Pregnancy, Sunblock and Being Skinny

I occasionally like to peruse USA today's surveys. You know, see what my fellow Americans are saying on different topics. Here's a few interesting ones from today:


I'm thinking I got gipped on my pregnancy bill from UCLA. Now granted I got a C section 2x - but I do recall my first bill was just over $30,000 (in 2004)! So where do they get THIS average? I know they sent an awful lot of doctors my way for a 'consult' and you should've seen the delivery room! Word gets out when you're in the hospital and have decent insurance. I'm just saying....


Honestly you'd think with ALL the articles on sun damage this and skin cancer that that 100% of America would be using 30 spf or over. I use 50 I'm so fair. This survey was surprising to me. Although I am a huge fan of sunscreen, I read a study recently that said we sunblock users were now Vitamin D deficient (ie. much Vitamin D comes from exposure to the sun). There's always a positive with a negative or vice versa in the media is seems.


Well let's see, if I could remain my own smart self as is now, then I'd go with the skinny too. But if I were born dumb as a stick, I might go with the brains...but then would I even know I was dumb as a stick?

- LT

Pregnancy and Chocolate

Now THIS is good news!!!!!

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Indulging in chocolate during pregnancy
could help ward off a serious complication known as preeclampsia, new
research suggests.

Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is rich in a chemical called
theobromine, which stimulates the heart, relaxes smooth muscle and
dilates blood vessels, and has been used to treat chest pain, high
blood pressure, and hardening of the arteries, Dr. Elizabeth W.
Triche of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut and colleagues
write.

Preeclampsia, in which blood pressure spikes during pregnancy while
excess protein is released into the urine, has many features in
common with heart disease, the researchers add.

To investigate whether chocolate's possible cardiovascular benefits
also might help prevent preeclampsia, the researchers looked at 2,291
women who delivered a single infant, and asked them about how much
chocolate they consumed in their first and third trimesters. The
researchers also tested levels of theobromine in infants' umbilical
cord blood.

Women who consumed the most chocolate and those whose infants had the
highest concentration of theobromine in their cord blood were the
least likely to develop preeclampsia. Women in the highest quarter
for cord blood theobromine were 69 percent less likely to develop the
complication than those in the lowest quarter.

Women who ate five or more servings of chocolate each week in their
third trimester of pregnancy were 40 percent less likely to develop
preeclampsia than those who ate chocolate less than once a week.

A similar, but weaker, relationship between chocolate consumption and
preeclampsia risk was seen in the first trimester, with women eating
five or more servings of chocolate each week at 19 percent lower risk
than those who ate chocolate less than once a week.

Theobromine could improve circulation within the placenta while
blocking oxidative stress, or it could also be a stand-in for other
beneficial chemicals found in chocolate, Triche and her team note in
the May issue of Epidemiology.

"Our results raise the possibility that chocolate consumption by
pregnant women may reduce the occurrence of preeclampsia," they
write. "Because of the importance of preeclampsia as a major
complication of pregnancy, replication of these results in other
large prospective studies with a detailed assessment of chocolate
consumption is warranted."

SOURCE: Epidemiology, May 2008.

-SBH

Moms everywhere are outraged about the use of Bisphenol A in baby bottles and sippy cups. What can be hard is figuring out what products are safe and what aren't. So here is the skinny-
What is Bisphenol A?
Bisphenol A is a harmful chemical found in polycarbonate plastic which is used to make many popular baby bottles and sippy cups, among other things. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical that mimics the action of the human hormone estrogen, which alters our body’s natural pattern. BPA can leach from polycarbonate plastic, usually a hard, clear plastic that is common of many products we use everyday. Effects at even low BPA exposure include prostate cancer, breast cancer, early puberty onset, alterations in gender-specific behavior, decreased sperm count, affects on fertility, behavioral effects including hyperactivity, increased aggressiveness, impaired learning and other changes in behavior, and other problems.
Many companies use this chemical in their packaging including cans, soda cans, and plastic food containers. There is a risk of absorbing this chemical through the use of containing foods and liquids but can also leech into our water systems through landfills.
Many leading experts argue that the use of Bisphenol is safe to the human public but research may begin to further prove otherwise. No level of BPA has been deemed as safe by independent research.

