formula can be dangerous to preemies

little c was a preemie
you might not know it now if i told you
when he was in the nicu, he had two full days that he was supplemented with formula
i was told it was necessary with his early arrival
that it was specific for preemies
i didn't even know the brand
thankfully, he was never supplemented again when my milk came in
and i hope i was able to undo any compromises that the artificial milk may have caused for his g.i. tract

in any case, it was with great interest that i read this article about preemies who have been diagnosed with meningitis may have actually gotten sick from powdered artificial milk, as it cannot be sterilized in the same manner as ready-made liquid can. another possible, and potentially more fatal infection can also occur - Enterobacter sakazakii, or E-sak.

"... powdered infant formulas are not sterile and should not be fed to premature infants or infants who might have immune problems unless directed and supervised by your baby's doctor."
"...investigation uncovered other cases in which powdered formula was blamed for causing brain damage or death in infants. There have been at least two Illinois cases and cases in at least 17 other states."

the article -

Risky formula

Powdered infant milk linked to deadly form of meningitis in preemies

wow, big surprise, call babywearing mamas crazy - thanks, motrin

hmmmm
the only one who is crazy is the dimwit who approved of this ad. it has since been pulled, but really - how STUPID can a company be? my dh has bought motrin before, and guess what...never again. that people in that company thought it was fit to be an ad campaign shows how unbelievably out-of-touch they are. seriously makes me want to go their company headquarters, wear little c in the sling, take him out of the sling, remove cloth diaper and let him foul as much of the building as possible....would be preferable if it was the CEO's office, but since i wear c in a sling i'm already crazy in their eyes...blech

the original ad



the witty retort


the half-assed apology letter on their site. stupid company, don't piss off mamas.

pertussis vaccine and allergies

Dr Tenpenny is an amazing resource for questions about vaccine safety. I'd call her a crusader, against the grid, knowledgeable, and a great support for non-vaxers.

this blog entry is an interesting look at those who receive the pertussis vaccine and the link with allergies. i was vaccinated against pertussis and contracted it TWICE. i was riddled with childhood allergies which i have since outgrown, but it makes me wonder. especially knowing that i had very high fevers with every vaccination i received as an infant...

http://sayingnotovaccines.blogspot.com/2008/01/positive-association-between-pertussis.html

stripping cloth diapers

i am completely copying and pasting a post from a discussion board so that i don't forget this stripping process (am hoping it works better than what i do right now

Are your cloth diapers getting a little stinky? Your usual detergent isn't getting them as fresh as it used to? As soon as they're soiled the stink is unbearable?! You need to strip them! Cloth diapers need to be 'stripped' now and again to get rid of detergent residue. Follow these simple steps and you'll have fresh smelling dipes in no time:

Supplies: Large stockpots (1-2), Whisk, Baking Soda, Dishwashing Detergent, Lemon Juice, Laundry Detergent, Washing Machine.

1. Fill stockpot(s) with water. Bring to a boil. Remove from stove and slowly whisk in 1/2 cup of baking soda. Add 3 drops of dishwashing detergent. Whisk again.

2. Add the boiling water mixture into your top load washer (for front loaders, do this step in a bucket). Add, then immerse diapers. Let soak for 30 minutes.

3. Drain washer on spin cycle (for front loaders, empty the bucket). Squirt each diaper soaker area (pee/poo spot) with lemon juice.

4. Complete a full wash load on hot water. Use only 1.5-3tsp of detergent (depending on load size).

5. Re-wash one more time on hot. Rinse twice more on cold. Dry & voila! Fresh diapers!

making lip balm

in this year's effort to curb cracked, dry lips i plan to make my own lip balm
must be november, makes me think of drying up, cracking up and trying to ward off infections

i found this recipe which i can't wait to try...but i think i will reduce the amount i make

180 g beeswax (about ¾ cup grated)
60 g cocoa butter (about ¼ cup grated)
250 mL almond oil (a whole small bottle)
20 vitamin E capsules
2 ½ tsp peppermint essential oil

