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As Halloween is fast-approaching, you may be thinking about what kinds of treats you’ll have available for the trick-or-treaters in your neighborhood. Now, maybe you don’t give out treats (the Mom-side of me thanks you for your pretzels, fruit leathers, pencils, stickers, or pennies for Unicef!).  But if you do offer candy, you may want to consider keeping Nestlé treats out of your trick-or-treat bowl this year.

  
(Image source: http://www.phdinparenting.com/2010/10/25/international-nestle-free-week-2010-join-us/)

Why No Nestle? A very short synopsis: there has been an active boycott on Nestle since July 7^th 1977, stemming from their promotion of breastmilk substitutes (infant/baby formula) over breastfeeding, particularly in under-developed countries. Nestlé continues to violate the WHO (World Health Organization) code by persisting in their marketing of infant formula in places where doing so (instead of promoting breastfeeding) can lead to illness, malnutrition, and death of babies (for reasons such as formula mixed with contaminated water is dangerous, formula is too expensive for many women to purchase, and often gets watered down, resulting in malnutrition). Nestlé also controls much of the bottled water industry (and thus the sources of water) in the United States. (If you’re ready to be frightened by the state of water in our country, I highly recommend the movie Tapped) Nestlé also promotes unhealthy eating through their production and marketing of high-sodium “Gerber Graduates” processed foods to toddlers.

For more information on the Nestlé boycott, here are some good places to start:   

http://info.babymilkaction.org/nestlefree

http://www.phdinparenting.com/tag/nestle-boycott/

http://boycottnestle.blogspot.com/

So, you'd like to try to keep your Halloween Nestlé- free, but not sure which products Nestlé produces? Well… take a deep breath; they’re everywhere (I'd rather not directly link to their site, but if you Google Nestlé, you can find everything they have their name on - and it's a ton)! For the purpose of International Nestlé-Free Week (which runs from October 31^st thru November 6th) I’ve created a list, limited strictly to candy. 

List of Nestlé Candies, Chocolates, and Confections:

100 Grand

Aero Bar

Abuelita

Baby Ruth

Bit O Honey

Bottle Caps

Butterfinger

Cailler

Carlos V

Chewy Spree

Chewy Sweetarts

Chunky

Crunch Bar

Everlasting Gobstoppers

Fruit Runts

Goobers

Kazoozles

Kit Kat (outside of the U.S.)

Laffy Taffy

Lik-M-Aid Fun Dip

Mix Ups

Nerds

Nestle Milk Chocolate

Nips

Oh Henry! (inside the U.S.)

Oompas

Orion

Pixy Stix

Raisinets

Runts

Shockers

Smarties (outside of the U.S.)

Sno-Caps

Spree

Sweetarts

Wonka Exceptionals

So… Which candies CAN you buy this year?

My vote is for Fair-Trade Organic Chocolate or Organic Lollipops! Of course, that’s not always practical nor affortable! So, here’s a list of...

Conventional Candies NOT Produced by Nestlé:

3 Musketeers

Almond Joy

Bounty

Bubble Yum

Cadbury Crème Egg

Cadbury Dairy Milk

Dagoba

Dove Bar

Galaxy

Good & Fruity

Good & Plenty
Heath Bar

Hershey’s Kisses

Hershey’s Special Dark

Ice Breakers Gum

Jolly Rancher

Kit Kat (inside the U.S.)

Krackel

Mars Bar

Marathon

Mauna Loa

Milk Duds

Milky Way

Mini Eggs

M&M’s

Mounds

Mr. Goodbar

Oh Henry (outside of the U.S.)

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Reese’s Pieces

Rolo

Skittles
Smarties (inside the U.S.)
Snickers
Starburst

Summit

Symphony Bar

Take 5

Twix

Twizzlers

Whatchamacallit

Wrigley’s Gum

York Peppermint Patty

Zagnut

Zero

Thanks for considering participating in Nestlé-Free Week and... Happy Halloween!

Posted: Oct 28 2011, 09:59 by kelly | Comments (23) |

Filed under: Breastfeeding | Children | Healthy Eating | Nestle Boycott

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Breastfeeding my two children over six years was one of the most rewarding parts of my mothering adventure. I’ll always be glad I went for it, was successful, and stuck with it. Whether you’re thinking of breastfeeding, or have breastfed for a few days, weeks, months, or years, you know that nourishing your baby at your breast is natural, healthy, and offers benefits for both baby AND mom. It’s not always easy to get started, or keep going, but the advantages are great. If you’re having trouble and need a little encouragement, or just a pat-on-the-back-reminder of why you’re doing what you’re doing, I’ve compiled are a few joyful breastfeeding quotes to keep you going.

Here’s to you meeting your own breastfeeding goals - whatever they may be. Go, mama!  You can do it! 

