NIP in Seattle is OK: Ordinance passed unanimously

Last week, a group of mothers, and other breastfeeding advocates went to City Hall in Downtown Seattle, in order to hear  breastfeeding legislation that would take place in Seattle, making it illegal to discriminate against breastfeeding women. I was there with my 5 1/2 month old great nephew. On Monday, they again converged, and on Tuesday,  an article from the Seattle Times shows the ordinance was passed unanimously.

Legislation protecting breast-feeding mothers was passed unanimously Monday by the Seattle City Council, which cited the measure's importance as a public-health issue. "How do local communities take charge of a public-health issue?" asked Council member Bruce Harrell, chairman of the council's Public Safety, Civil Rights and Technology Committee. Harrell said that breast-feeding is first and foremost about the health of a baby, and that the ordinance "will provide civil-rights protection to every Seattle mother."

 The ordinance will allow mothers to breast-feed at any time, place or manner, making it illegal for restaurant or store management to tell them to leave or to cover the baby with a blanket or towel. The ordinance expands on state protections afforded in 2009 to mothers breast-feeding in public. The new federal health-care act also provides protection for breast-feeding mothers. In public, "many women are not given the opportunity to breast-feed," said Abigail Echo-Hawk, a member of the Seattle Women's Commission. "While there is a state law, many women are not aware of this." Making it a local issue, she said, will bring more awareness to local business owners.

 According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 13 percent of babies are still breast-fed exclusively after age 6 months. Supporters of the ordinance told the council that breast-fed babies have lower rates of infant mortality.

 Michelle Sarju from Open Arms Perinatal Services, an organization that provides birthing services and outreach to pregnant women, said that despite the well-documented benefits of breast-feeding, it is still discriminated against. "What we're talking about on a fundamental level is a woman's right to choose," she said. "We should not tolerate a bias of one choice against a stamp of approval for another."

The City Council agreed.

There is no doubt I support breastfeeding in any arena, but having to attend a City Council meeting to lobby against public nursing discrimination, is pathetic at least. And even though ordinances serve a purpose, they often do not get to the foundation of an issues, and in the case of breastfeeding, an arena infused with politics, cultural implications, women's rights and racism are just some areas of concern. Let's keep working on those.

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Nursing while DETOXING

I just finished reading a book on the Master Cleanse -- one with a review that will show up on this blog in just a little while. I came across the section where the author talks about his client's concerns -- and one of them was if it is possible to do a cleanse while pregnant or nursing.

If you're unsure of what the Master Cleanse is exactly -- also called the Lemonade Diet, it is a system where, in the book I read, consisted of a regimen of drinking nothing over the course of at least 10 days (some people do a long as 40, and more), except a concoction  of water, maple syrup, lemon juice and cayenne pepper -- and taking herbal laxatives. People master cleanse for various reasons, but this monodiet is said to eliminate all toxic waste from the body. The author has a very small segment on it:

If women can do the Master Cleanse safely, then they can also do it when they are pregnant or nursing. One friend of mine did the Master Cleanse 5 times in a row for 10 days each, for a total of 50 days, during her pregnancy (with intervals of regular eating in between, of course). another friend did it 3 times for 10 days each, with no ill effects whatsoever. Both women had quick births and delivered healthy babies. 

I wonder exactly how this works, since breastfeeding burns at least 500 calories per day, and wonder about the levels of energy, at the very least. Below are a few threads on the topic, some questions, some message boards and have various opinions -- including releasing all of those toxins into breastmilk, but I haven't found one where someone said they successfully completed the cleanse.

• breastfeeding and the master cleanse
• Anyone done the Master Cleanse while breastfeeding?
• Can I do a Master Cleanse while Breastfeeding
• Pregnant or nursing mothers should NOT do the mc
• Master Cleanse and Breastfeeding?
• Is It Safe To Do The Lemonade Diet While Nursing?

I also  found this video

It seems like most of the threads and other information I've come across seem to not support doing the Master Cleanse while breastfeeding for various reasons. But what do you know? Ever done, or know anyone who has gone on the Lemonade Diet while nursing?

Become a ROSE Sponsor to help end DISPARITIES!