1. Grate solids. This recipe used about 1 cup, or 240 grams solids. From what I’ve read, the proportion of wax to butter can change. What matters more is the proportion of solid to liquid (oil). I do have a scale for measuring, and I know most people don’t, but I found it quite helpful.
2. Put solids and almond oil in a double boiler to melt. My friend said not to use olive oil, but I don’t know why. I used the only kind of almond oil they had at the store, which came in a little 250 mL bottle.
3. Add vitamin E. I had originally calculated putting 2½ tsp in, but quickly realized it would take FOREVER to squeeze all that goo out of the little capsules. Since the capsule is just glycerin and gelatin, I hoped it wouldn’t hurt anything to just throw them in. I put in 20 and the outer part melted, so the vitamin E mixed in. I ended up with a glob of glycerin/gelatin on the bottom of the pan that I just scooped out. You need vit E to keep the lip balm from spoiling and it is also good for your skin.
4. Put a little bit of your mixture on a spoon, put it in the freezer until it’s hard, and decide if the consistency is they way you like it. Add more solids (to make it harder) or oil (to make it softer) if you want.
5. When the consistency is right (mine was on the first try—I like it pretty stiff), Add your flavoring, I like minty lip balm, so I used peppermint EO. You can do the freezer thing again to check the flavor.
6. Use an eyedropper to put it in containers. I used cheapo disposable ones, which was a good idea because I don't know how I would have gotten them clean! Actually, I’m not sure how I’m going to get the pan clean either. When I rinsed it with hot water it made a goopy mess and I haven’t finished the dishes yet from dinner, so I haven’t really tied to wash it yet. (ETA: It just took a lot of scrubbing, but wasn't too bad.)

party video

ok it's a month late today, but love this (thanks to one of my friends on fb)

and the link to it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auVGvM4_9XU

essential oils - eucalyptus

eucalyptus - it's that time of year to make sure i am stocked up on it...an essential during cold/flu season.

antiseptic

great when you are ill - steam inhalations - a few drops in a pot of boiling water (remove from stove)- close your eyes, toss a towel over you and the pot to seal it and breathe slowly

can blend it with a natural oil and use it as a chest/foot rub when congested

also can use it in a diffuser or a humidifier

essential oils - lavender

i get a lot of use out of lavender

lavender
relaxation
antiseptic
good blend with citrus for a pick me up in the winter
helps with pain
safe during pregnancy

peppermint and lavender together - natural headache remedy

essential oils - peppermint

just jotting down my thoughts on some of the essential oils i use most - in this post it's all about peppermint

aid in preventing nausea
sick during labor
smells great for cleaning supplies

peppermint and lavender together - natural headache remedy

yet more about bs

it's another baking soda post
i have been trying to find no-poo recipes that would be easy to do
i had tried just using apple cider vinegar but it dried my hair out even more
but i think i have found another process i am ready to try...

baking soda - dilute 1tbsp in one glass of water
and then either
acv diluted
or
lemon juice diluted
i think i'll make a spray bottle up so i can add some essential oils

then i'll try something along the following routine:

1 wet hair
2 bs in cup with warm water
3 scrub scalp
4 rinse
5 use diluted acv or lj
6 rinse again

will see how it works

also, i managed to spill half a bottle of tea tree oil behind my washer - strong!

more b.s.

i know i have extolled the virtues of baking soda before
and it is a staple in both cleaning supplies and cooking in our home

why does this odd obsession with b.s. continue?
well, the stuff is amazingly useful
as is white vinegar
they are sort of each other's yin and yang - cooking and cleaning, powder and liquid

and now
even MORE uses for baking soda
(a link with 61 uses, some of which i have discovered on my own, and some very new to me)

http://www.bellybytes.com/articles/bakingsoda.shtml

another laundry option

i make a liquid laundry soap and this one
both work well in my high efficiency washer

this one is the recipe with the least ingredients
(and i use about 2tbsp per load)

1 cup borax
1 cup washing soda
1 grated bar of soap

another stoning in somalia

it's hard to believe sometimes
that this happens
a child claims rape
and is stoned to death
with hundreds of spectators witnessing it

what can we do to stop this?

13 yr old stoned to death