised when our own children work hard to hoard precious and rare blocks, crackers or foam letters. In the cases of my two children, the oldest didn't verbally claim things as his until he had a sibling. Before he was two and a half he had a difficult time sharing with other kids but for the most part was the "victim" rather than the aggressor (though some may disagree). Once his sister was born, however, objects became "his" that I didn't realize he had claim to like the coffee table, television stand and every chair we owned. I'm sure I had a hand in teaching him "mine" because when he'd get a hold of my necklace, glasses, ring, etc., I'd say it was "Mommy's very precious" and to put it back where it belonged. But I didn't have to teach this to the girl because she's picked it up from her big brother and now loves to torment him with it. Lately the game has been to pick up something, whether it be her brother's or not, and run around the couch saying with gusto "mine! mine! mine!" while he chases her with hands outstretched repeating the same mantra. My sister is four years older than myself and she was a more nurturing sibling than my boy is now. I remember some sibling rivalry but most of it was due to teenagers needing privacy and independence, not children clammering for parental attention or an innate need to control. I really wasn't prepared for sibling rivalry so, as my reader, be prepared, this could be a repeated theme within my writing.

The other journal

I have two journals; both of which are pitifully neglected. They both reside in the nightstand beside the bed. This morning I was reminded that they exist when my daughter pulled them out and began leafing through their pages. There's the journal with a picture of a celestial woman (you may prefer angel, but I don't) surrounded by cool, purple hues- she is reserved for collecting memories of my children, mostly good but some bad. I might write something in there like "Friday August 9 2008 8:40 a.m. The girl hushes her baby dolls. She hugs them close to her chest and says 'shhh, shhh' The boy is delving into pretend play like never before. His latest interest is pretending to be a super hero. I tell him his super power is the power to read (so true. He's been reading since 3 1/2)" Then there is the journal that is covered with a picture of an obese cat in a claw footed tub (who thinks of this stuff?) This one is reserved for moments I'm feeling particularly thoughtful. Admittingly this must not happen often because for the most part, the journal is empty. Or maybe when I am feeling "deep" I don't think to write it down or am simply too lazy to write it down. But luckily, there are a few entries. I'm writing you now because I want to share a poem I wrote last September. My girl was still an infant and benefited from the night air to help her relax. As you read, imagine circling around a small, landscaped tree with a child bundled in your arms.

The moon fills me with clear thought.
Trees lay shadows with outstretched arms on the ground.
My feet are aware and alive with sensation; wet. cold. earth.
The baby is at ease in the night air.
My body is hers, wrapped together, bound by fabric and heartbeat.
The stars have shifted. I'm reminded that I'm not stationary.
The cats are watching.
I am content, I am connected.
The baby is at rest.

Not the best writing, but I like how I'm instantly taken back to that night. Constant pacing, the still leaves of the tree, the cars rumbling in the distance, the light through the front door of the house, the feeling that the universe is never ending and I am but a small fleck of stardust... It is important to write things down and I regrettably don't do this enough.

Writer's block

Forgive me for it has been over a month since my last blog. I have one post that is in draft form that has been plaguing me. After visiting it again just now I realize I may need to just scrap it and move on. The post? Oh, it's titled "Dear Doctor" and it's a fake letter to the pediatrician I took my son to recently. The letter was meant to allow me to say to him what I was unable to say in his office but I find even my fingers get tied when I'm writing about why I choose not to vaccinate, choose not to take my children in for well visits or test them for anemia or lead poisoning. The issues are complicated and require debate and a quick tongue which I haven't. So, with your permission, I release myself from the obligation to finish the unpublishable. Ahhhh. May I now find the time and inspiration to share with you the goings on in my life and mind.