As you know, I will be speaking at a summit this Summer, with its new title Breastfeeding: Reclaiming an African American Tradition -- a meeting with people and organizations from across the United States with the purpose of finding ways to increase the number of Black women who breastfeed in order to help end health disparities. I want to spread the word as much as possible, and invite anyone who is interested in helping support a very awesome cause.

This beautiful sponsorship package was put compiled by one of the ROSE Coalition admins, and is complete with all of the information you need, and allows you to support the event in various ways. The call and cause is important, and I am asking that you share the information with anyone you feel will be interested in having a hand in Reach(ing) Our Sisters Everywhere!

 

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PEBL Courses at Bastyr University

The Simkin Center for Allied Birth Vocations -- formerly Seattle School of Midwifery, offers PEBL (Professional Education in Breastfeeding and Lactation) courses, which are taught by Certified Lactation Consultants, gives you credit towards that same goal -- the first 45 hours, and after the 5-day successful completion of the course a Certified Lactation Educator certificate.

I had been going back and forth with the idea of to whether I really wanted to become an IBCLC or not, and was giving the Certified Lactation Counselor a lot of thought and talked to a couple of people about it and -- one who told me, here on the West Coast, for a reason I have not confirmed or completely understand either, Certified Lactation Educator (CLE) courses are generally offered.

I had the awesome privilege of meeting with the director of the school last week when I went to highlight the positive aspects of the lactation station for the Business Case for Breastfeeding project I've been working on, and she answered some questions I had and told me a bit more about the program. And I can say I am definitely can see myself signing up, but the course is expensive! Which is why I am applying for a scholarship through the school, to help with tuition, one that, if chosen, it will deduct between $100.00 and $400.00 off of the almost 900 dollar tuition yes, yikes-- so please keep your fingers crossed for me. Other than that, I am really excited about the classes, and hope to sign up for the session in June.

Breastfeeding Basics and More

Our bodies are perfectly designed, regardless of how we may sometimes feel about them or what society may say! "God would not make something knowing it's not gonna work!" I understand people have different beliefs, and I also know there are complications that pose real difficulties, but I'd have to agree that that was one of the most encouraging lines from this video, and each time I come across ones like these, I am more and more grateful for YouTube.

This inspiring mother of four gives some basic information on breastfeeding using her experiences, and she discusses everything from breast size to feeding positions, to allowing the baby to eat until the baby is done -- and I especially like her method of measuring how much her infant eats during feedings. And in addition to all of the wonderful information, her hair is amazing!! Really! If you don't believe me, check out her other video and see for yourself!

What else would you add to breastfeeding basics?

Breastfeeding Basics & More Part 1

 

Part 2                                                      Part 3

Breastfeeding Talk At City Hall

I went to Downtown Seattle yesterday, to support the Breastfeeding Legislation at City Hall that was presented to the City Council Civil Rights committee -- a measure that would make it illegal to discriminate against women who nurse in public. And even though I wasn't able to make it to the beginning (I tried, but I was babysitting my 5 1/2 month old, and you know how that is), it turned out to be what I believe was a very impactful event. There were, I'd say, between 35 and 50 people in attendance, so there was not a full house, but I know it was very impactful, and some of them I recognized from other events and organizations, like the director of Open Arms Perinatal Network, or other organizations. And there was even a couple of males in the audience.

Of course I noticed the few Council members were all male of various ages -- one spoke about how his wife nursed their two children, while all of those speaking on behalf of the public were women, but most were women Of Color, and they made up a very powerful group! I walked in just before I heard someone talking about who would continue to feel the disproportionate effects of continued public discrimination, so I'm very glad for the outcome. There was also a brief discussion on sexualization  of women's breasts -- I know because one Counsel member talked about if women "bared it all in public arenas" -- something of that nature, when many agreed they had never seen that -- though I have. I will continue to believe that changing our culture will change our views on infant feeding in public and private arenas, and hopefully we'll one day get to the point where we would not need laws in place for this matter. But I am happy to have been there, and below is a short news clip from the meeting.

 Here are a few other images I took.

  

  

Book Review :: The I Love Trader Joe's Cookbook: More than 150 Delicious Recipes Using Only Foods from the World’s Greatest Grocery Store

Cherie Mercer Twohy, is a graduate of the California School of Culinary Arts, and can be thanked for not only creating a Trader Joe's genre of cookbooks, but  for also bringing us other titles in the category, including the I Love Trader Joe's Party Cookbook, and the I Love Trader Joe's Around the World Cookbook. This owner of Chez Charie Cooking School in La Canada, California, briefly discusses the inception of these texts that stemmed from dinners with friends and those questions of admiration, to having "shop alongs," helping these same people figure out what to buy when in the store together, to a course on the subject, to printed copies of texts -- one that I have here in front of me.

