Natural Family News

One school district in Wisconsin has been experiencing a chickenpox outbreak since last November. It seems that 36% of the district’s kindgergarteners have contracted the disease, despite the fact that all but two of the children were appropriately vaccinated. Vaccine advocates claim an effectiveness rate of 85-97%, but clearly not in this case. Despite its apparent poor performance, the newspaper article describing the outbreak still touts the vaccines benefits and encourages vaccination for chicken pox.

An article out of Australia says that waterbirth there is on the rise, with one hospital citing a 38% waterbirth rate. I think it’s fabulous that more women are being informed about the benefits of laboring and/or birthing in the water. Most moms who have done so say they’d never go back to birthing “on land”. But even though several hospitals there have waterbirth facilities, the Australian Medical Association won’t support waterbirth, claiming it is too risky. It’s a shame that medical organizations seem to be so quick to accept research that support the use of more interventions, but dismiss research in support of more natural birth methods. You can read the article here.

Okay, Americans, you know you’re drinking too much coffee when it’s your main source of antioxidants. And when the number two source is black tea, it’s a sure sign that people are spending too much time at Starbuck’s and not nearly enough at the salad bar.

Want to know what hot drinks are best for you this winter? Check out this story.

Mississippi is one of those states where breastfeeding your child in public just might be criminal. But that is set to change soon.

Senate bill and House Bill 527 would protect the right of Mississippi mothers to breastfeed their children in public. They would legislate that breastfeeding is not indecent exposure, disorderly conduct or breach of the peace. They would also make a mother’s breastfeeding an excuse from jury duty.

South Carolina is considering similar legislation.

A woman in Ann Arbor was recently told by the local YWCA that she could not breastfeed by the pool, because they have a policy that there can be no food or water in the pool area. I’m sorry, but this just makes me want to laugh. Whether or not she nursed the baby there, the milk is still going to be in her breasts. So, if you’re going to take the stance that nursing a baby is having food by the pool, I guess you’re going to have to ban all lactating women from the pool area. You can read the article here.

I had to make a trip to one of the baby superstores to buy a shower gift, and while standing in line a book caught my eye. The title was “Enjoy Your Labor: A New Approach to Pain Relief for Childbirth.” The subtitle said “the only book that takes the fear, mystery, and guilt out of epidurals and spinals.” I was so taken aback that I decided I had to look the book up when I got home. The author, who is (not surprisingly) an anesthesologist, advocates for the use of epidurals early on, “before the severe pain of labor starts.” So, basically, you should get one before you even know if you’re going to need one. Now, while I’m not thrilled with the subject matter of the book at all, I am particularly offended by the idea that you have to have an epidural to enjoy your labor. I suppose it could be a matter of what he means by enjoy; to me sitting around disconnected from what is going on inside my body, watching television and chatting with others would not constitute enjoying labor. On the other hand, even though some of my labors have been quite difficult, I would still say that I have enjoyed the birth process. You can read more about the book here.

Consumer Reports recently informed readers that, because of children’s developing nervous systems, it is probably worthwhile to pay the extra money for organic baby food. Risks to babies are increased because baby foods are sometimes made from concentrated fruits and vegetables, which may increase concentrations of chemicals, as well.

There is a way to get organic foods for babies without it costing quite as much– make your own. A bag or organic carrots is more expensive than a bag of regular carrots, but a lot cheaper than buying a jar of organic carrot baby food. So, for parents who are concerned about cost but still concerned about protecting their children from chemicals, this might be an option.

Richmond, Virginia is hosting an arts festival centered on childbirth. The festival, “Defining Moments: An Exploration of Birth through the Arts,” will include dance performances, film screenings, panel discussions, workshops and art exhibits.

One of the central parts of the festival will be the performance of a play by Karen Brody entitled Birth. Brody wrote the play after becoming convinced women give up a lot of power when making decisions about childbirth. The play focuses on the birth experiences of seven educated, middle-class women.

A McDonald’s in Hawaii is now carrying organic green tea. So, let me get this straight. You go into McDonald’s and order a Big Mac, large fries, and organic green tea? Do people who eat at McDonald’s really care whether their tea is organic? I guess you could be in there buying a salad, and it is nice to have choices, but I’m just having a hard time wrapping my head around the whole concept.

Gweneth Paltrow, who has been sort of a boon for natural birth and breastfeeding, is planning a waterbirth for her second child who is due in May. Apparently she had considered waterbirth the first time around, but didn’t feel confident enough to try it at the time. She has a birth tub at both her home in London and in New York, so she should be well prepared! You can read about it here.

Boulder, CO (PRWEB) January 6, 2006 — Boulder Natural Solutions LLC annouces new web site to help answer questions about natural and organic meat products. When you have questions about natural and organic meat products, Boulder Natural Solutions has the web site with the answers.

As we bring in the new year, alot of us make resolutions to lose weight or get in shape. Some of us resolve to eat better. Boulder Natural Soltuions lauches a new web site that can help and answer questions you may have about natural and organic meat products.

With over 50 years of combined experience in the meat business there isn’t any area Boulder Natural Solutions hasn’t been involved with. Our new web site provides information about us, our services, the products we’ve developed and recipes to make cooking easier.

One of our products is the Kentucky Natural Farms all natural hams. This ham begins with all natural great tasting pork, containing no antibiotics or hormones. Then nothing is added. Nothing to take away from its all natural appetizing goodness – no antibiotics, no nitrites, no artificial or chemical preservatives…nothing.

Kentucky Natural Farms uses a time honored tradition of preparation form Old World artisans who specialized in creating hams with exquisite flavor and unsurpassed tenderness, making it perfect to serve to your family or special guests for that special dinner.

Kentucky Natural Farms Premium hams are fully cooked, all boneless and exceptionally lean, so there’s no trimming excess fat or other preparation needed. Simply heat, slice and serve to make your holiday dinner or any dinner extra special. Look at our web site for many quick and easy recipes to help you with dinner.

Kentucky Natural Farms Uncured Premium Hams can be found at select outlets in Northern California, and the Pacific West Coast and soon can be bought on line.

Founded in 2004, Boulder Natural Solutions LLC is a leader in bringing natural and organic meat products to market. The company works with farmers, processors, and retailers to design systems that encourage sustainable farming through creation of unique, natural products and services.

Boulder Natural Solutions are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Boulder Natural Solutions LLC in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

While web surfing today, I came across an interesting website. It seems that someone in Australia has come up with a diaper you can flush, and they’re calling it a gDiaper. It’s sort of a cloth/disposable combination; there’s an outer waterproof cover, and then a flushable snap-in liner. The idea is that you avoid adding to the landfills (supposedly you can even compost the things) but don’t have to deal with washing diapers either. It’s intriguing, but I’m not sure that I’m a fan of the super absorbent stuffing, which is the same stuff they put in disposable diapers. You can check them out here.