What To Look For:
Most plastic baby bottles are made with polycarbonate, a rigid durable plastic that has the potential to leach bisphenol A into your baby's drinks. Bisphenol A (BPA) has been linked to a number of health concerns, including hormone disruption and some cancers, and the National Toxicology Program recently concluded that there is "some concern for neural and behavioral effects" in infants and children, given current exposure rates to BPA. Fortunately, preventing exposure is easy if you choose glass or safer plastic (#2, #4 or #5) bottles.

Safer Materials
Glass
Glass baby bottles are a time-tested alternative to polycarbonate plastic, which is can leach hormone-disrupting bisphenol A into your baby's food. Glass is a renewable resource, easily recyclable and does not leach toxic chemicals. Glass bottles are, of course, subject to breakage, and there are risks of serious cuts to your child. Additionally, glass can chip or crack and can break when sterilized, allowing glass splinters to end up in baby's beverage. The American Academy of Pediatrics urges parents not to let babies go to sleep with a bottle, and toddlers should not be allowed to walk around with a bottle. These precautions help prevent tooth decay and mouth injuries; they also help prevent breakage and injuries from glass bottles. As with plastic, careful and regular inspections of the bottle allow parents to detect any flaws in the glass. Recycle any scratched, cracked, or chipped glass bottle.

Plastics: #2 HDPE, #4 LDPE and #5 PP
Although polycarbonate bottles containing bisphenol A are the most common kind of baby bottle on the market, there are other plastic baby bottles available that do not contain bisphenol A. These opaque bottles are made of either polypropylene or polyethylene, which are not known to leach carcinogens or endocrine disruptors. Recycling symbols can provide some information about the plastic: polyethylene has #2 (high-density polyethylene, HDPE) or #4 (low-density polyethylene, LDPE) on the underside, and polypropylene (PP) has #5. Polycarbonate bottles are #7. Because many bottles are not labeled with a recycling number, the surest way to know whether a bottle is made of polycarbonate is to call the manufacturer. Keep in mind, though, that all plastic bottles are petroleum products, requiring the use of non-renewable resources.

PES Plastics
New to the baby bottle market is a plastic called polyether sulphone, or PES. Although PES hasn't been studied as thoroughly as #2, #4 and #5 plastics, lab studies have found that it does not leach BPA or phthalates (a hormone-disrupting plasticizer commonly used in #3 PVC plastics). Fredrick vom Saal, a lead researcher on BPA, has said that because PES doesn't react as readily as polycarbonate to heat, acidic liquids or dishwashing detergents, it doesn't break down as quickly and is therefore less likely to leach chemicals into a bottle's contents.

Silicone Nipples
Replace standard rubber nipples (amber-colored) with clear, silicone nipples. Not only are silicone nipples free of cancer-causing nitrosamines, but they last longer. Inspect nipples regularly and discard any with cracks or tears, which can harbor bacteria and also pose a choking hazard.

This is a great “cheat sheet” that was compiled by SafeMama. It’s a very extensive list, so I wanted to share. If you are aware of a BPA-free bottle or sippy that is not on the list, please let me know and I will add it. That said, this may not be a comprehensive list as new products are released all the time. Additionally, please be aware that Avent, Dr. Brown’s, Nuby and others do have products made of polycarbonate plastics, so please choose wisely. I hope this relieves some concerns or helps you select products that are considered safe.