This author who really does love Trader Joe's has even dedicated a section in the book detailing her admiration titled "How Do I Love Thee, Joe? Let Me Count The Ways:, and talks about everything from always being able to find something new, to happy and enthusiastic employees, celebrating the ways food items are displayed, fair prices, the outdoor floral section and a few others, too, and her Trader Joe's cooking classes, which was inevitable, is according to her website, "Always popular, often sold out."

The only issue I had with The I Love Trader Joe's Cookbook was that I didn't find it sooner! I never knew there was such thing as a text dedicated to what is quite possibly my favorite store in the whole wide world, and when it arrived I was in just too happy. The only problem I've ever had with Trader Joe's is I fall in love with something (like Spicy Thai Peanuts) then they're gone, which is something I appreciated about this book that shows how to substitute and what with. I also really enjoyed how the book is organized and definitely liked the selections I made, which are shown below. I was even surprised that one recipe called for frozen garlic cubes -- something I never even knew existed?

I found the dishes were easy to make, but for some strange reason my receipt showed this meal cost more than would have thought, and I ended up spending more money on what I made than I ever would have guessed, which made me scratch my head, since one of the things I have always admired about the store is the reasonable prices. But the dishes were easy to make, and didn't require a long prep time, and although I didn't have to substitute food ingredients, the Blackberry Fool called for a food processor, which I didn't realize was broken until I brought the fruit home. My sister's hand mixer almost worked just as well. Actually, no it didn't -- having a food processor would have been much nicer, but I'm thankful she had a mixer because it was definitely better than nothing.

1. Linguine with Leeks, Shrimp, and Arugula

I'm not a meat eater, but this recipe sounded delicious and I was right. Keep in mind that the salt and pepper is definitely needed, though, and the freshly grated Parmesan cheese topping the dish definitely added to the flavor. But this was also the first time I had ever tried leaks, and though it probably looks like much more than it is, the recipe only called for two of them -- thinly sliced. Next was the 1/2 pound of shrimp -- TJ's didn't have fresh, so fresh frozen was the option, 1-16 ounce bag of linguine, olive oil, butter, cubed frozen crushed garlic, vegetable broth, 1/2 pound medium shrimp, a handful of arugula, and then of course, the 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper.

          2. Green Beans with Red Onion and Creamy Feta Dressing

Looking back I would have changed two things: First, I would have mixed the green beans more with the Feta Dressing, and since I didn't really understand the onions at all, I would have left those out -- which is what I will do next time. But I would not have occurred to me to mix some crumbled feta cheese, lemon juice, plain yogurt and black pepper.

             3. BLACKBERRY FOOL

I almost never add sugar to, or ever make anything that requires sugar, but the Blackberry Fool from the "Desserts" chapter is the exception. The recipe is so simple and calls for one pound of blackberries, 1 and 1/2 cups of heavy cream, 2/3 cups of sugar and the squeeze of lemon juice. Process the blackberries and lemon, mix or whisk the cream and add the sugar to the mix. My sister and I were so excited about these and ended up loving the taste and creamy texture so much we decided to try and make other 'fools' with different fruits and strawberry, melon and banana are just a few on the list so far.

 

 

I'm really excited about this cookbook, and know I will constantly use it for meals, snacks, salads and many other things. I'm so thankful for having the opportunity to review this text.

This video is not an official commercial, but since it was on the author's website as their "Favorite Trader Joe's Commercial that will never be made," I thought it would be nice to also place it here.

Author: Cherie Mercer Twohy

Publisher: Ulysses Press

Year: 2009

Paperback: 17.95

Genre: mmm bites/Trader Joe's

Pages: 224

ISBN: 978-1569757178

Thank you, Ulysses Press, for providing a copy of The I Love Trader Joe's Cookbook: More than 150 Delicious Recipes Using Only Foods from the World’s Greatest Grocery Store, for this review.

Note: All opinions are my own and honest, and I am not compensated by the publisher!