Aware Mothers's topics - tribe.net

cyber cheating and marriage

2009-09-23T18:20:55Z

two years ago i found inappropriate emails from my husband to various women on the craigslist casual encounter forum. he wrote these while i was out of town, and they were definitely in an attempt to meet somebody. i was heartbroken, and it took two years for me to start to feel back to right. well... i just found out he did it again. i am at a loss. there is love here, but no trust. he says nothing has ever come of it, but our marriage has certainly suffered. cyber cheating has been just as damaging to us as the traditional model. where to go from here...

posted in Aware Mothers - 4 replies

telling single-parent children about absent parents

2009-08-28T21:39:59Z

i have a seven-year-old and a four-year-old; neither of their fathers have ever been a part of their lives (my daughter's father was briefly a part of her life, but i stress briefly). my daughter seems somewhat bothered by this, wanting me to find a man to be her father. this is not something i'm likely to do; i feel very uncomfortable with men interacting with my children and just generally do not get along with people in relationships! i ask myself, from time to time, if i should talk with my children, especially my daughter (my son's father is incredibly sick- spiritually, emotionally) because she has siblings on that side, also, including an older brother who was at her birth. i feel like i'm being unfair to her siblings as well as her, by not talking to her about this. i did not force this man from our lives. i told him, nearly two years ago, that if he showed me some consistency, i would love to allow him to visit her and be a part of her life; i never heard from him again. he makes a big showing when he gets a new girlfriend, trying to show what a great dad he is and how awful the mothers of his children are, by contacting the mother and fighting with her about seeing his kids. he did this during the time we were together. i'm not willing to have an unreliable man acting like daddy when it is convenient for him to do so, however, if she wants to know these things but doesn't know how to ask, i don't want these questions just floating around her hurt little heart. one man, since she was born, has acted as her father, and she knows only about him, but i don't want her to find out the truth someday and feel like i've been lying to her..

posted in Aware Mothers - 10 replies

Offtopic: ISO Compleat Mother Mag and Book "A New View of a Woman's Body"....

2009-08-23T23:56:28Z

...Older, newer, any issues of Compleat Mother Mag.... and this above named Book by the Federation of Femist Women's Health Center....

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

consuming kids

2009-08-15T20:17:41Z

my seven year old daughter was recently invited to a marketing party for girls aged 6-8 (the new "tweens"). without realizing that the man who invited her to "make some money" (it was a tad creepy at that), who happens to be her best friend's father, had let his daughter participate in this type of thing before, i opened up on a long argument against this sort of thing, thanks to the video "consuming kids: the commercialization of childhood". due to a recent post, i thought i might throw up a link for any aware mothers who are interested in raising children who know how to have fun, use their imagination, and enjoy the world around them naturally and simply. i looked for links to the actual video, but have only been able to watch it in seven parts on youtube. while looking, i also found a panel discussion called battle of ideas: consuming children that i've just begun to watch.

during my conversation with my daughter's best friend's father, he pointed out that his daughter had brought back toys on these visits, including a polly pocket set- the same polly pocket set i had just pointed out as having inappropriate clothing and, strangely, pop-off body parts! oh my..

posted in Aware Mothers - 15 replies

Let me know about SPAM!

2009-08-15T18:54:28Z

Hi all,
So this guy James has been spamming out tribe a LOT and I've asked him to stop. I will see what I can do about reporting him, but until then, send me a PM and I'll remove his bunk ass offers.
Thanks mamas!

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

Just say NO to fluoride toothpaste and flouridated water

2009-08-08T19:29:20Z

Brushing with fluoride (as dentists tend to reccomend) is nowhere near as good for your dental health as more natural alternatives (I've been using these alternatives for a few years and have required no dental work done during that time) but in fact has profoundly more detriments than benefits (the title picture shows the discoloration of teeth caused by fluoride exposure).
It would appear that fluoride was a by-product of the aluminium industry and found an alleged beneficial use in toothpaste manufacture; bringing $$$$$ to the companies involved...

HARMFUL CHEMICAL:

"Fluoride has several mechanisms of toxicity. Ingested fluoride initially acts locally on the intestinal mucosa. It can form hydrofluoric acid in the stomach, which leads to GI irritation or corrosive effects. Following ingestion, the GI tract is the earliest and most commonly affected organ system.

Once absorbed, fluoride binds calcium ions and may lead to hypocalcemia.

> Fluoride has direct cytotoxic effects and interferes with a number of enzyme systems; it disrupts oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis, coagulation, and neurotransmission (by binding calcium).

> Fluoride inhibits Na+/K+ -ATPase, which may lead to hyperkalemia by extracellular release of potassium.

> Fluoride inhibits acetylcholinesterase, which may be partly responsible for hypersalivation, vomiting, and diarrhea (cholinergic signs). Seizures may result from both hypomagnesemia and hypocalcemia.

Severe fluoride toxicity will result in multiorgan failure. Central vasomotor depression as well as direct cardiotoxicity also may occur. Death usually results from respiratory paralysis, dysrhythmia, or cardiac failure."

FLUORIDE IS A SCAM:

Water Fluoridation: Folly or Fraud?

By David McRae, B.Sc. (Hons)

Every day of the week, most Americans, Australians, New Zealanders, and Irish are exposed to an influence that can be a cause of serious health problems: the addition of chemical fluoride to our drinking water.

What do you know about the history, politics, and toxicology of this claimed "dental benefit"?

The USA started fluoridation in the 1940s, followed by a handful of other countries in the 50s and 60s. Only about eight countries keep up the practice. The continental European countries that tried it in the past have all discontinued. And many of them have achieved lower rates of tooth decay than the highly fluoridated USA.

Holland quit fluoridation in the 1970s after a large medical team performed a double-blind test on people who reported that the fluoride was making them sick. This study showed that up to 3% of residents in the fluoridated section of Amsterdam were suffering symptoms such as stomach pains, mouth ulcers, skin irritation, migraine-like headaches, worsening of allergic complaints, and joint pains. The symptoms stopped when they switched to non-fluoride water. Along with these acute reactions, there are serious concerns about the long-term health effects of fluoride exposure.

Everything about fluoridation is bizarre, including the two very different stories about its origin. There is the official story - given by some health departments and dental associations. And there is the story based on sources such as (1) archival records of the industrial interests that played a big part in funding the fluoridation project, and (2) dissident (see Word to the Wise, below) authorities and scientists who have taken a critical look at the science.

According to the fluoride-promoting agencies, in the 1930s researchers observed lower rates of tooth decay in regions where people showed "Colorado Brown Stain" on their teeth. When this defect was identified to be fluoride poisoning from the water, it was claimed that a certain level of fluoride was actually good. It could protect teeth without causing too much of the staining and brittleness known as dental fluorosis. Officialdom has ignored that these early studies were very poor quality and non-scientific. They also ignored that the dose to consumers would be uncontrolled and vary dramatically with how much water people drank.

But there is a darker history of fluoridation that has been spoken about by industry insiders and some dentists for decades. In 2004, award-winning journalist Christopher Bryson shined a light on the history of fluoridation in his meticulously researched book The Fluoride Deception. Bryson's book studies the correspondence and meeting reports from industry and laboratory archives and shows a chilling collaboration between polluting industries and certain maverick scientists.

Aluminium smelting and many other wartime and post-war boom industries used massive amounts of fluoride in their processes. In the unregulated 1940s, fluoride waste products were polluting the atmosphere and building up in huge waste piles. The fledgling environmental watchdogs of the day were crying out about serious fluoride damage to workers and surrounding crops and animals. A number of lawsuits were launched against companies, including Alcoa and Reynolds Metals.

The archival material shows great concern among the industrialists and their attorneys and scientists. Rather than cease production or find fluoride-free technologies, a systematic project was commenced to whitewash the emerging evidence of fluoride's health hazards. Fluoride was too important to industry to bow to health and environmental pressures.

The theory that fluoride might be a dental-health treatment, in water supplies or toothpaste, was a trump card for this conglomerate. Industry contributed enormous funds to dental researchers to show fluoride to be a "wonder dental drug." Researchers showing findings detrimental to fluoride's new image mysteriously lost their funding. When toothpaste manufacturers jumped on the fluoride wagon, a virtually unlimited advertising budget was unleashed to complete the transformation of fluoride from pollutant to panacea.

In the 1950s and 60s, sodium fluoride from the aluminium industry was added to the water supplies. In a sinister twist of logic, Alcoa advertised their fluoride in water industry journals for it to be added to water supplies … while simultaneously advertising in chemical journals for its use as a rat poison.

The chemicals most widely used in fluoridation now are two waste products of the phosphate fertilizer industry, hydrofluorosilicic acid and sodium silicofluoride. These chemicals have never undergone safety studies, nor have they ever had FDA approval. However, numerous studies have shown them to cause harm.

Furthermore, a dozen studies have shown higher rates of bone fracture in fluoridated areas. Many regions of Asia have both high and moderate levels of calcium fluoride present in water supplies. Though calcium fluoride is considered less harmful than the industrial fluorides we use, they still result in dreadful epidemics of skeletal fluorosis and nervous system illness. India spends a lot of money on defluoridation, and where it can't be afforded people develop crippling bone deformities. Chinese scientists have shown nervous system defects including significantly lowered average IQs, even with moderate fluoride levels in water.

The latest alarming finding is Harvard researcher Elise Bassin's Ph.D. study showing greatly increased bone cancer rates among boys in the USA consuming fluoridated water during their years of growth. Bassin's supervisor, Professor Chester Douglass, is now under investigation by Harvard for suppressing and stopping publication of her work. He has also denied her findings at conferences. However, Douglass has a considerable conflict of interests. He also works for the toothpaste manufacturer Colgate, which reaps huge profits from the public's believing that fluoride is a "healthy" chemical.

The science-based website www.fluorideaction.net links to a large compilation of peer-reviewed medical literature. These studies show links between fluoride exposure and kidney disease; pineal, thyroid, and reproductive gland problems; arthritis; and bone, tooth, and nervous system disorders.

Reviews of the science also show that water fluoridation may not even prevent tooth decay. There are more studies showing zero or negligible reductions in tooth decay than those showing real benefits. And most researchers agree that any benefits from fluoride are from surface application to the teeth, NOT from ingesting it into the system. Thus drinking fluoride in water is as dumb as eating sunscreen to prevent sunburn or swallowing condoms for safe sex!

The current science on fluoridation suggests that we are exposing children and adults to a great health risk … for an imagined or real benefit to less than 1 child in 10. Fluoridation is looking like one of the great medical follies of the 20th century. If even half of Bryson's book is correct, it is more than a folly … it is fraud.

Enforced medication without consumer consent, even if there were no side effects, is highly unethical. Fluoridation is compulsory mass-medication, at uncontrolled dosage, with toxic, industrial waste.

In August of this year, 11 Environmental Protection Agency unions, representing over 7,000 environmental and public health professionals, called for a moratorium on drinking water fluoridation and asked the EPA to recognize fluoride as posing a serious risk of causing cancer. If you would like to read the text of this petition, or to sign it yourself, visit www.fluorideaction.net and click Take Action.

[ Ed. Note: From 1985 to 1996, David McRae worked with and coordinated holistic cancer support and education programs in Australia, including a government-funded project with the North East doctors association in Melbourne. He now works as a health promotion officer in community health in Geelong, Australia.