BPA Free Bottle Products
Adiri Natural Nursers
Avent “Via” disposable bottles
BornFree - All bottles and cups BPA free *see note
EvenFlo Glass bottles
Playtex Opaque Soft Bottle, Playtex Drop in liners
Gerber: Gerber Clearview, Fashion Tints (also called “Plastic Pastels”), Gerber GentleFlow
Medela: All bottles
Sassy MAM bottles (UltiVent), Baby Food Nurser Kit
Green to Grow Bottles **see note
Sassy Baby Food Nurser Kit
ThinkBaby Bottles
Momo Glass Bottles
Nuby: Standard Neck Non-Drip Bottle, Wide-Neck Non-Drip Bottle, Wide-Neck Bottle with Handles and Non-Drip Nipple, Standard Neck Bottle with Handles and Non-Drip Nipple, 3-Stage Wide Neck Easy Grip Feeding System with Non-Drip Nipple.
Nuture Pure Glass bottles
Babisil Silbottles
Weego Glass Bottles
Siliskin Glass Bottles
Dr Brown’s: Glass Bottles (all vent system pieces BPA Free), Dr. Browns Polypropylene bottles (due in store’s April 15th)
*If you are currently using Dr. Browns polycarbonate bottles and would like to switch, the Dr. brown’s venting system (the internal pieces) are BPA Free and are made of polypropylene plastic. Also, they FIT and work with BornFree bottles which could be a little bit of a money saver.
** Dr Browns bottle nipples fit with Green to Grow bottles. As we know once a baby is comfy with something it’s sometimes a pain to change so it’s good to know we don’t have to change everything if we don’t have to.

/>BPA Free Sippy Cups
Avent Magic Cups
Playtex: Coolster Tumbler, Insulator, Einstein Training Cup, Sipster, Create My Own, Quick Straw, Insulator Sport, Sip and Discover, First Sipster
Gerber: Sip & Smile Spill-proof Cup, Easy Grip Insulated Soft Straw Cup, Insulated Cool Cup, Fun Grips Color Change Spill-proof Cup, Grins & Giggles Spill-proof Cup (source)
BornFree sippy/drinking cups
Kleen Kanteen
Thermos Foogo Sippy Cups, and drinking bottle with straw
SIGG Toddler Water Bottles
Kid Basix The Safe Sippy
Boon Sippy
GrowPure Multi-Stage Feeder and Sippy Cup
iPlay Aqua Bottle
ThinkBaby Training Cup
Sassy Snack Time Infa-Trainer Cup
Munchkin: Cupsicle, Cupsicle Straw Cup, Big Kid Sippy Cup, Mighty Grip Flip Straw Cup, Mighty Grip Trainer Cup, licensed character Sports Bottles, Re-usable Straw Cups, Re-usable Spill-proof Cups
Nuby: No-Spill Sports Sipper, Insulated Soft Silicone Spout Cup, Soft Spout Easy Grip Cup, Gripper Cup with Soft Silicone Spout, 2-Handle Cup, Tinted Mega Sipper
The First Years: Take & Toss, Spill-proof Cup, Insulated Cup, Licensed character sippy cups, Insulated Spill-proof Cup, 2 Handled Cups

BPA Free Milkand Food Storage
Avent Via 8-oz. Nurser Kit
Avent Snack Cup / Formula Dispenser
Mother’s Milkmate Storage bottles
Medela Milk Storage bottles and breastpump accessories
Playtex Breastmilk storage kit
Lansinoh® Breastmilk Storage Bags
Lansinoh® Breastmilk Storage Bottles
Gerber Breastmilk Storage Bags
So Easy Fresh Baby Food Kit
Baby Cubes
Laptop Lunch System

Visit Z Recommends for product reviews on many of these BPA-free products. They have done an outstanding job of researching and reviewing these products.

-SBH

Happy Earth Day!

Rejoice, we still have a planet!

What can you do today that's different from yesterday to take green action? I packed my kid's lunch in reusable containers instead of baggies!

Here are 50 other green things you can do - they're not for everyone - it's got to be a personal choice for you and your family - but this is a pretty comprehensive list: (Revised from source: Santa Fe Green Realtors (2006)