The natural power of breastfeeding is one of the greatest wonders of the world. It is about real love. It is about caring and celebrating the wondrous joy of nurturing a new life. It is about enjoying being a woman.

~ Anwar Fazal

Breastfeeding is a mother's gift to herself, her baby and the earth. 

~ Pamela K. Wiggins

Breastmilk satisfies.

~Ohio Department of Health

She doesn’t need to count how often she feeds the baby any more than she counts how often she kisses the baby.

~ Babette Francis (Journal of Tropical Pediatrics & Environmental Child Health)

The newborn baby has only three demands. They are: warmth in the arms of its mother, food from her breasts, and security in the knowledge of her presence. Breastfeeding satisfies all three.

~ Dr. Grantly Dick-Read

Breastfeeding a baby – what could be more natural?

~ LLL; The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding confers significant short and long-term health benefits for both the mother and her infant, which go beyond the period of breastfeeding itself.

~ National Health Service of Great Britain

Nursing does not diminish the beauty of a woman's breasts; it enhances their charm by making them look lived in and happy. 

~ Robert A. Heinlein

Breastfeeding is more than just a method of feeding. It is a lifestyle choice.

~ Dr. William Sears

While breastfeeding may not seem the right choice for every parent, it is the best choice for every baby. 

~ Amy Spangler

Mother's milk, time-tested for millions of years, is the best nutrient for babies because it is nature's perfect food. 

~ Robert S. Mendelsohn

When she first felt her son's groping mouth attach itself to her breast, a wave of sweet vibration thrilled deep inside and radiated to all parts of her body; it was similar to love, but it went beyond a lover's caress, it brought a great calm happiness, a great happy calm. 

~ Milan Kundera

My opinion is that anybody offended by breastfeeding is staring too hard. 

~ David Allen

Countless women have regained trust in their bodies through nursing their children, even if they weren't sure at first that they could do it.  It is an act of female power, and I think of it as feminism in its purest form. 

~ Christine Northrup

The one thing that has evolved with humans, to nourish humans, is breast milk. It is the ideal evolutionary model for what nourishment should be. It is a remarkable fluid.

~ J. Bruce German, a food science professor at the University of California, Davis

Imagine that the world had created a new 'dream product' to feed and immunize everyone born on earth. Imagine also that it was available everywhere, required no storage or delivery, and helped mothers plan their families and reduce the risk of cancer. Then imagine that the world refused to use it.

~ Frank Oski

Babies were born to be breastfed!

~ U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Breastfeeding is an unsentimental metaphor for how love works, in a way.  You don’t decide how much and how deeply to love – you respond to the beloved, and give with joy exactly as much as they want. 

~ Marni Jackson

With his small head pillowed against your breast and your milk warming his insides, your baby knows a special closeness to you. He is gaining a firm foundation in an important area of life – he is learning about love.

~ La Leche League pamphlet  c.1956

In breastfeeding, the infant is cradled in the mother’s arms. Pleasure in sucking, the satisfaction of hunger, intimacy with the mother’s body, are united with his recognition of her face.

~ Selma Fraiberg

Posted: Oct 26 2011, 18:38 by kelly | Comments (0) |

Filed under: Babies | Breastfeeding | Inspirational | Parenting

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I was lucky enough to be able to breastfeed both of my children. I breastfed my daughter until she was four years old. When my son was born, we tandem nursed for a year and a half until my daughter weaned, then continued to nurse my son until he was three & a half years old.  My years as a breastfeeding mother were some of my most precious and tender moments with each of my children.

Breastfeeding was empowering, comforting, and, in spite of occasional discomfort and challenges along the way, it was on the whole, a truly wonderful experience. I would love as many women as possible to be able to experience the wonder of nurturing their babies at their breasts, just as I did.

The reason I had such a wonderful experience with breastfeeding, was that I had wonderful support - from my husband, my lactation consultant, my family.  I'm not sure I would have made it as far as I did without such support. For ANY woman considering breastfeeding her baby, proper support is KEY to her success:

REAL LIFE SUPPORT

Let your partner, your parents, your siblings, and your friends know you are planning on breastfeeding, and ask for their support in your intent. Don’t be afraid to tell them WHY you want to breastfeed! Specific knowledge about your intentions will help them help you if you encounter moments of wavering in your commitment. Having people to support you, to cheer you on, to remind you why you’re doing what your doing can make all the difference in the world to your success!

PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT

If you’re birthing in a hospital, call ahead to be certain they have a lactation consultant on staff, and find out how often she’s there. If she only works days or weekends, or, if you’re planning on birthing at home, make sure you are in contact with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant who can be on call after the birth of your baby. Don’t forget to bring her phone number to the hospital with you! Here’s a listing of IBCLCs by state: http://www.lactivist.com/ibclc.html Another thing to consider is hiring a post-partum doula. Many doulas are breastfeeders themselves, and post-partum doulas are trained to help mothers establish breastfeeding, and help create the supportive environment they need to have a successful breastfeeding relationship. A doula is a wonderful person to have around - not only in labor, but afterwards!