A few studies of the many which show that fluoride
does not prevent decay are listed below :

A study has been done of the dental records of 39 207 schoolchildren aged 5 - 17 in 84 areas of the USA. These areas were divided according to not fluoridated, partially fluoridated ( less than 17 years or some of the time ) and fluoridated. No statistical difference was found in decay rates of permanent teeth or percentages of decay free children between the areas. The only group of children which showed a difference were 5 year olds who had less decay in decidous teeth in fluoridated areas. However, by age 6 this advantage disappears leading to the conclusion that fluoridation causes a delay in tooth eruption.2

R Ziegelbecker has made two studies by taking a random sample of all available data on caries (decay ) prevalence. He selected 48 000 12-14 year children from 136 communities in seven countries. No correlation was found between caries or dental health and fluoride concentration.3
Further studies have shown that not only does fluoride not improve dental health but it may cause decay.

ALTERNATIVES:

This is what I use: www.health-store.co.uk/acatal...es.html
~ but there are alternatives in every health shop around the world...

here's a yahoo group on the detriments of fluoride:
health.groups.yahoo.com/group/...soning/

:) 3-Radical

posted in Aware Mothers - 16 replies

Free Stuff

2009-08-07T20:30:50Z

Toys R us Birthday Club- Each year until your child is ten you will receive a party planner with a special offer, and a card and gift
from Geoffrey. Plus, when you take them to a Toys R Us location on their birthday they will receive a paper birthday crown, a
Geoffrey balloon and an announcement over the intercom that a special birthday guest has a arrived.
http://www.freakyfreddies.com

posted in Aware Mothers - 2 replies

Free Sample

2009-08-07T20:27:10Z

Parent's Choice- Get a Free Sample of Parent’s Choice Immune Support Infant Formula.
http://www.freakyfreddies.com

posted in Aware Mothers - 2 replies

E-Newsletter from EWG.ORG

2009-08-02T15:46:37Z

This is a very cool site and they have great e-newsletters.

Check it out: http://www.ewg.org/

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

Rules...checking in

2009-06-26T22:20:16Z

Hi everyone,
It's so amazing to watch this tribe grow and offer support to so many. Thank you all for participating and keeping it alive! I only check in once in a while since I'm more of a facebook fiend now, but upon today's glance I did notice some ads/offers that I've removed. I'm totally open to trading/selling from mommy to mommy but not ads for tv show castings or things of that nature. I could really use your help in keeping the tribe free of un-related stuff, so please feel free to PM me if you notice something.
Thanks and love,
Alexandra

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

Petition to request Merck separate the MMR vaccine again (x-post)

2009-06-17T14:27:38Z

I am sending this to most of the people in my e-mail address book because I feel very strongly about this. You'll note that I do not share what schedule I've choose for Lynda because it isn't about that... it is about having the ability to choose what any parent feels is best for their child and thier family.

While this is a very contriversial topic, I very strongly feel that parents should have the ability and the right to choose how (and if) they want vaccinate their children. By taking away the "separated MMR" parents only have the choice to either take all 3 in one shot or not at all. I personally know of 100's of mothers who want to give these vaccines to their babies seperated out, but I also know that there are actually 100's of 1000's of parents that would prefer to seperate these vaccines for their babies. I also know that many of these parents are delaying the vaccine until 2 or 3 years old because the are concerned about giving it to thier baby when they are still so young at 12 months and the possible reactions/side effects.

Please join me and others and help get this petition to the 100,000 signatures they are looking for. Please also forward it on to others you know and ask for their help. It would be really great if this petiton could FAR FAR exceed the 100,000 signatures goal. Thank you all so much!!!

Gabriella Waterman has just read and signed the petition: Moms for Separated MMR Vaccines
You can view this petition at:

www.thepetitionsite.com/tell-a...4310358

posted in Aware Mothers - 4 replies

Response to LA Times Vaccination Article

2009-05-28T18:08:16Z

Response to Yet Another L.A. Times Vaccine Article

April 20, 2009

Greetings!

Dr. Rahul Parikh's article entitled, "Parents, Don't Be Immune to Vaccine Truths" should not have been published by the Los Angeles Times. He begins by painting a grim picture of a child in Mumbai who survives a case of tetanus. Instead of attempting to educate parents, his stated aim, he attempts to frighten them.

We should have long ago moved beyond trying to scare parents into vaccinating and also moved beyond trying to frighten parents into believing that every child getting a vaccine might end up with autism.

But the middle part of his exposition is devoted to a patient of mine and he commits ethics and HIPAA violations so egregious that the Medical Board must take him to task.

Dr. Parikh is a well-published medical author and blogger and he speaks of a patient he saw as an intern in the year 2000 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. (His bio on many sites lets you know that year.) He identifies the parents, their unique profession and their child's age and illness. This family can be identified by anyone who can use Google.

They have given me permission to respond to the LA Times article.

What he has done is illegal and unethical and violates the family's and child's privacy.

He wants to scare parents into listening and is willing to break the rules and violate medical confidentiality to do it.

He even identifies me in his story: "We stuck more needles into her tiny veins, and her doctor performed a spinal tap to make sure she didn't have bacterial meningitis." He knows that I'm the only private attending pediatrician who comes to Cedars do spinal taps.

Dr. Parikh then goes on to describe the patient as having whooping cough.

She did not have whooping cough.

Preliminary tests were positive but more definitive tests done later showed that the baby did not have any evidence of exposure to the bacterium that causes whooping cough. This medical writer then goes on to speculate that " . . .if she had only RSV, then she would have gotten better faster than she did, which is what led us to evaluate her further. But that combination -- being very sick and unvaccinated -- had led this child to the edge of respiratory failure . . ."

She was sick, required exactly the same care as a fully-vaccinated child and recovered. She's a healthy happy child.

Again, more efforts to scare than to educate. And a dishonest presentation of the facts. And a serious ethical and legal breach.

Dr. Parikh's discussion of the Larry King television show omits my presence on the show and mischaracterizes what actually occurred. Watch the episode on YouTube.

This is the second time in a matter of a few weeks that this newspaper has presented old news and inaccurate facts as being real news.

Dr. Paul Offit co-held the patent for a vaccine whose rights recently sold for $182 million. He and his book are cited here and often elsewhere as unbiased sources for information. Dr. Offit is an honest researcher but he should not be quoted as a completely disinterested expert.

Dr. Parikh correctly mentions that pediatricians have long been disdainful and dismissive of those of us who disagree with the routine vaccination schedule. The American Academy of Pediatrics has received millions of dollars from the pharmaceutical industry to support everything from the building of our new headquarters to the coffee and doughnuts at our conferences. The industry sponsors our speakers, spends millions on advertising in our official journals and pays for our lunches and dinners. Dr. David Tayloe, the AAP President, is a good man and I sense that he will soon begin reversing this controversial relationship. But, that money has influenced vaccine approval and recommendations and scheduling for decades.

There is no proof that vaccines can cause autism but the evidence needs further research and investigation. The three "vaccine court" cases this year are easily analogized to the early judicial decisions over cigarettes and lung cancer. Again, the proof's not there against vaccines, but dismissing the possibility and the evidence based on a few court cases is bad law, bad science and bad medicine.

No one, no one accuses doctors of being " . . . bent on making profits from vaccines at the expense of children" as Dr. Parikh implies. Drug companies may be motivated very strongly by the profit motive but most of us doctors give vaccines because we truly believe that a child's personal health and the community's health benefit because of these shots. And, yes, I give some shots every day. I just don't give as many of them as are recommended and I vaccinate as late and slowly as I can. Yes, I have considered the public heath implications of this choice. The dangers are grossly over-stated by Dr. Parikh and others.

For the first time in eight years, a child died of HIB bacterial meningitis in Minnesota earlier this year. I responded to a recent LA Times article about vaccines and my first draft included my notes about fatal tree limb accidents: Over 100 people die each year because tree limbs fall on them. The relevance was questioned by my editor (my wife) and therefore omitted. Strange statistically-unlikely things happen. Using them as scary examples in medical articles does not serve the discussion well.

Talk to your doctor but do your own "homework" too. Vaccines are neither unequivocally good nor bad. The way we vaccinate our children now is not as safe as we could make it.

JNG, MD FAAP

http://www.drjaygordon.com

posted in Aware Mothers - 3 replies

big words

2009-04-30T03:01:45Z

Ever have your child try to say something...but they couldnt get the word out completely.

my son was trying to say "irridencent bubbles"

has your young one tried to get a big word out?

Amy:-)

posted in Aware Mothers - 7 replies

Inside the baby mind - The Boston Globe

2009-04-29T06:09:09Z

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2009/04/26/inside_the_baby_mind/

It's unfocused, random, and extremely good at what it does. How we can learn from a baby's brain.

WHAT IS IT like to be a baby? For centuries, this question would have seemed absurd: behind that adorable facade was a mostly empty head. A baby, after all, is missing most of the capabilities that define the human mind, such as language and the ability to reason. Rene Descartes argued that the young child was entirely bound by sensation, hopelessly trapped in the confusing rush of the here and now. A newborn, in this sense, is just a lump of need, a bundle of reflexes that can only eat and cry. To think like a baby is to not think at all.

Modern science has largely agreed, spending decades outlining all the things that babies couldn't do because their brains had yet to develop. They were unable to focus, delay gratification, or even express their desires. The Princeton philosopher Peter Singer famously suggested that "killing a disabled infant is not morally equivalent to killing a person. Very often it is not wrong at all."

Now, however, scientists have begun to dramatically revise their concept of a baby's mind. By using new research techniques and tools, they've revealed that the baby brain is abuzz with activity, capable of learning astonishing amounts of information in a relatively short time. Unlike the adult mind, which restricts itself to a narrow slice of reality, babies can take in a much wider spectrum of sensation - they are, in an important sense, more aware of the world than we are.

This hyperawareness comes with several benefits. For starters, it allows young children to figure out the world at an incredibly fast pace. Although babies are born utterly helpless, within a few years they've mastered everything from language - a toddler learns 10 new words every day - to complex motor skills such as walking. According to this new view of the baby brain, many of the mental traits that used to seem like developmental shortcomings, such as infants' inability to focus their attention, are actually crucial assets in the learning process.

In fact, in some situations it might actually be better for adults to regress into a newborn state of mind. While maturity has its perks, it can also inhibit creativity and lead people to fixate on the wrong facts. When we need to sort through a lot of seemingly irrelevant information or create something completely new, thinking like a baby is our best option.

"We've had this very misleading view of babies," says Alison Gopnik, a psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of the forthcoming book, "The Philosophical Baby." "The baby brain is perfectly designed for what it needs to do, which is learn about the world. There are times when having a fully developed brain can almost seem like an impediment."

One of the most surprising implications of this new research concerns baby consciousness, or what babies actually experience as they interact with the outside world. While scientists and doctors have traditionally assumed that babies are much less conscious than adults - this is why, until the 1970s, many infants underwent surgery without anesthesia - that view is being overturned. Gopnik argues that, in many respects, babies are more conscious than adults. She compares the experience of being a baby with that of watching a riveting movie, or being a tourist in a foreign city, where even the most mundane activities seem new and exciting. "For a baby, every day is like going to Paris for the first time," Gopnik says. "Just go for a walk with a 2-year-old. You'll quickly realize that they're seeing things you don't even notice."

There's something slightly paradoxical about trying to study the inner life of babies. For starters, you can't ask them questions. Young children can't describe their sensations or justify their emotions; they can't articulate the pleasure of a pacifier or explain the comfort of a stuffed animal. And, of course, none of us have any memories of infancy. For a scientist, the baby mind can seem like an impenetrable black box.

In recent years, however, scientists have developed new methods for entering the head of a baby. They've looked at the density of brain tissue, analyzed the development of neural connections, and tracked the eye movements of infants. By comparing the anatomy of the baby brain with the adult brain, scientists can make inferences about infant experience.

