Natural Family News

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada (July 2005) –

Canadian babies can breathe a sigh of relief! Now open for business, ParentingByNature.com offers a full line of natural parenting products that are healthier for babies, healthier for families and healthier for the environment.

Spurred by the unavailability of healthy, environmentally-friendly products for babies in Canada, owner Tamara Champion is helping to meet the growing demand for natural alternatives for families everywhere. With an online store stocked with products that offer parents and grandparents complete peace of mind, ParentingByNature.com will quickly become the natural choice for your family.

ParentingByNature.com offers a wide range of natural baby products including Canadian-made all-natural skin and body care products by Druide, cuddly organic cotton stuffed toys (Egypt), baby carrier slings & wraps, re-usable cotton and hemp diapers (Canada), baby and shower gifts, as well as products for moms such as the innovative DivaCup natural menstrual solution, comfy cloth pads and beautiful beeswax candles (Canada), a healthier alternative to chemically-ridden paraffin.

Products to watch for include wooden toys made with non-toxic paint and lacquers, lovable soft creatures hand-knit by a women’s cooperative in Kenya and even organic, fair-trade chocolate for moms to indulge in!

You can also turn to ParentingByNature.com for all your baby and shower gift giving needs. With their gift registry option and gift wrapping service you can conveniently shop from the comfort of home or the convenience of the office for gifts you can feel good about. With their great attention to detail, personal service and commitment to customer satisfaction, shopping with ParentingByNature.com is sure to be a pleasant experience for all!

For parents who what the absolute best for their babies while also creating a more sustainable future for their children, Parenting By Nature is your family’s natural choice. Purchase their unique products online at www.ParentingByNature.com or call 902-431-8584 and book an appointment to visit their in-home showroom today!

I’m surprised that I haven’t seen more of an uproar about ER’s treatment of extended breastfeeding. Last week, they had an episode where a mother came to ask for a place to nurse her child. They pointed her to a private location, at which point her child (who was about 6) came up to tug on her arm and say “Come on, Mom. Let’s go! I’m starving!” Then all the nurses and doctors snickered and exchanged looks. As if that’s how extended nursing goes…

Then ER ran an episode with a breech birth. OF COURSE the baby ended up brain damaged after getting stuck in the birth canal. The weird thing was the ob doc was not totally opposed to the mother trying to give birth vaginally, but the ER doc was just absolutely insistent that she ought to have a c-section. When he tried to coerce her into a c-section one of the nurses started giving her all the risks, and she changed her mind. There as a brief discussion about “informed consent” between the doctor and the nurse.

In other media news, there is a new show called “Close to Home” on CBS, I think. It was very positive in the breastfeeding realm. The mother, who is a lawyer, even got them to bring in a mini fridge to her office after she put her pumped breastmilk in the common refrigerator, and the boss almost drank it. I was a little irked at how much stress they put on the idea that a 3 month old should be sleeping through the night but, all in all, it was favorable towards nursing.

Some studies make me wonder whether we REALLY needed a study to come to these conclusions. A recent study found that hospitals designated as baby-friendly centers were more likely to have mothers who started breastfeeding. It only makes sense that hospitals that do not offer any other form of nutrition, unless medically necessary, encourage mothers to nurse within an hour, and have full time rooming in would have increased rates of breastfeeding. You can read more about the study here.

There was a really interesting study recently that showed that mothers were more likely to continue breastfeeding through at least 6 months when their husbands were given information on dealing with nursing problems. This seems like a really easy way to increase breastfeeding and to help Dads feel more inovolved. If you’re planning to breastfeed, perhaps you can talk to your midwife, obstetrician, childbirth educator, or pediatrician about this study and see if they can provide some sort of instruction for your husband. You can read more about the study here.