1 - Change your lightbulbs- use compact fluorescent bulbs (just 3 CFL bulbs will save 300 lbs of carbon dioxide; approx: $80.00 per year.)
2 - Adjust your thermostat down, 2 in winter up 2 in summer. (Save 2000 lbs of carbon dioxide; approx. $98 to $200 a year.)
3 - Check your waterheater; set it no higher than 120 degrees (Save 550 lbs of carbon dioxide and $30.)
4 - Take shorter showers, avoid full tub baths (350 lbs of carbon dioxide and save $99 a year).
5 - Install a low flow shower head; (700 lbs carbon dioxide; save $150 a year).
6 - Buy home products locally. (big savings on transportation costs; helps the local economy rather than sending profits away to mega-corporations)
7 - When you buy new appliances, try to buy Energy Star qualified models.
8 - Plant a tree... trees suck up carbon dioxide save 2,000 lbs of carbon dioxide.
9 - Insulate your water heater and save approx $40 a year.
10 - Unplug unused electronics (up to 1000 lbs; save approx $256 a year.)

11 - Turn off your computer when not in use.
12 - Air dry your clothes.... and save approx. $75 a year.
13 - Change out single pane to double pane windows (save 10,000 lbs of carbon dioxide; approx $436 a year.)
14 - Switch to a tankless water heater.(save approx $390 a year)
15 - Insulate your walls and ceilings (save 2,000 lbs; approx $245 a year).
16 - Replace old appliances… save hundreds of lbs of carbon dioxide and hundreds of dollars.
17 - Buy minimally packaged goods could reduce your garbage by 10%. (Save 1200 lbs of carbon dioxide a year and $1000.)
18 - Fill the dishwasher before running (fight water waste and save approx $40 a year.)
19 - Install a programmable thermostat. (700 lbs carbon dioxide; save $150 a year).
20 - Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner… saving 350 lbs of carbon dioxide a year; about $70 savings).

21 - Get a home energy audit… (save about 30% of energy bills; over 1,000 lbs of carbon dioxide a year depending on home size.)
22 - Recycle…. (one of the top performing environmental options! save 2400 lbs of carbon dioxide a year.)
23 - Recycle your organic waste (compost).
24 - Buy recycled paper products.
25 - Eat less red meat… methane is the 2nd most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale when they breathe.
26 - Support and buy at your local farmer’s market.
27 - Don’t leave an empty roof rack on your car… this can increase fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 10%.
28 - Keep your tires inflated; improves gas mileage by 3%.
29 - Plant a bamboo fence.
30 - Use bamboo for floors, bowls, cutting boards, etc.

31 - Unplug your electronics when you are not using them.
32 - Install drip irrigation in your landscaping.
33 - Use a lap top rather than a desktop it uses much less power.
34 - Buy shade grown coffee, and gold reusable filters.
35 - Install a ceiling fan to improve heat and cooling circulation.
36 - Repair your leaky indoor and outdoor faucets.
37 - Upgrade your toilet to a low flush model. (save about 1,200 gallons of water per year per toilet)
38 - Collect rainwater and use it for gardening.
39 - Buy low-VOC paint and donate the leftovers.
40 - Wash clothes in cold water; use biodegradable detergents that are manufactured for this use.

41 - Carpool when possible. Bike when possible. Walk when possible.
42 - Plant flowers and shrubs that are Xeric (avoid need for irrigation).
43 - Teach kids to be green by making them responsible for the recycling and match whatever they make in deposit.
44 - Refrigerators eat up the most electricity in the household. Maximize efficiency by keeping the freezer at 0F. Replace with Energy Star models
45 - When its time for a new car choose a more fuel efficient vehicle. Many new cars now offer greater than 30 MPG ratings.
46 - Bring cloth bags to market. Avoid plastic shopping bags.
47 - Join The Stop Global Warming Virtual March. This is a non-political effort to bring people concerned about global warming together in one place. Add your voice.
48 - Fly less if possible or offset your travel by investing in renewable energy projects.
49 - Buy fresh instead of frozen… frozen food takes 10 times more energy to produce!
50 - Share this list, do as many things as you are able to do, and talk to everyone about our environment. Let’s make a better world for current and future generations together, one household at a time.

- LT

Banned from Kmart

Seriously funny. This was going around yesterday on the internet. Watch your husbands ladies.
LOL.
- LT

Yemeni girl 8, granted a Divorce

I feel ill after reading this.
Can things get so desperate that you force your small child into a marriage at the age of 8? Apparently so on the other side of the world. This should be stopped and Yemen should be placed on an embargo list until they protect the rights of their children.