These new research techniques have uncovered several surprising findings. It turns out that the baby brain actually contains more brain cells, or neurons, than the adult brain: The instant we open our eyes, our neurons start the "pruning process," which involves the elimination of seemingly unnecessary neural connections. Furthermore, the distinct parts of the baby cortex - the center of sensation and higher thought - are better connected than the adult cortex, with more links between disparate regions. These anatomical differences aren't simply a sign of immaturity: They're an important tool that provides babies with the ability to assimilate vast amounts of information with ease.

While the pruning process makes the brain more efficient, it can also narrow our thoughts and make learning more difficult, as we become less able to adjust to new circumstances and absorb new ideas. In a sense, there's a direct trade-off between the mind's flexibility and its proficiency. As Gopnik notes, this helps explain why a young child can learn three languages at once but nevertheless struggle to tie his shoelaces.

But the newborn brain isn't just denser and more malleable: it's also constructed differently, with far fewer inhibitory neurotransmitters, which are the chemicals that prevent neurons from firing. This suggests that the infant mind is actually more crowded with fleeting thoughts and stray sensations than the adult mind. While adults automatically block out irrelevant information, such as the hum of an air conditioner or the conversation of nearby strangers, babies take everything in: their reality arrives without a filter. As a result, it typically takes significantly higher concentrations of anesthesia to render babies unconscious, since there's more cellular activity to silence.

The hyperabundance of thoughts in the baby brain also reflects profound differences in the ways adults and babies pay attention to the world. If attention works like a narrow spotlight in adults - a focused beam illuminating particular parts of reality - then in young kids it works more like a lantern, casting a diffuse radiance on their surroundings.

"We sometimes say that adults are better at paying attention than children," writes Gopnik. "But really we mean just the opposite. Adults are better at not paying attention. They're better at screening out everything else and restricting their consciousness to a single focus."

Consider, for instance, what happens when preschoolers are shown a photograph of someone - let's call her Jane - looking at a picture of a family. When the young children are asked questions about what Jane is paying attention to, the kids quickly agree that Jane is thinking about the people in the picture. But they also insist that she's thinking about the picture frame, and the wall behind the picture, and the chair lurking in her peripheral vision. In other words, they believe that Jane is attending to whatever she can see.

While this less focused form of attention makes it more difficult to stay on task - preschoolers are easily distracted - it also comes with certain advantages. In many circumstances, the lantern mode of attention can actually lead to improvements in memory, especially when it comes to recalling information that seemed incidental at the time.

Consider this memory task designed by John Hagen, a developmental psychologist at the University of Michigan. A child is given a deck of cards and shown two cards at a time. The child is told to remember the card on the right and to ignore the card on the left. Not surprisingly, older children and adults are much better at remembering the cards they were told to focus on, since they're able to direct their attention. However, young children are often better at remembering the cards on the left, which they were supposed to ignore. The lantern casts its light everywhere.

"Adults can follow directions and focus, and that's great," says John Colombo, a psychologist at the University of Kansas. "But children, it turns out, are much better at picking up on all the extraneous stuff that's going on. . . . And this makes sense: If you don't know how the world works, then how do you know what to focus on? You should try to take everything in."

While thinking like an adult is necessary when we need to focus, or when we already know which information is relevant, many situations aren't so clear-cut. In these instances, paying strict attention is actually a liability, since it leads us to neglect potentially important pieces of the puzzle. That's when it helps to think like a baby.

This new understanding of baby cognition, and the peculiar ways in which babies pay attention, is also giving scientists insights into improving the mental functioning of adults. The ability to direct attention, it turns out, doesn't merely inhibit irrelevant facts and perceptions - it can also stifle the imagination. Sometimes, the mind performs best when we don't try to control it.

The differences in how babies and adults pay attention are primarily caused by the unformed nature of the prefrontal cortex, a brain area just behind the eyes. While the prefrontal cortex has been greatly enlarged during human evolution - it's responsible for a wide variety of cognitive abilities, from directed attention to abstract thought - it's also the last brain area to fully develop, and often isn't done developing until late adolescence.

Although scientists have long held the lack of a functional prefrontal cortex responsible for all sorts of "childish" behaviors, researchers are beginning to realize that, sometimes, it might actually be better to allow the prefrontal cortex to loosen its grip.

A recent brain scanning experiment by researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that jazz musicians in the midst of improvisation - they were playing a specially designed keyboard in a brain scanner - showed dramatically reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex. It was only by "deactivating" this brain area that the musicians were able to spontaneously invent new melodies. The scientists compare this unwound state of mind with that of dreaming during REM sleep, meditation, and other creative pursuits, such as the composition of poetry. But it also resembles the thought process of a young child, albeit one with musical talent. Baudelaire was right: "Genius is nothing more nor less than childhood recovered at will."

The immaturity of the baby brain comes with another advantage: utter absorption in the moment. The best evidence for this comes from brain scans of adult subjects as they watched an engrossing Clint Eastwood movie. The experiment, led by Rafael Malach at Hebrew University, found that when adults were watching the film their brains showed a peculiar pattern of activity, as their prefrontal areas were suppressed. At the same time, areas in the back of the brain associated with visual perception were turned on. As Gopnik notes, this mental state - the experience of being captivated by entertainment - is, in many respects, a fleeting reminder of what it feels like to be a young child. "You are incredibly aware of what's happening - your experiences are very vivid - and yet you're not self-conscious at all," she says. "You're not thinking about anything but what's on the screen."

But it's not just the movie theater that transports us back to a newborn state of mind, in which we're fully immersed in the moment. Gopnik notes that a number of other situations, from Zen meditation to the experience of natural beauty, can also lead to states of awareness so intense that the self seems to disappear. "This is the same ecstatic feeling that the Romantic poets were always writing about," she says. "It's seeing the world in a grain of sand."

If people could never regress into this babylike consciousness, then we'd struggle with the kind of tasks that require us to stop being self-conscious and lose ourselves in the job. Such moments are often described as "flow" activities, and can occur whenever we're completely captivated by what we're doing, be it stirring a risotto or solving a crossword puzzle. The Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki referred to such modes as "beginner's mind," since people are able to think like a baby, open to possibility and free of errant preconceptions.

Gopnik has discovered for herself the advantages of being able to shift between a babyesque form of cognition and a more adult frame of mind. "As a scientist, you really need to use both kinds of thinking," she says. "Sometimes you need to focus and analyze your data. But you also need the ability to be open and creative, to think in a new way if the old way isn't working."

At such moments, she suggests, we need to think with the innocence of an infant - to release the reins of attention and look anew at a world we're still trying to understand.

Jonah Lehrer is the author of "How We Decide" and "Proust Was a Neuroscientist."
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

my breast friend Nursing pillow

2009-04-22T00:41:32Z

This new for $15. Can contact me on 425 458 8865.

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

Loving comfort post partum suport medium size fore sale$ 15

2009-04-21T22:59:17Z

Never used. almost new. Can contact me on 425 458 8865. or 425 562 2943

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

Thermal form Breast gel pack for sale $25- for a week only.

2009-04-21T22:56:11Z

In an excellent condition. Almost new never used. Can contact me on 425 458 8865.

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

Medela pump in style advanced - breast pump for sale$ 75

2009-04-21T22:52:38Z

Hi every one,
I have bought this pump an year ago, used it for only 2 months. very neat and clean with all accessory parts, in an excellent condition. I live in Seattle. you can contact me on 425 458 8865 or 425 562 2943. Available for sale only for 1 week.

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

To make a more beautiful world...

2009-03-10T20:21:32Z

A newborn looks into it's mothers eyes while nursing. Deeply, open, lovingly and completely trusting. It's Heart is in the most Vulnerable state and the most Open then it will ever be again.

The phone rings. The mother doesn't want to take the call because she is enjoying nursing and loving her baby. She takes it because its the insurance company, she has been waiting for this return call. She feels stress as she discusses the situation about what she thought was covered they now say is not covered. She tenses up as images flash through her mind of how this will change there lives; she doesn't want to go back to work, she wants to be with the baby. What does the baby feel as it's nursing now? The baby develops it's first shell. Not too thick, but it's one of many. Next time the phone rings the baby is aware, and tenses up just a little.

Day after day, the shells keep coming in. Some big, some little some thick some paper thin.

One day while the mother is happily folding laundry the baby slips off the sofa, suddenly the baby's is aware its physical body could be hurt, it's startled and cries out, though it is not hurt. The mother rushes to the baby, picks the baby up, she knows it is ok, she soothes it as she looks deeply into it's eyes with love and acceptance for it's cry, and smiles at the baby, the baby feels safe to express it's emotion and it was not hurt. It does not develop a shell.

With each shell a little resistance. Sometimes the shells are broken back down. The baby hears the phone ring. It tenses. The baby hears the mother laugh and get excited. The mother has several minutes on the phone in this way laughing and happy. When she gets off the phone she comes and picks up the baby, and dances around with it laughing. The baby releases the shell from before! But now it listens and is aware when the phone rings.

The heart thing... can something new be added or do we have to treck the old paths and unbury the vines, cutting them away. Can we plant flowers up the vines?

I like having flowers growing up my vines. The vines can be cut away, but the roots remain, able again to be activated. I
It's rare, the feeling to be completely safe to as to be completely vulnerable ...so that real LOVE can be shared.
There is so little love left in the world. Do we have to hold it back.

The people of this planet are covered with shells. When they get thick enough they cause a war. Do we have to trace back and drag up the reasons the war started? and before that, and before that and before that?

Do we need to ring the phone again and again for the adult until she accepts the feeling begun as a newborn. I feel we can start where we are and find better feelings from there. If we can find the feeling. What if it has become numb...

Unconditional love is becoming so rare. When I say I love and accept someone it's because I can't NOT love them because there is understanding. I don't need to trace back all of the traumas to understand why they act the way they do.

Yes it seems sick sometimes, thats another way of looking at it, the whole world does seem sick.

Yesterday I journeyed through some of my traumas, looking to find the cause for the heart line that goes numb when I sleep. So I imagined being as vulnerable as the baby.

And then how I would feel, and then to deal with that horrible shock I imagined --what would the perfect most loving human response be instead. In one memory I saw myself running up the road escaping with my cat (which was my first impulse) my face streaming with tears right. A nice grandpa man see me crying and pulls over and looks me in the eyes lovingly as I tell him in sobs, my siblings are going to kill it. He hugs me and understands and tells me everything is going to be ok and comes to the house with me. Now I'm scared not for the cat but for me. If he shames them and then I'll be the in line for dead. So I imagine that he takes each child alone and listens to their reasons for wanting to kill my cat, and accepts them unconditionally and comforts them (some hate the cat, some love the chickens it killed, some are hung up on rights and wrongs) he unconditionally listens with total love and acceptance to each child as they feel safe to share and cry themselves as he tells each one it will be ok. The oldest sister says she thinks her mysteriously missing cat was killed by Dad. My Dads childhood pet maggpie was killed by a neighbors cat...he's hated cats ever since.

I guess it makes it easier, when we can trace it, and see the vines, and cut them back ecspecially when we are numb. But if we can, start where we are it's beautiful.

Imagine every child being allowed to express all and every feeling. When they cry, when they complain, when they hurt, when they are scared, when they are angry, vengeful, in rage..., hopeless. Imagine adults gazing softly into their eyes like the newborn, comforting and accepting them in all of their feelings unconditionally.