WRITTEN SUPPORT

There are plenty of books and websites available with information about breastfeeding; but, unfortunately, not every one has accurate information. Here are a few good resources, I recommend:

Books:

The Breastfeeding Book by Martha Sears

The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers by Dr. Jack Newman

Breastfeeding Made Simple by Nancy Mohrbacher

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by Diane Wiessinger

Websites:

KellyMom.com - http://kellymom.com/

La Leche League - http://www.llli.org/

Mothering.com - http://mothering.com/breastfeeding

Breastfeeding.com - http://www.breastfeeding.com/

Best for Babies.org - http://www.bestforbabes.org/

Ask Dr. Sears - http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/breastfeeding

EXTENDED SUPPORT NETWORK

Aside from your lactation consultant, partner, and reading material, it’s a good idea to have an extended network of mothers who have “been there, done that”. Before your baby is born, find a nearby La Leche Leage group and attend a meeting! Having real-life mothers to talk to, cry with, and commiserate with, is vital to breastfeeding success. Knowing that “you’re not the only one” who feels a certain way, or who has experienced a certain issue helps you know everything is a-okay and on track. To find a LLLI meeting or leader near you, check here: http://www.llli.org/webindex.html Remember that LLL leaders are volunteers who love breastfeeding and natural parenting and want you to succeed! Don’t be afraid to give one a call, just to talk.

VIRTUAL SUPPORT

In the age of smart phones, online “been there, done that” breastfeeding support is close at hand. How I wish Twitter & Facebook was available to me when I first starting to breastfeed! Keep a list in Twitter of ladies who are lactation consultants, lactation counselors, la leche league leaders, or who have successfully breastfed, for instant on-the-spot help. To start, try following these folks:

Diana @DianaIBCLC | IBCLC: http://twitter.com/#!/DianaIBCLC

Liz @askthelc | RN, IBCLC: http://twitter.com/#!/askthelc

Lara @MamaPearDesigns | CLEC: http://twitter.com/#!/MamaPearDesigns

Shari @ShariCriso | Nurse-Midwife, IBCLC: http://twitter.com/#!/ShariCriso

Jessica @TheLeakyBoob: http://twitter.com/#!/TheLeakyBoob

Doudoubebe @mamabear_ca: http://twitter.com/#!/mamabear_ca

Infant Risk Center @infantrisk: http://twitter.com/#!/infantrisk

La Leche Leage Canada @LLLCanada: http://twitter.com/#!/LLLCanada

Message boards can also be a good resource for more in-depth discussion, though be cautious of any information you receive online; make sure you cross-check your info w/a book or in-person support! Mothering.com has an active board with a lot of caring, experienced mothers: http://mothering.com/breastfeeding 

BREAST SUPPORT

Having properly fitting nursing bras, washable nursing pads (or disposable, if you don’t have someone who can do your laundry for you right away!), comfortable clothes (don’t need to be special nursing-specific clothes, just easy to access for nursing wherever – try to wear layered shirts with buttons down the front, or in cross-over chest style – nothing that is binding in the breast area or requires removing completely before you can start breastfeeding), and baby-safe nipple cream might seem like unnecessary items, but having them available before baby arrives, can really help with your post-partum, early breastfeeding comfort. And the more comfortable mama is, the easier and more smoothly breastfeeding will go!  Make sure you have nutritious ready-made food frozen ahead of time, or have someone who will be helping you cook right after baby arrives, so healthy meals are easy and quick. Keep a travel thermos of water with you all the time (even in bed!) – nursing mothers need lots of water to stay healthy and hydrated. Continue to take your prenatal vitamins after baby is born – they are usually rich in iron and vitamin D, and will help your body continue to heal, while you nourish your new baby. And finally, get as much sleep as you can so your body has time to heal, and make milk! I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but as much as possible: Sleep When The Baby Sleeps! Learn how to nurse in the side-lying position, so that you can lie down with your baby and rest for naptime.

Above all, take it easy on yourself. Be forgiving of yourself, be patient with yourself & your baby (you are both learning a new skill!), and don’t be afraid to ask for help. You can DO it; your body was made to breastfeed your baby, and your baby was made to drink your breastmilk.

If you’re a breastfeeding mama, I’d love to hear YOUR stories of support! If you haven’t had your baby yet, but are planning on breastfeeding when she’s born, what are you doing to make sure you are supported in your breastfeeding goals?

Posted: Aug 06 2011, 18:03 by kelly | Comments (3) |

Filed under: Babies | Birth | Breastfeeding