Here's the story:
A Yemeni court on Tuesday granted a divorce to an eight-year-old girl whose unemployed father forced her into an arranged marriage this year, saying he feared she might be kidnapped. "I am happy that I am divorced now. I will be able to go back to school," Nojud Mohammed Ali said, after a public hearing in Sanaa's court of first instance.

Her former husband, 28-year-old Faez Ali Thameur, said he married the child "with her consent and that of her parents" but that he did not object to her divorce petition. In response to a question from Judge Mohammed al-Qadhi, he acknowledged that the "marriage was consummated, but I did not beat her." Yemen, one of the world's poorest countries, has no law governing the minimum age of marriage. Nojud was a second grader in primary school when the marriage took place two and a half months ago.

"They asked me to sign the marriage contract and remain in my father's house until I was 18. But a week after signing, my father and my mother forced me to go live with him." Nojud's father, Mohammad Ali Al-Ahdal, said he had felt obliged to marry off his daughter, an act he claims she consented to.

He said he was frightened after his oldest daughter had been kidnapped several years ago and later married to her abductor. He said the same man then kidnapped another of his daughters who was already married and had four children, resulting in him being jailed. Dressed in traditional black, Nojud said she would now go to live in the home of her maternal uncle and did not want to see her father.

The girl's lawyer, Shadha Nasser, said Nojud's case was not unique. "I believe there are thousands of similar cases," she said, adding that civil society groups are pressing parliament to set the minimum age for marriage at 18.

- LT

1943 Guide to Hiring Women

Thought this was so interesting on how the 'men' saw the 'women' workforce in 1943. I hope a lot of these views are still NOT around - but who am I to say?

The following is an excerpt from the July 1943 issue of Transportation Magazine. This was written for male supervisors of women in the work force during World War II. "Eleven Tips on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees: There's no longer any question whether transit companies should hire women for jobs formerly held by men. The draft and manpower shortage has settled that point. The important things now are to select the most efficient women available and how to use them to the best advantage. Here are eleven helpful tips on the subject from Western Properties:

1. Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters, they're less likely to be flirtatious, they need the work or they wouldn't be doing it, they still have the pep and interest to work hard and to deal with the public efficiently.

2. When you have to use older women, try to get ones who have worked outside the home at some time in their lives. Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy. It's always well to impress upon older women the importance of friendliness and courtesy.

3. General experience indicates that "husky" girls - those who are just a little on the heavy side - are more even tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.

4. Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination - one covering female conditions. This step not only protects the property against the possibilities of lawsuit, but reveals whether the employee-to-be has any female weaknesses which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job.

5. Stress at the outset the importance of time the fact that a minute or two lost here and there makes serious inroads on schedules. Until this point is gotten across, service is likely to be slowed up.

6. Give the female employee a definite day-long schedule of duties so that they'll keep busy without bothering the management for instructions every few minutes. Numerous properties say that women make excellent workers when they have their jobs cut out for them, but that they lack initiative in finding work themselves.

7. Whenever possible, let the inside employee change from one job to another at some time during the day. Women are inclined to be less nervous and happier with change.

8. Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. You have to make some allowances for feminine psychology. A girl has more confidence and is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.

9. Be tactful when issuing instructions or in making criticisms. Women are often sensitive; they can't shrug off harsh words the way men do. Never ridicule a woman - it breaks her spirit and cuts off her efficiency.

10. Be reasonably considerate about using strong language around women. Even though a girl's husband or father may swear vociferously, she'll grow to dislike a place of business where she hears too much of this.

11. Get enough size variety in operator's uniforms so that each girl can have a proper fit. This point can't be stressed too much in keeping women happy."

- LT

Have an Extra Hug Day!

It's refreshing in this day and age to have a four year old boy yell out to his Mom as I dropped him off at preschool - "Mom, wait a minute. I need some extra hugs for today!"

So simple, yet so needed! I hope you can have an extra hugs day too!

We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth
— Virginia Satir, family therapist.