IT CAN BE A MORE BEAUTIFUL WORLD

posted in Aware Mothers - 1 reply

Kids, dinner time, control please help

2009-02-02T01:59:32Z

Hello everyone. first let me express my gratefullness that this tribe has been created and there is help out here. salutations to the Divine Mother in all of You. Women are Sacred beings and they deserve great respect.
My brother has children and he has been seperated from his wife a few months now. The parents are psychology/ computer majors and both work corporate computer jobs. they are quite materialistic, and live in material wealth. they arent very intrested in natural living, being. they have nice car(s) expensive house, but diet isnt good. recently have been prescribed some xanax, etc.. my brother told me it helped him clear his mind, but doesnt get meditation is 100000000X better.
the boy is 6 years old and the girl just turned 3. the boy has become very negative. punching himself, saying mean things, craving attention, but not wanting anyone to be nice to him when he gets the attention. he screams ALOT and is very hyper. they never go outside much.
we were eating dinner today and it gets tense usually. the closest thing that i have expreienced the last years of my life that reminded of police is the way my brother commands his children. "EAT!" "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" almost force feeding the kids to eat. and of course they have become wierd at the table. the little girl is just being and he says eat your dinner.. i feel like let them eat at their own pace. she has a huge fork thats way too big and hard for her to hold, and also is inclined to eat with her hand and my brother gets upset at her for this. the diet isnt so great. they get tooooo much junk food- chips, crackers, sweets, 'energy' bars, and not enough whole, natural food, especially greens and other alkalinizing wonders. of course they arent intrested in eating much dinner and always craving junk food, sweets, (that actully get them high- sugar rush..)
I know it is not all food related, but i feel the food and lack of being in nature is close to the roots. the kids were/ are quite innocent and the parents have been projecting things onto them like crazy. this culture(or my family especially never honored women and the feminine side of things. feelings are being repressed, trying to control, instead of teach and heal. i feel like always the parents are trying to control the kids and never just let them Be.-because their parents never let them just Be) basically their is no heart in it, but all head and the rational mind always focus on problem, thinks in problems(how to solve), instead of the heart which expreiences innocently, gives and is calm.
Can anyone please offer me insights to reach out and help, books, philosophies, activities, anything.
I am most appreciative for my niece and nephew and all others who improve themselves.

posted in Aware Mothers - 4 replies

I need mommies to complete a survey for my final research project!

2009-01-30T20:42:54Z

I'm studying the effects of childhood sexual abuse on length of pregnancy, labor and breastfeeding. If you have a moment, would you mind completing a brief survey for me? You don't have to have a history of abuse to participate. Thanks!

http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pd1oa_5iJj89qiYdDLawjDw&hl=en

posted in Aware Mothers - 1 reply

Vote for Free WaterCranioSacral Therapy for Children with Autism

2009-01-21T08:44:45Z

Please vote for us to win a $10,000 grant to fund Free WaterCranioSacral Therapy for Children with Autism - VOTE at http://ideablob.com/ideas/4289-Free-Water-Cranio-Sacral-Clinic today!

We hope to win this grant to fund a monthly free clinic for children with autism to receive CranioSacral Therapy, a gentle light-touch bodywork modality that is helpful at improving the comfort of the lives of autistic children. We hope to rent our local pool, a warm, 92-degree, salt water pool for this therapy monthly for two years for the kids and their families, as well as funding more individual sessions, and continued professional development and training to continue this program into the future.

Thanks for your support!

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

xpost : FDA warnings re : peanut butter

2009-01-17T23:17:36Z

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99522010&ft=1&f=1001

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

earliest symptoms of pregnancy?

2009-01-17T06:46:52Z

Just checkin,' it's been a bizarre holiday...

posted in Aware Mothers - 11 replies

STILL Trying to get pregnant..

2009-01-14T18:51:35Z

Hi Ladies,
Here is some history of me. My husband I both are 30 years old. I have been pregnant twice before. Once at a very young age, the pregnancy was not successful. My second pregnancy was with my 7 year old daughter :-) Both pregnancies were with the same man, and my current husband..

I started originally taking birth control pills at the age of 16.
I was on the pill when I got pregnant both times. With my daughter, I had missed several days. After my daughter was born, my doctor put me on a slightly higher dose of Birth Control. I continued taking the birth control pills until two years ago this month. I went off the pill hoping that I would become pregnant . These last two years my cycles have been all over the place. Sometimes as much as 46 days long. The last 4-5 months however they have been on average of 32-36 days.

I thought for sure I would have been pregnant by now. My husband I have sex appx 3-5 times a week. I cut out alcohol almost entirely. I don't smoke, I cut back on coffee. Taking my prenatal vitamins.

I have been under some amounts of stress lately. But, isn't everyone?! I know I am capable of getting pregnant, and I know my husband is capable of getting me pregnant. Afterall, it's happened twice before.

My doctor doesn't seem to concerned at this point, and has stated I can look into fertility treatments- which can be rather costly and not covered by insurance.

Well, any ideas? suggestions? words of wisdom, or support?
Would be greatly appreciated...

posted in Aware Mothers - 14 replies

For Los Angeles mommies (x-post)

2009-01-13T04:10:40Z

I hope it is ok to put this here... if not please let me know. Also, if any of you LA mommy's have other places you can post this (Like Peachhead which I'm no longer a part of) to help out a fellow mommy that would be really great. I already posted it on Boobie Brigade yesterday. Thank you. -- Gab

Hi ladies,

I wanted to tell you all about this place called Crative Seeds. They
are located on Pico near Hauser (between La Brea and Fairfax). Ashley, the
woman who own's and run's Creative Seeds, though not a Triber is a
mommy of a 4 year old, and teachs most of the work out classes and
some of the classes for babies and kids. She also has other teachers
who come in and teach Karate, Drumming, Ballet, and Yoga and more, as
well as Julie Ingrim who will be teaching a Tuesday afternoon class.
The rates for all of the classes are very resonable.

Here are the links to her website (main page and class schedule)
http://www.growcreativeseeds.com/
http://www.growcreativeseeds.com/schedule.php

*** this next week all classes on the schedule are free and the full
winter session begins January 19. ***

Also, if there is a class you are interested in forming and you can
get minimum 4 people together for the class she will try to work with
you and see if she can make the class happen in an open time slot.

I told Ashley I would post here on Tribe and since word of
mouth is by far the strongest form of advertising, if you contact
her or take one of the classes please let her know you heard about
Creative Seeds here. I don't really get anything out of this, I just
really connected with Ashley and want to help support a fellow mommy.

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

Secondhand toys and clothes...

2009-01-10T02:20:36Z

I have not seen a post about the new law that goes into effect on February 10, 2009.

I originally heard about the outrage against the (overly broad/ too loosely worded) Act/Law about a month ago when online petitions and letter writing campaigns surfaced pleading for help in protecting homemade and small (home) Etsy business made toys. Only now have posts been hitting my reader about the full measure (and many of the consequences) of the Act/Law.

In a nutshell:

It will be illegal to sell, resell, donate, or give away clothes, toys, books, and any other items intended for children ages 12 and under without a traceable label that contains proof of testing for lead and phthalates. Anything that does not meet the new requirements must go into a landfill.

Many of the posts I have been reading, along with the copious comments, have mentioned that Ebay, freecycle, freepeats, garage sales, and so on will even be effected by this new Law. (And after reading the actual wording, both DH and I agree that it is so loosely worded and broad in text that the interpretation of this Law can easily include all forms of sale/donation/giving of items intended for children 12 and younger.)

I thought that this might be something you all would be interested in. (Whether to support or condemn, to wait until after 2/10/09 to purchase baby and children's items, or to hit the secondhand stores now before the contents get sent to the landfills.)

If you are hitting up the Thrift stores, you might be interested to know that Goodwill seems to be consistent with 50% off all children's clothes. With some of the stores excluding white tags, and other stores including toys in the sale. Either way, there were a lot of people in that section, so getting *good* things may get difficult/impossible fairly quickly.

Also, all the vintage clothes will be gone for good once they get carted off to the landfills... So that might be something to keep an eye out for when shopping the secondhand stores.

posted in Aware Mothers - 12 replies

Online Conscious Birth Class

2008-12-28T02:15:14Z

The Co-Creative Birthing Circle is an online holistic, multimedia childbirth class for parents-to-be at www.maiainstitute.com

Comprehensive information for prenatal wellness, labor preparation, conscious birth, and a happy postpartum. Includes videos, links, articles, activities, online discussion forum, ebook, positive birth stories, and whole foods cookbook.

Conscious Birth Education for 21st Century Parents

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

Check out toy safety before you buy it

2008-12-21T01:56:51Z

Just an FYI, i think i posted this last Xmas too.
-------------------------
Dear MomsRising.org Member,

Starting your holiday shopping this week? The LAST thing you want to be giving the children and babies on your list is dangerous chemicals like lead and arsenic. Yet, when the Ecology Center, a Michigan-based nonprofit, tested over 1,500 popular children's toys for lead, cadmium, arsenic, PVC and other harmful chemicals, they found that one in three toys tested were found to contain "medium" or "high" levels of chemicals of concern.

Scary, right? But knowledge truly is power in this case. Before you give a child a toy this holiday season, search the HealthyToys database for its chemical test results:

http://www.momsrising.org/healthytoys

When you're at the store, you can search the HealthyToys database from your cell phone. Simply text "healthytoys [name of toy]" -- for example "healthytoys Elmo" or "healthytoys Wii" -- to 41411.

Then help other parents protect their kids. Print this flyer - which includes info on how to search for toys using your cell phone while you're shopping - and post them up at work, school, the grocery, wherever you go.

Please help spread the word that toxic toys are still on store shelves by posting this flyer in public places, and passing along this information to friends and family. (And if you're not already a member of MomsRising, please sign on now to stay informed: www.momsrising.org.)

Thanks for your help making this a more family-friendly country!

-- Donna, Kristin, Katie, Joan, Mary, Anita, and the whole MomsRising.org team

P.S. According to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, toys containing toxic phthalates are supposed to be banned starting on February 10, 2009. But the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is saying that stores can continue to sell down their inventories as long as they were manufactured before the February deadline. If you haven't already, please sign our letter to the CPSC to tell them to stop monkeying around with our kids' health! (Already 6,443 people have signed.) Go to http://www.momsrising.org/really_ban_phthalates to add your name.

posted in Aware Mothers - 1 reply

Learning RX .....feedback

2008-12-04T03:04:31Z

Has any one ever tried it? (it based on a book "Releasing the Eistein within" or something like that.)

i am looking for feed back on it.

Its really expensive (for me) , so i want to know if anyone has tried it...and your thoughts on it.

thanks
Amy:-)

posted in Aware Mothers - 1 reply

Melamine in American formula now too

2008-11-26T16:15:15Z

Fuckers.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081126/ts_nm/us_food_melamine_infants_8

and they won't say what company, either.

posted in Aware Mothers - 1 reply

FDA Slammed for Calling BPA Safe

2008-11-24T22:39:10Z

In a highly critical report, a panel of scientists from government and academia said when the FDA completed a draft risk assessment of bisphenol A (BPA) last month, they did not take into consideration numerous studies that have linked the chemical to prostate cancer, diabetes and other health problems.

The scientists took the FDA to task for basing its safety decision on three industry-funded studies.

The report was written by a subcommittee panel of the FDA's outside science board, experts who advise the FDA on complex issues. The panel concluded that the FDA’s margin of safety is “inadequate.”

The panel said the FDA also didn’t use enough infant formula samples and didn’t adequately account for variations among the samples.

