We all know that there have been horrible injustices due to immigration laws and homeland security in the past.  This recent incident is no exception.  On October 27th, Sayda Umanzor had her nine month old daughter Brittany, who was breastfeeding at the time taken from her arms when she and her husband were led away by authorities.  

"It was like a piece of me was torn away," Umanzor said Thursday, speaking through an interpreter.

Here we go again.  Another mom was breastfeeding her child in public, and some employee took it upon themselves to tell her to cover up.  Cheryl Cruz, who is from St. John’s, NL, Canada was vacationing with her family at Universal Studios in Orlando.  She sat on a bench outdoors to feed her 10 month old daughter, Kalli, when an employee named Megan said she’d have to cover up.

"I'm just feeding her, minding my own business, there's hardly anyone at the resort, [and] suddenly this lady comes over to me and says, 'Listen I want you to cover up, this is a family affair,' " Cruz said Thursday.

Sleep has been on my mind a lot lately.  We recently had the MotherTalker book discussion on Sleepless in America.  Then, we had the time change this weekend.  I've been working towards getting our family more sleep in general, and I notice a huge difference in my kid's temperaments as a result.  Today, MSNBC has an article giving us another reason to make sure our children get enough shut eye.  According to recent research by the University of Michigan, kids who get less sleep increase their risk of becoming obese:

Researchers have found that every additional hour per night a third-grader spends sleeping reduces the child's chances of being obese in sixth grade by 40 percent.
The less sleep they got, the more likely the children were to be obese in sixth grade, no matter what the child's weight was in third grade, said Dr. Julie Lumeng of the University of Michigan, who led the research.

I’ve been an avid reader of the attachment parenting resource Mothering Magazine since my son was an infant.  Mothering’s editor, Peggy O’Mara has written a very interesting editorial about how she feels breastfeeding is in trouble.   According to O’Mara, breastfeeding initiation rates dropped when infant formula companies began to advertise to consumers in 1989 via magazine and television.  At the same time, she says that breastfeeding advocates became more active to actually increase the initiation rate to an all time high of 70.1% in 2002.  Then, in 2003 she says the unthinkable happened.  The rate drops 4% to 66%.  

Alright, MotherTalkers... what’s with the trend of children addressing adults by their first names?  I first noticed this informality when my son was in preschool.  Parents would introduce me to their children as “Hilary”, instead of Mrs. _____.  Growing up, we NEVER called adults by their first names.  In fact to this day, I still address my childhood friends’ parents as Mr._____ and Mrs._____.  To use their first names would just feel weird to me.

What started this trend?  Is it a movement to make kids our “friends” and have them on the same level as adults?   I’ve noticed that teachers are still addressed by their formal names.  Why just them and not everyone?

Mary Sheedy Kurcinca’s book, Sleepless in America is an eye opener for any parent who hopes to have their children sleeping soundly through the night.  I’ve discovered after reading this book, that my 4 1/2 year old daughter Madeline is definitely sleep deprived... which causes her behavior to become volatile and confrontational.  You may be surprised to find out how much sleep is required of your children.  

Age of individual/Average hours of sleep needed over 24 hours
Infant 0-12 months  ~  14-18 hours
Toddler 13-36 months  ~  13 hours (including nap)
Preschooler 37-60 months  ~  12 hours (including nap)
School-age 6-12 years  ~  10-11
Adolescent 13-19 years  ~  9.25
Adult 20 years  ~  8.25

Sleepless in America by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka

I’ve been hearing a lot about Sleepless in America lately.  I guess it’s a popular topic because most families I know have sleep issues at one time or another.  Sleep deprivation in parents causes the obvious problems of stress and frustration.  Sleep deprivation in children can cause behavioral problems.  

I’ve always been one for strange dreams and nightmares.  I’ve heard that dreams are the mind’s way of processing the day’s events.  Stress can sure come out in a dream.  So, it should be no surprise that three out of four moms reported having nightmares about their babies.  

New parents reported having dreams about floating babies, babies falling out windows, and miscarriages.  I had a few miscarriage dreams, though I have never actually experienced miscarriage myself.  

For me, my most intense dreams occurred during pregnancy.  To this day I still remember one I had while pregnant with Madeline.  She was already born and talking, and throwing things all over the place while having some sort of temper tantrum.  She ran out the front door and into traffic.  Of course I couldn’t move in the dream... paralyzed like my legs were made of lead.  I woke up shaken, sweating, and terrified in the middle of the night and it took me at least an hour to fall back asleep again.  

Four years ago, I got wind of a new ad campaign by the Department of Health and Human Services promoting breastfeeding.  The new national campaign, was controversial and featured what some thought were scare tactics in order to improve the country’s abysmal breastfeeding rates.  Soon after the ads were developed, I heard through the grapevine that the formula industry had been pushing hard for the ads to be changed, citing reasons such as inducing guilt in new mothers.  So, the ads were changed to a “more friendly images of dandelions and cherry-topped ice cream scoops, to dramatize how breast-feeding could help avert respiratory problems and obesity” as a direct result of the formula industry’s influence.  

Some of what has transpired has come to light in an article on MSNBC.com today.  

The formula industry's intervention -- which did not block the ads but helped change their content -- is being scrutinized by Congress in the wake of last month's testimony by former surgeon general Richard H. Carmona that the Bush administration repeatedly allowed political considerations to interfere with his efforts to promote public health.

I think I know what happens when Prussian Blue gets older.  They become the Subie Sisters!  

Last night on our local news, there was an interesting story about a Columbus police officer who made a few racist You Tube videos while visiting her sister in Florida.  Fifteen year veteran Officer Susan L. Purtee, was off-duty when she filmed the videos.  In them, she makes numerous disparaging remarks about Jews, blacks and illegal immigrants.  

Many of you have probably heard of the Ban the Bags Campaign... a push to keep hospitals from giving out free formula to all new mothers.  One hospital in New York City is receiving press coverage as a result of changing its policy to give new moms a bag with a pamphlet on breastfeeding and a cute baby tee that says: I Eat at Mom’s instead of the usual free formula.  

The idea behind the new policy, is educating new moms about the benefits of breastfeeding so that they can make an informed choice.   In a time where few of their mothers or relatives have breastfed, new mothers often lack the confidence to breastfeed their own babies.  The hospital is hoping to increase awareness and breastfeeding initiation rates in the process.  

Well, another "study" has come out "proving" that babies try to deceive their parents as early as six months.  

Dr Vasudevi Reddy, of the University of Portsmouth's psychology department has...

identified seven categories of deception used between six months and three-years-old.

Infants quickly learnt that using tactics such as fake crying and pretend laughing could win them attention.

By eight months, more difficult deceptions became apparent, such as concealing forbidden activities or trying to distract parents' attention.

By the age of two, toddlers could use far more devious techniques, such as bluffing when threatened with a punishment.