Studies the FDA did not consider when making their assessment suggest that BPA could pose harm to children at levels at least 10 times lower than the amount the agency called safe. Another government agency, the National Toxicology Program, concluded that there is "some concern" that BPA alters development of the brain, prostate and behavior in children and fetuses.
Sources:

* USA Today October 29, 2008

Dr. Mercola has posted this article here: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/11/22/fda-slammed-for-calling-bpa-safe.aspx
along with some very helpful information about what products contain BPA and how to avoid them in the day to day. I know at least one other mother in this tribe has posted a link to BPA free baby bottles and sippy-cups. THANK YOU!

posted in Aware Mothers - 1 reply

Birth Without Violence

2008-11-24T19:25:07Z

I just saw a beautiful film....three short films actually, without speaking or soundtrack, but just the beauty of birth in a natural setting. It's a black and white film and done in a completely artistic way. By watching, I felt that I was present for these births...and could tap into the beauty and amazement of both child and mother. An amazing film.

http://www.newearthrecords.com/web/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=18&idproduct=1487

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

Stop Walmart from Selling Toxic Fluoridated Nursery Water to Infants! -Sign The Petition

2008-11-21T19:54:20Z

Hello All,

I know many of you here are already aware of the the harmful effects of fluoride especially to children and already avoid it. I ask that you would sign this petition asking Walmart to stop selling this fluoridated Nursury Water for infants as a means of spreading the awareness by bringing public and media attention to the issue and more importantly to protect the children who's parents are not aware.

Ask Wal-Mart to Stop Selling Fluoride "Nursery Water" to Infants

On November 9th, 2006, the American Dental Association (ADA) issued an alert advising parents to avoid fluoridated water when reconstituting infant formula. ADA's advice, however, has been mostly ignored by the media.

Nursery Water, the nation's leading fluoridated water for babies, still markets its product nationwide at Wal-Mart and other major retailers.

Help us stop this unsafe practice by signing this online petition to Wal-Mart.

The Petition

Douglas J. Degn
Executive Vice President, Food, Consumables and Hardlines Merchandising
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Bentonville, Arkansas 72716-8611

Dear Mr. Degn,

We are writing to bring to your attention a recent health advisory from the American Dental Association (ADA) that raises serious health concerns about the safety of a product — Nursery Water — currently being sold at Wal-Marts across the country, and to request that, in line with this ADA advisory, Wal-Mart stop the sale of this product immediately.

Nursery Water is a form of fluoridated bottled water that is specifically marketed for babies. The product's packaging advises parents to use Nursery Water to reconstitute infant formula and other infant foods. Recent scientific developments, however, have raised concerns about the safety of fluoridated water for infants.

Citing a major 2006 review of fluoride safety by the National Academy of Sciences, the ADA advised parents and caregivers on November 9th of this year, to not give infants fluoridated water in their formula or food. According to the ADA, consumption of fluoridated water puts a baby at high risk for dental fluorosis (a defect of teeth that causes staining and sometimes corrosion of the enamel.) The ADA's statement followed an October 14th decision from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that bottled waters with added fluoride cannot claim to reduce the risk of cavities for infants.

This advice is all the more striking as the ADA is the nation's leading advocate of water fluoridation. We are concerned, nonetheless, that without further action on the part of retailers and consumer organizations, the public will not be made sufficiently aware of this important change in health recommendations and will continue to put their babies at risk by using this product as currently directed on the label.

We understand that removing a product from your shelves is a significant action but in this case it is clearly justified given that the nation's leading dental authority advises against the precise intended use of the product. We appreciate the leadership role that Wal-Mart has taken on a broad range of environmental and consumer health issues, and we look forward to your removal of this unsafe product from your stores.

Sign the Petition here: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/walmart/

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

baby with skin problem

2008-11-21T18:54:43Z

My 8 months old daughter has eczema for a couple of weeks now.
Since I'm waiting for allergy test results... which takes a while here in Quebec to receive,
any hint on what to look for in the meantime?

My Doctor said it has nothing to do with what she eats,
but I just wean her 3 weeks ago
and my mother senses tell me otherwise.

Anyone with a sensitive baby in the same situation?
thanks

posted in Aware Mothers - 7 replies

Anyone can recommend a babysitter in LA?

2008-11-16T23:06:15Z

I have a 14 month old boy and I'm looking for a good babysitter. I'd love it if anyone can recommend someone they know or worked with in the past. Someone nurturing and more on the holistic side of life.

Thank you,

v

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

farm animal friends

2008-11-16T06:11:10Z

i really need some advice here, ladies. i am at a loss.

so we are trying to do the whole mini-farm thing, and this year my husband decided to raise a few turkeys. the problem is this: when they were just babies, one of them got sick and had to be isolated from the others. so he was in a cage in our yard, and our 4 year old daughter sophia just fell in love with him. like she does with all small animals. he recovered pretty quickly and went back in the pen with the others, and now is a huge, annoying, grown-up turkey. who is ready to be thanksgiving dinner. (sorry vegetarians out there!) and who sophie is still attached to. now my husband and i have discussed it a LOT, and there's no way we can keep him. he eats waaay too much food, and is way too difficult, and mean to the chickens. SO... here's my question. do we tell her the truth? she knows we eat our chickens, and seems to be fine with that, but they were not pets per say. and neither is mucus, but he is named, and the old "never name livestock" aphorism applies. OR do we tell her that a raccoon got him? that has happened in the past, and she would believe it. but i don't want her to get older and realize that we lied to her and hate us for it. either way, we will not be here when the shit goes down.

what would you do?

(i'm sorry if i've horrified anyone out there- i am fairly horrified myself. but since i stopped being a veggie and my family refuses to be, we're trying at least to come by our meat honestly and humanely...)

posted in Aware Mothers - 22 replies

no period for a month: stress or pregnant?

2008-11-07T23:29:46Z

Okay here's the deal: I haven't gotten my period this month AT ALL. However, I don't feel pregnant (i.e. no nausea/morning sickness, no swollen breasts, no mood change or tiredness except for staying up late) and the last pregancy test I bought at the store was negative.

SO...I'm pretty sure it's stress. I've gone through a MAJOR life change (got married) last month and had a hard time adjusting to it at first, and consequentially pushed my grad school work back about 3 weeks...so now instead of being 3 assignments behind, I'm more like 5 assignments behind :( PLUS, add to that no excersize, not eating right, not getting enough sleep (for both academic and emotional reasons) and being sick with a cold. I'm thinking by finishing each assignment, I will make myself more and more relaxed...that happened to me years ago when I had a big assignment and ended up missing my period for 2 weeks. I did feel the cramping sensation I get just before my period starts a couple of days ago, but still nothing.

Has anyone had this experience? Had this happen to you? I told my husband that if I didn't get my period by this weeken I'd call my doctor.

posted in Aware Mothers - 10 replies

Really sensitive cancer coming into pre-teen-ness...ness.

2008-10-24T05:47:45Z

Now that i completely slaughtered that word, can anyone recommend any good books on making it through the preteen stage and teen years better with a REALLY emotional cancer? Im not the most sensitive person in the world when it comes to how I react to things. I rarely get angry and don't get hurt or saddened too easily. Im usually really happy. My daughter is 8 though and she gets emotional about EVERYTHING. I have been working hard to teach her good ways to handle her emotions but its hard when you haven't ever had to learn good ways to handle your emotions, you know?

In any case, I think that she is definitely becoming a preteen and its freaking me out a little bit. Her skin is starting to change a bit and her attitude definitely is. SHES TOO YOUNG!! ACK!! I read a lot of really great books when she was younger, but don't know where to begin now. Does anyone have any suggestions? A bit of background in case it matters. Im single, no father is involved, its JUST me. I am a fulltime student (recently) so I have a lot more time home with my girls and am self employed. Her little sister is almost 6.

posted in Aware Mothers - 3 replies

A mothers emotional neediness

2008-10-24T03:40:19Z

It has come to my attention that the level of neediness that I have for my kids is becoming unhealthy. Without going too far into detailed circumstances, I find mysel find a position where I depend on my children to make me feel good about being a parent. This level of neediness is hereditary as I look back to growing up with my mom. (our relationship is still healing after a lifetime of hardship). Its my desire to be the best parent I can be, so I ask all over you...

How do I shift this aspect of unhealthy neediness into something that is more empowering? My entire world has been wrapped around my kids and now I realize that I need to put myself first whilst healing emotional wounds, so that I can be a better parent for them.

Any advice?

posted in Aware Mothers - 3 replies

new siblings

2008-10-18T13:25:46Z

can y'all recommend some good books about how to help older children adjust to new siblings? my 4 year old daughter is having a REALLY hard time with her baby sister. she was doing great at first, but these last few weeks i think it has started to hit her that things are permanently different, and she's just not very happy. at all. it's breaking my heart. please help!

posted in Aware Mothers - 3 replies

how to get husband involved

2008-10-17T20:15:32Z

My husband is like a big kid. He is also really looking forward to being a dad. However, since I have been a child development professional for 8 years, and he, um, isnt.... I have some concerns about him being prepared to be a parent.

His work schedule does not allow him to take courses, so its books/videos for us. If there was such a thing as a parenting videogame, I would be stoked, but alas, there isnt. I bought some books, left them near the toilet, its the only place he reads. I netflixed Parenting For Dummies, which I hope to watch with him when it arrives.

I cant be the only woman who feels this way about her partner... tell me, when the babies came along, did your partners rise to the occassion, or was it just like having one big baby and one little baby?

posted in Aware Mothers - 10 replies

not-so aware relatives and friends

2008-10-14T17:16:38Z

I dont have my own kids yet, but when I do, I have a clear out line of what I want for my kids, and what I dont want. I want organic food, no TV, no consumerization of my kids. No cheap, toxic plastic toys. No flame retardant clothes. No super girly dresses or super masculine outfits with footballs and trucks on them, until my kids actually say "hey mom, can I have a tractor shirt?" I dont want to gender-pidgeon-hole my kids, I dont want them watching shit-for-brains tv, and I would love it if they never even knew what a MacDonald's was ( as unrealistic as that may be, still, I shoot for the moon and am content to be amongst the stars)

But some other people in my family, namely my mom, have scoffed at my ideals, and point-blank stated, " I am the grandma, and its my perogitive to spoil my grandkids." So, as much as I try to tell her my reasons for my choices, and my objections to her undermining my authority over my own (future) kids, she seems to think that she will just take my kids to coldstone, buy them annoying noisy toys that eat batteries, and let them watch every disney movie under the sun, umpteen times. She thinks that this is "normal" and that kids who dont get junk food, tv, and crap toys will grow up deprived and resentful.

Now, Im not ridiculous. I will let my kids have non-toxic fun toys. I will let my kids have organic sweet potato fries and burgers. I will let them watch commercial free, non-violent programming, but I draw the line at CRAP.

What have you parents done when someone in your circle doesnt see eye to eye in a way that you think may hinder your child's growth ? Do I have to forbid my mom to be with my kids?

posted in Aware Mothers - 15 replies

The Other Side of The Glass - The Trailer

2008-09-21T23:40:51Z

Hey everyone...

I wanted to share this trailer with you all in Aware Mother's. I think it is important to begin awareness with our babies' birth experience and wanted to share this empowering film trailer. It is being made with father's in mind.

My son's birth was video taped for this film and I feel very blessed to be part of this project. The overview (part 1 to the film) is coming out in about a month.

Peace and Blessings,
AlyGirl xo

p.s. This will be posted in a couple other tribes that some of you might be members of. :-)

posted in Aware Mothers - 4 replies

Origins of Love and Violence

2008-09-13T20:46:09Z

Jim Prescott is a visionary scientist
check him out

http://ttfuture.org/services/visionaries/Jprescott/

primary archive: http://violence.de

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

Here is something we can do to make ourselves heard!

2008-09-13T20:14:19Z

Hi,
Here is something we can do to make ourselves heard!

Something we can do:
A letter from Jane Brody, NY Times:

Dear Friends: Below is a missive of great import to the future of our
country. I do hope you'll read it thru to the end and follow thru.
Ourselves, our children and our grandchildren will pay the price if this
election should turn out wrong.
Thanks, Jane Brody Engquist

On behalf of my brilliant colleagues Lyra Kilston and Quinn
Latimer, editors at the esteemed art magazine Modern Painters, I pass on the
following--

Friends, compatriots, fellow-lamenters,

We are writing to you because of the fury and dread we have felt since the
announcement of Sarah Palin as the Vice-Presidential candidate for the
Republican Party. We believe that this terrible decision has surpassed mere
partisanship, and that it is a dangerous farceon the part of a pandering and
rudderless Presidential candidatethat has a real possibility of becoming
fact.

Perhaps like us, as American women, you share the fear of what Ms. Palin
and her professed beliefs and proven record could lead to for ourselves and
for our present or future daughters. To date, she is against sex education,
birth control, the pro-choice platform, environmental protection,
alternative energy development, freedom of speech (as mayor she wanted to
ban books and attempted to fire the librarian who stood against her), gun
control, the separation of church and state, and polar bears. To say nothing
of her complete lack of real preparation to become the second-most-powerful
person on the planet.

We want to clarify that we are not against Sarah Palin as a woman, a
mother, or, for that matter, a parent of a pregnant teenager, but solely as
a rash, incompetent, and all together devastating choice for Vice President.
Ms. Palin's political views are in every way a slap in the face to the
accomplishments that our mothers and grandmothers and great-grandmothers so
fiercely fought for, and that we've so demonstrably benefited from.

First and foremost, Ms. Palin does not represent us. She does not
demonstrate or uphold our interests as American women. It is presumed that
the inclusion of a woman on the Republican ticket could win over women
voters. We want to disagree, publicly.

Therefore, we invite you to reply here ...
womensaynopalin@gmail.com
.. with a short, succinct message about why you, as a woman living in this
country, do not support this candidate as second-in-command for our nation.

Please include your name (last initial is fine), age, and place of
residence.

We will post your responses on a blog called "Women Against Sarah
Palin," which we intend to publicize as widely as possible. Please send us your
reply at your earliest conveniencethe greater the volume of responses we
receive, the stronger our message will be.

Thank you for your time and action.
VIVA!

Sincerely,

Quinn Latimer and Lyra Kilston
New York, NY
womensaynopalin@gmail.com

**PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY! If you send this to 20 women in the next hour,
you could be blessed with a country that takes your concerns seriously.
Stranger things have happened.

posted in Aware Mothers - 3 replies

co-sleepers

2008-09-13T06:34:08Z

In your experience, whats beter: A) a 3-sided bassinet that sits along side the bed, or a snuggle nest style co-sleeper that lays on the mattress in between mom and dad. Which one is easier for breast feeding in the middle of the night?

posted in Aware Mothers - 12 replies

ppd skin test

2008-09-01T02:42:12Z

have any of you heard of any dangers of ppd skin tests? just curious. i was pretty opposed to it, but figured it could not be a harmful as vaccine & had my son take it for school. ...just to find out that they scheduled it wrong & wanted him to come back in 2 weeks, so that he can retake the test.

i've been pretty emotional about the whole vaccine issues & have been stressed over some other issues & when they told me that he had to retake the test, i LOST it!

i got the situation figured out, so he won't have to retake the test,...but the fact that they did this to 20 kids today, made me so upset!

i always has such a bad experiences at clinics...most of the times, ready to break down in tears or ... on a verge to strangle the dr's!

...in search of the right care for my children

posted in Aware Mothers - 3 replies

You know you were raised by hippies when...

2008-08-31T05:22:41Z

You know you were raised by hippies when...

* Your name is Sensamailia, Spitfire, Rainbow, Coriander, Aster, Peach Fuzz, or the like.
* As a child, a nutritious after school snack consisted of your parents "stems and seeds" found on a tray on the living room table.
* the jungle of house plants, next to the television, served not only as a good hiding place for hide and seek when you were a kid, but they smelled nice too, especially when they were cut and hung to dry.
* when your parents tried to rid you of lice the "natural way," and none of the herbal remedies worked, they decided that the next best choice was to shave your head... which within it's self is fine, but the photos of you running bare ass naked and completely balled, resembling one of the aliens from Close Encounters, is a keepsake that's been shared with company one too many times!
* instead of time outs or spankings, your punishment for missbehaving as a child was to do yoga poses and excercise out the "negative energy"

Okay folks.... add to the list... when I thinnk of more I will post them. This should be fun!

posted in Aware Mothers - 24 replies

why do some natural birth intentions move on to a c-section?

2008-08-31T02:06:44Z

hi, i'm new here... and newly pregnant... just 3 1/2 weeks!! just found out!!

well, i have a question, because i hear about it every once in awhile...

women who have planned a home birth or water birth, are very healthy, well-read on the subject, fairly empowered women, etc... and then the labor goes on too long and they go to the hospital and end up with a c-section. I mean, it's a blessing everybody is healthy in the end... but certainly not the intended outcome!!

so... wondering if anyone has any ideas why this might happen? sure, it seems "that's just the way it goes sometimes," but i was thinking perhaps maybe being too attached to a particular outcome may force a completely different outcome?? or one woman i know had her mother and sister with her... i don't know the details of their relationship, but perhaps that caused some inhibitions ultimately??

any ideas or experiences about this? it's very interesting...

posted in Aware Mothers - 38 replies

E/C Babies (elimination communication) is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-08-28T23:50:44Z

Okay, my son is 9 months old and he went pee pee on the potty 8 times yesterday and went poop this morning.
i went to an e/c meeting just 2 days ago. i got my baby a baby bjorn potty and it is great. it is contoured so he can sit by himself in it and it even has a little splash guard. the first time this worked was after a nap (all babies need to go after a nap) i sat him on the potty and he peed. it was so awesome. i was so proud of him. since then, ive been watching for signals from him etc. we arent catching every pee, but most!

most people start babies from birth...i thought it was maybe too late but its not! youve gotta try this!

posted in Aware Mothers - 23 replies

Online Conscious Birth Class

2008-08-21T10:43:00Z

The Co-Creative Birthing Circle: Online Multi-media Natural Childbirth Education for Parents
at the Maia Institute of Co-Creative Healing
www.maiainstitute.com

Comprehensive conscious birthing preparation with seven class modules, extensive articles, 40+ videos, 150+ links and resources, Birth Stories, the Mamatoto Cookbook, Birth Humor, and the Birth Circle Discussion Forum!

The Co-Creative Birthing Circle Facilitator Class is coming soon for birth professionals and advocates!

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

Aware Motherering 101

2008-08-20T23:45:16Z

Ok, I want to become an aware mother. Good first step I think is setting my intentions.
So , aware mothers , How do I do it? What are the ways you starting becoming an aware mother? Was it something you starting after having children or before?
I'm thinking that some of my fears are that I may pass on some of my self-criticalness, or self-shame to my kids. How do I not do that?
Obvisously there is a lot to it. But where are some good places to start?

posted in Aware Mothers - 4 replies

Toxic Pajamas

2008-08-13T05:36:34Z

I never even thought of this until I dressed my daughter in her new pajamas we got from the store. I went to give her a hug and kiss goodnight, breathed in her yummy baby smell, and got a wiff of some chemicals...

...what could that be? I wondered. Then I remembered the flame retardants, and did some research.

Checkout this page:
http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/ask/pajamas2

....We just thought the pajamas were cute, but now we know better!

posted in Aware Mothers - 11 replies

a good site for mothers...

2008-08-08T06:25:33Z

There is some really informative helpful natural information here for all sorts of womanly things...

www.susunweed.com

For preparation into motherhood and also for embracing the crone...

posted in Aware Mothers - 3 replies

2 Yr old melodrama

2008-08-05T06:54:54Z

My daughter is 26 months old, and the last month or two have been really difficult. I'm kind of worried about how angry she gets sometimes, and I'm wondering if anyone else is experiencing this. I know she has just figured out that she's her own person, and she wants to control her world, and there's frustration because she isn't fully verbal yet. Is a lot of anger normal at this age? I'm wondering if she's getting molars because she's been super melodramatic and just crying over everything. I want her to know it's okay to feel her feelings and be frustrated and angry, but I also don't want to set up bad communication- as in- I cry therefore I get what i want. I'm curious as to how other parents are coping. I've tried timeout, and I think that it really does more harm than good with some kids. She just cries, but it's a sort of crying like she thinks she's a fully unloveable littler person. She puts her head down and won't look at me. And then when I come to get her and try to hug her she gets angry and yells and stomps off. I'm feeling super frustrated myself. Especially because she is really jealous of me at this time, and gets inbetween me and my husband whenever she can. And it's not like she's at an age where I can reason with her over anything whatsoever. What do you do?

posted in Aware Mothers - 21 replies

Teen Odors

2008-08-02T12:17:14Z

I have a teen who's BO is to the point of unbearable.

The problem I am having is that
1. She has only come to live with us in the last few months. So, trying bring up a subject like this is difficult for both myself and her father.
2. What can we do to remedy this? My teen has offered her sister deodorant as she was putting some on and she had declined. She can take a shower in the morning and a few hours later she has that odor again.

We are about to start a cross country road trip and we will be in the van with her for 8 hours a day. If we get a hotel room none of her sisters will share a bed with her and that makes sleeping arrangements hard.

Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions will ever so helpful.

Peace and Grace

posted in Aware Mothers - 13 replies

sick partner

2008-07-29T22:48:23Z

the thread on when the mothercup is empty got me thinking.

the best answer i had was seek help in care of papa.

the baby is not born yet. not for another 2 months.

but papa is so sick.

i wonder how to handle full time care of a baby and and adult. i kind of don't think i'm going to make it.

has anyone else been through this?

posted in Aware Mothers - 5 replies

I have to get a chicken pox booster!

2008-07-29T21:31:55Z

My test results have shown that I never had chicken pox ( and I worked in schools for 7 years!) and my gyn warns that if I dont get the shot, and I get chicken pox while pregnant ( I am trying to concieve) that I could die...

how often does that happen in the 21st century in America? I work with small kids, so there is a possibility I could be exposed at work... but I dont like the idea of imunizations...

so, anyone have any info about this?

posted in Aware Mothers - 2 replies

how to get him to drink from a babycup?

2008-07-29T02:10:49Z

Hi, I hope anyone here knows what I am talking about and has some good ideas for me. My little man (7 months) refuses to take a bottle or a training cup for babes.... He drinks out of bottles that are ment for bikers or out of a normal cup for adults. But of course when we go out this is not that easy. I nurse him and want to keep on nursing, so he has this option, too. But I am wondering if there isn't a way or a trick to get him to use a babycup?

posted in Aware Mothers - 10 replies

plant a tree for a dollar

2008-07-25T16:21:54Z

plant lots of trees! www.plantabillion.org

come on mamas! let's help our babies' world COOL DOWN and be a healthy safe place for them!

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

Time for Self Love?

2008-07-21T21:29:43Z

Hola Lovely Mamas (and some Papas too).

For the last year I have been teaching this wonderful class on Self Love. Originally it was something I had intended for mothers in particular because as a mother myself, I found that Self Love has been a key component to staying healthy, whole and sometimes just staying sane. If I start to slide on taking care of myself, then my parenting starts to slide too. And although the class participants now include people from all walks of life, I have realized recently that I really enjoy working with and still feel very called to reach out to other mothers. So hopefully some of you who live here in Los Angeles will feel called to join in and take part of what could be my last class here ( I am mostly likely moving to Portland at the end of summer and will be teaching there).

Here is the information:

LIVING LIFE FROM CENTER

The intention of this class is to bring centering and healing into your life through the radical act of SELF LOVE. Often we go through our lives without fully realizing how often we are living through the lens of Self Hate. We are so used to depreciating our own value that we don't even see that we are doing it. And when we slide into Self Hate, we often slide into situations in our lives that cause further chaos and perpetuate the feelings of loneliness, abandonment, desperation, being scared or being less than the perfect people we would like to be. Through bringing SELF LOVE into your life you can begin to see another path. A path that is aligned with feeling joy, completeness, trust, support and appreciation, in short feeling like you are in Love with life and with yourself.

This is a 12 week class where we will use reading, journaling, guided meditation, drawing, discussion, self expression, movement and sounding to uncover the person inside of us who truly is Lovable and worthy of Love.

Details:

Monday nights from 7 - 10 pm for 12 weeks beginning on June 2nd.

Price: email me or call me to discuss.

It is my great honor and joy to be on this path in myself and to be able to hold space for others on their own personal journey of Self Love.

May the road ahead of you be filled with Ecstatic Fulfillment.

Heather Schwarz
heather@birthingspirit.com
www.birthingspirit.com/journeys (blog)

posted in Aware Mothers - 2 replies

when the mothercup is empty...

2008-07-21T00:16:20Z

...how do other mothers fill theirs? I have ways of my own but I'm hoping to find some fresh new ideas and support.
Many Blessings,
Jessie

posted in Aware Mothers - 6 replies

Tears question

2008-07-16T14:38:46Z

Hi all! Just checking in to see how everyone is doing--it has been a long time, and I see lots of new (cute) faces!

I have a quick question--I've noticed that after Kiran cries, his tears leave white tracks around his eyes, like salt residue. Have you noticed this as well? I've always noticed but never gave it any thought until his doctor mentioned wanting to test him for Cystic Fibrosis due to his failure to gain much weight. So of course, I'm totally freaking out and losing sleep over this test and wondering if I'm over-reacting. Any data points would be very much appreciated.

posted in Aware Mothers - 1 reply

Julia's Tree, or the Growth that Happens (Hopefully not OT entirely)

2008-07-08T03:00:17Z

So I don't always post regularly...In fact it's been a ridiculously busy lately. This might sound silly, but I thought maybe you guys could put it all in perspective (as you are mothers :)

I am an artist...and I posted the relevant picture in the picture section...

So I am having an issue.

I miss this piece (ain't much to look at, but it is so sentimental...) I made it with tape on the door of the washer/drier area of the rental property I just recently vacated. I wish I had taken it with me, as the next tenants will have no use at all for it - or it will be destroyed as they make the place ready for them. I suppose it was time constraints mostly...we had much to do in relatively little time..and well, [OhGoshDarn!!] I felt that it would be good to leave it and move on to the next, but golly, I should have taken it :( It really means so much to me - the creation process spanned the difficulty my child's birth and the following months. It's growth - even growth for all of us in my mini family - and well, maybe only I understand it - but that's why I am wishing I had torn it out and kept it.

So how do you guys deal with things of that nature?

Ouch, I hurt about it :(

posted in Aware Mothers - 5 replies

Boosting a child's Immune System

2008-07-06T03:06:22Z

My 8 year old son seems healthy. He eats amazing food, would rather be outside than in, and knows his body well....(sleeps 8-12 hours a night, stretches to keep his muscles healthy, knows why he needs to drink lots of water and always wears his sunblock) He's great! However, he gets sick alot! Colds, sore throat, fevers, coughs that seem to go on forever. I need to find ways that I can boost his immune system. He has daily vitamins, emergen-c, and he'll even drink Noni juice and wheatgrass whenever I give it to him. Does anyone have any suggestions, what am I missing in his diet that can keep these colds and flues away?

posted in Aware Mothers - 4 replies

hero bags

2008-07-05T08:08:07Z

found on flyer slipped under my shop door this afternoon : www.herobags.com

posted in Aware Mothers - 7 replies

Tetanus Vaccine without Pertussus

2008-06-24T02:55:47Z

Hi all. So, I have scheduled a Dr. appointment for my son, for tomorrow, to check into getting the Diptheria/tetanus shot, without Pertussus included. He has only had one vaccine in his life (he's 3 1/2). It was DTaP...and he has an extreme reaction. Thank goodness he's okay now, but it was scary.
So, anyhow....he's a farm kid, and I think he should have the tetanus round...if nothing else. Does anyone else have experience with the DT vaccine? Recommendations? Information? Thanks and Blessings.

posted in Aware Mothers - 32 replies

birth petition

2008-06-23T14:33:29Z

Tell your legislators to just say NO to the AMA. Mothers and their own caregivers don't need to be forced to birth how and where the AMA says:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/birthathome/index.html

posted in Aware Mothers - 1 reply

Is this a private tribe?

2008-06-12T18:15:26Z

Or is it public? I have questions to ask but dont want to post them publically for anyone.

THanks!

posted in Aware Mothers - 3 replies

Info about vaccination bill in NYS

2008-06-07T02:38:33Z

I just received this e-mail from my homeopath originally from the New York Center for Homeopathy.
---
Hello all....
This is for real and requires your immediate response. Please send this to anyone you know, especially in NY State, and make the calls today - time is of the essence as this bill (below) has been fast-tracked and we only have until June 10th, 2008!!! If you know anyone else who is opposed to mandatory vaccinations please send them this. If they live outside of New York just tell the representative that you live in the State or use a family member's address in NY - if this law passes in NY it will be your state next as NY is a bellweather state for these kinds of bills!

I called both offices. It takes literally two seconds. Just tell them you are calling about the vaccine bill.. and say you are opposed to
Assembly Bill 10942 and in favor of A5468/S3031.
Governor David Paterson (518) 474-8390
Speaker Sheldon Silver (518) 455-3791

Call Today to Stop Worst Vaccine Bill Ever in New York
<http://capwiz.com/a-champ/issues/alert/?alertid=11428606&queueid=2027235116

Take Action!

ALL FEDERAL SHOTS WILL BECOME MANDATORY

Act now to stop the worst vaccine law ever proposed in New York since the invention of the mandatory schedule. Assembly Bill 10942 would make all vaccines recommended by the CDC mandatory for all children to attend
school and, and for the first time vaccines would become mandatory for infants
and toddlers.

The bill was introduced in Rules Committee at the request of Richard Daines, the Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health. The Rules Committee in the personal committee of the Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver
(D-Manhattan).

A-CHAMP is calling for rejection of this bill and is demanding the passage of A5468/S3031, a bill that would give individuals a right to a
philosophical exemption from vaccine mandates. This is no time to transfer vaccine decisions away from individuals and elected officials answerable to the voters and give it to obscure bureaucrats with financial ties to the vaccine industry.

Here are a few features of the proposed bill:
* Our elected New York representatives would no longer determine the
mandatory schedule of vaccines to attend school; decisions made by the
federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices would automatically
become mandatory.

* All children, infants and toddlers included, in New York would be
required to get all vaccines recommended by the ACIP according to the ACIP
schedule

* All children in New York up to age 18 would be required to get annual
flu shots.

* All girls in New York would be required to get a human papilloma
virus
shot.

* All junior high school children and college students would be
required
to get meningococcal shots.

* Doctors would be required to issue certificates for every shot given
and parents would be required to maintain the records and provide them to
school and other authorities.

* The rules committee claims that the new laws would have no fiscal
impact on the state despite the necessity of the state to spend tens of
millions on purchasing new vaccines, a vast increase in mandatory record
keeping and enforcement for schools, and a huge increase that could be
expected in the number of cases of neurological damage, Guillian Barré
syndrome and other vaccine-caused injuries.

We only have a few weeks to defeat this bill. Let your Assemblymember and State Senator know immediately that a vote for this bill guarantees that you will do everything you can to get them un-elected. In addition to emailing and calling your local representatives, please call Speaker Sheldon Silver and let his staff know, politely, that this is a disastrous idea. While
you are at it please call Governor David Paterson and let his staff know, politely, that this is a horrible law.

Governor David Paterson (518) 474-8390
Speaker Sheldon Silver (518) 455-3791

posted in Aware Mothers - 3 replies

i am freaking out

2008-05-25T20:29:28Z

my son showed me a lump on his neck tonight
it is round and hard and moves, he says when i feel it it hurts a little....
it is sat. i can't talk to a doc until tues.....my husband isn't home to hear me and comfort my worries......
maybe i am over reacting, but maybe not! i am freaking out...

posted in Aware Mothers - 3 replies

A mom's poignant story.

2008-05-22T11:50:38Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQW23XCmOCw

This is especially outrageous, when you consider that, the latest studies show that SSRI drugs work for only a very small percent of people.

http://theeffexoractivist.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2296

This mom is not the only one, by far.

www.ssristories.com/index.php

posted in Aware Mothers - 5 replies

consequences/discipline

2008-05-22T04:15:53Z

how do you teach your children in regards to behaviour that is not acceptable?

posted in Aware Mothers - 2 replies

Just out of curiousity...

2008-05-20T20:23:29Z

I have met many women that have said that they knew 100% when they conceived because they physicaly felt "different" in their bellies directly after love making or within 24 hours of the act. I have know all three times without question! I am curiouse as to how many women actually have this phenomenon... please respond... I think it would be interesting to start a pole.
T

posted in Aware Mothers - 9 replies

new kids' and maternity clothing swap tribe with a conscience

2008-05-13T03:30:11Z

http://tribes.tribe.net/8ff21aaa-f269-4bab-afce-01ff02729189

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

Doctor's advice...

2008-05-12T21:27:48Z

Hi all,
I'm new to this tribe, my son Kiran is 14 months old. We just moved to Concord (CA) and I found a new pediatrician who I thought would be fine, but boy was I wrong. Because he was only 18 pounds just after a year, she seemed pretty alarmed and wanted to run all kinds of tests. I resisted and told her that I thought it was just because of his genetics (his daddy and I are both underweight). She disagreed and had me come back every three weeks and see a physical therapist to teach him how to eat more without my help. He has since learned to self-feed and she still isn't happy, as he only gained a few ounces. I really don't see a problem--he is proportionate to his height, and has tons of energy. I was the same size at his age and have struggled all my life to gain weight.

So--do any of you have recommendations for some good, supportive pediatricians in Concord/Walnut Creek/Pleasant Hill? I'd love to take him to a homeopath for his well-checks, but insurance doesn't cover that and we're on a tight budget. She also strongly recommended that I stop nursing him because he is a year old. Umm...WOW. That's when I knew I had to switch doctors.

posted in Aware Mothers - 7 replies

Question

2008-05-09T13:37:34Z

Hi Moms, I'm not sure if this the right tribe to ask this question. We have been trying to conceive, last night I bled during our Mommy and Daddy private time. I have never bled from intercourse. I am rather concerned, is it old age, might I be pregnant? I am not longer bleeding now.

Any help, ideas, info would be greatly appreciated.

posted in Aware Mothers - 3 replies

From One Mother To Another

2008-05-07T06:42:12Z

Hello,

I recently started a non profit with my sister. We just launched our web site is www.from1mother2another.com. I would love any feedback!

posted in Aware Mothers - 6 replies

Disfunctional Sleeping Situation.... please help!

2008-05-06T17:34:00Z

Well, maybe disfunctional is a bit harsh but here is the situation. My daughter Nola and I co sleep. She is 2 years old and we are weaning breastfeeding right now. My husband sleeps on the couch most nights and this is fine (he snores and stays up really late). My milk supply has decreased to the point were I am barely producing milk but at night when she wants to nurse both her and I find ourselves frustrated. So when she fusses then Papa comes and takes her to the couch and she snuggles with him until she falls back asleep and then he puts her back in bed with me.

I guess my problem is the fact that I am getting so frustrated when she wants to nurse and I know there is no milk flowing and then it really starts to hurt my breast/nipple. And to make things even more difficult we are moving in a couple of weeks and Papa will not be with us for 3 weeks. So I am having anxiety already that she and I are not going to get good sleep for those 3 weeks. My question I guess is, do I stop weaning until we are settled after the move and hope that my millk supply increases? Are there other mamas out there that let there children nurse when they know they are not getting any milk? Any advise suggestion is much appreciated

posted in Aware Mothers - 6 replies

Doula Training

2008-04-25T08:53:01Z

Hi all. Kara Spencer is teaching a class in Bend Oregon, a doula training.
If you know anyone who would be interested please pass the information on.

Birth Arts International Doula Workshop
Bend Birth Center
Bend, Oregon
May 2, 3 & 4, 2008
Email: kara@birtharts.com
Phone: 541-520-0681
Fee: $350
Contact Kara Spencer to Register

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

Are pappies welcomed here?

2008-04-22T10:55:16Z

I got a nice welcoming at the post pardom Mommas tribe upon a momma inviting me there, they even changed the title to post pardon mommas and pappas..and there where alot of mommas very delighted to have a few dads, including myself..

or so I thought..

Next day I get kicked out cold turkey.
Apparently there was secret talks that i was not welcomed by a few Mommas that apparently disliked me from an unique clash I had in the Extreme Honesty Tribe, where alot of sharp elbows hang out (several mommas and many more feel the same as I do about the Extreme honesty tribe). I can see how they might not like me based on that unique experience..although I was at worse annoying never disrespectful...and hardly communicated with them...i was surpriced at how strongly they felt about me.

So they expelled me cold turkey. Imagine getting excluded like this after a warm reception?

I would like to know if I am welcomed, as a Dad, to this tribe.. or should I best leave before some of these same momma's organize a secret extradition?

I am just concerned that if I am expelled here, I will have a hard time dismissing these experiences whenever I ran across moms groups.

I hope you can empathize with my situation here.

I conside myself a compassionate person.. aware parenthood is something I inspire and am In many respects. I am a dad of two twin girls (1 month old).

From where I come from, I am neither only a male, or only a female, I am neither and I am both--it's a vajrayana buddhist thing. This is why I feel fine being in groups such as this.

So I would kindly ask you: Am I welcomed as a Dad, as a human, here?

posted in Aware Mothers - 27 replies

help, advice needed

2008-04-20T23:47:43Z

Hi everyone

I have been a lurking member here for a long time, but have never posted. I am just wondering if I can get some feedback and advice (okay maybe just some commiseration) about this situation.

My 7 year old son Terran has been spending the school year with his dad in Toronto, a 5 hour flight from where I live in Victoria, BC. This basically happened because I was going through a lot of difficulties with Terran's behaviour and with my new partner and I made the mistake of asking his dad if he wanted to have Terran go there for a year in the midst of an emotional meltdown. I pretty much backtracked right away and told him I thought it was a bad idea, but he started threatening me with court and I didn't want a big battle so I let him go. To make sure it was only a year, I drew up a consent order for the court stating that this was an extended visit and that nothing in the agreement would change the fact that terran's primary residence was with me. His dad was supposed to sign it and send it back for me to file with the court, but instead, he sent me a scanned emailed copy and kept stalling on sending me the hard copy. By then Terran was already out there, so there wasn't much I could do, so finally I got a lawyer to make sure he sticks to the agreement.

Anyway, in the meantime, my partner and I decided it was time to start trying for a baby, only we were too good at it and got pregnant the first try (we figured since we were on birth control, it would take a while to work. Apparently not). This means that the baby is due about two weeks before Terran is supposed to come home from his dad's and his dad is refusing to agree to send him home early to be there for the birth. I am so worried that if he doesn't come back before the baby and have some time to get settled in and some one on one time with me, he will be totally fucked up about the whole thing. This stupid year away has already been so hard on him (and me) already and his dad has made it impossible by not answering phone calls and being super restrictive about when Terran can talk to me, if I can get ahold of him at all. I think being there for the birth of his first and maybe only sibling is way, WAY more important than being there for the last two weeks of school. I mean really, how many of us remember the last day of grade 2, compared to the birth of a sibling if we were old enough to remember?

Anyway, what I guess would help is any research that could support my argument, a referall to any kind of expert either on parenting, child development, attachment theory or education who could write a letter of support, or just some good old fashioned emotional support. This man has made my life hell since I made the unfortunate mistake of procreating with him (actually the mistake wasn't the procreating, it was the letting him have anything to do with the product of that procreation afterward). I have tried to make sure that Terran has a good relationship with his dad, but it has just ended up being endless bullshit since the beginning. I really want to have patience and understanding, I hate having all this negative energy in me, especially while I am pregnant, but it is just such a crap ass situation, I can't help it. Anyway, thanks for the space to vent, and thanks for all the great, informative posts on other topics.

posted in Aware Mothers - 13 replies

The Underground History of American Education

2008-04-09T17:24:50Z

I just posted this same link in another discussion here, but wanted to give it its own headline so please forgive the double post. I am really excited to have found this entire book available online! This is a really radical look at education by a former school teacher, worth thinking about in my opinion. I am linking to a part of the prologue that kind of sums it up but if you click on Table of Contents you'll find the whole amazing book.

http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/underground/prologue2.htm

posted in Aware Mothers - 3 replies

The Feds concede vaccine-autism case in court

2008-04-08T22:48:39Z

The first domino????

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/government-concedes-vacci_b_88323.html

posted in Aware Mothers - 8 replies

Support a Family Healing Arts Center!

2008-04-07T08:34:10Z

I am writing to ask you to please help me to manifest my dream of creating a family healing arts center with massage, craniosacral therapy, chiropractic, midwifery, and workshops for the whole family, including infants and pregnancy.

Please vote for my hoopdancing video "Gemini Hoops" at Clipstar.com and help me to win $10,000! I am currently in 2nd place and need your help to win this contest so as to fund my dream healing arts center for pregnancy, babies, children, and adults.

http://www.clipstar.com/videopage.jsf?video=9_7002_159

I am a healing arts practitioner with 10 years experience as a massage therapist, doula, craniosacral therapist, birth educator, hoopdancer, teacher, writer, and mama...please support this project by voting for my video and sharing this with your friends! I have a space lined up, and practitioners prepared to share the office.

I am working diligently to manifest this contest as well as a microbusiness grant that will fruit next year to help the center grow. However, the space may be opening sooner than previously expected and I'm hoping to win this contest to transition this summer into the healing arts center!

Thanks!

Blessings, Kara

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

Omega-3 for kids

2008-04-05T03:13:41Z

Is anyone giving supplements to their kids? My son is 3 and I want to start him on omega-3s (or essential fatty acids). I took DHA/EPA when I was preganant and nursing and want to continue now that he is of "supplement" age.

Thanks,
karen

posted in Aware Mothers - 11 replies

Surgery

2008-04-02T18:41:34Z

So, my littlest one will be having surgery in May. It is an out patient thing and she will only miss two days of school. I guess I'm not really asking any questions, just venting, sharing, worrying. She had a "pit" on the side of her ear, a hole that never sealed in utero. She as she gets older it fills and becomes infected more and more often. As a baby I had put a warm compress on it and squeezed the ick out. Well, the last time she was in so much pain that she cried out in her sleep.

Yep, just venting, worrying and such....

posted in Aware Mothers - 7 replies

here are some great web links

2008-03-25T16:41:10Z

on compassionate parentin--alternative parenting--fostering creativity in children--natural family living--

I found it on a website for Waldorf toys
http://www.threesisterstoys.com/t-resources.aspx

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

Homeschooling setback in CA

2008-03-18T03:13:00Z

This is horrible! Although I am a big advocate of the public school system, I believe that every parent has the right to be able to teach their own children at home. Please read:

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/07/MNJDVF0F1.DTL

posted in Aware Mothers - 5 replies

Teaching your children

2008-03-12T03:03:25Z

My 3 year old came up to me and asked "Mommy how do you make your numbers?"

I was so excited! He wants to learn! We drew numbers on the chalk board, and he erased them. Later this weekend he identified the number one in a book "that's one"-- so we are making connections.

I am really interested in learning how to teach math principles. Any good ideas? Any good ideas on teaching how to make numbers too?

posted in Aware Mothers - 5 replies

Listen to the children

2008-03-10T17:48:46Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZwyiy90X2I&feature=related

Anyone else entrusted with children like this?

posted in Aware Mothers - 1 reply

Crystal children and autism

2008-03-10T17:20:22Z

http://www.thecrystalchildren.com/crystal.html

posted in Aware Mothers - 1 reply

If my last post has to many links

2008-03-10T05:21:11Z

Some times I over welme people with to many links.

At the very least please see this one. It is important.

One moms personal story.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQW23XCmOCw

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

What do you think should be done?

2008-03-10T05:14:34Z

It took a freedom of information act to expose the truth. The drug makers have been hiding the negitive studies.
http://www.counterpunch.org/cox01272008.html

Now a new Study: AntiDepressants Work No Better Than Placebos for the vast majority of depressed people.
http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0050045

The drug makers have been out right lying about the efficacy of antidepressants.They have been caught red handed.

For the majority of people, the drugs are no better then snake oil.

If the only problem was that, the drug is a placebo for the vast majority people who have been given it, I would not care.

But it is far from the only problem!

The Physicians' Desk Reference lists the following adverse reactions (side effects) to antidepressants among a host of other physical and neuropsychiatric effects: manic reaction (mania, e.g. kleptomania, pyromania, dipsomania), emotional lability (or instability), abnormal thinking, alcohol abuse, hallucinations, hostility, lack of emotion, paranoid reaction, amnesia, confusion, agitation, delirum, delusions, hysteria, psychosis, sleep disorders, abnormal dreams, and discontinuation (withdrawal) syndrome. Adverse reactions are especially likely when starting or discontinuing the drug, increasing or lowering the dose or when switching from one SSRI to another SSRI. Adverse reactions are often diagnosed as bipolar disorder when the symptoms could be entirely iatrogenic (treatment induced). Withdrawal, especially abrupt withdrawal, from any of these medications can also cause severe neuropsychiatric and physical symptoms. It is important to withdraw extremely slowly from these drugs, usually over a period of a year or more, under the supervision of a qualified and experienced specialist.

In addition to the adverse reactions listed in the Physicians' Desk Reference, the FDA published a Public Health Advisory on March 22, 2004 which states (in part): "Anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, impulsivity, akathisia (severe restlessness), hypomania, and mania have been reported in adult and pediatric patients being treated with antidepressants for major depressive disorder as well as for other indications, both psychiatric and nonpsychiatric."

The vast majority of school and other recent massacres have involved people going on or coming off these drugs.

Many otherwise loving parents have killed their own children wile going on or coming off these drugs.

This website is a collection of 2100+ news stories with the full media article available,
http://www.ssristories.com

I have personally witnessed some who who became scary psychotic and violent wile in withdrawal. Someone who is normally highly intelligent, gentle, kind and loving. This is a person I dearly love.

For some people the often horrendous withdrawal effects last for years after quitting.

Withdrawal effects such as Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempts, Homicidal thoughts or urges, Chest pain, racing heart, Auditory hallucinations, Visual hallucinations, Disequilibrium, Serious Headache, Numbness, burning, Electric zap-like sensations in the brain, Electric shock-like sensations in the body, Abnormal visual sensations, Spasms in the eyes, Loud ringing or other noises in the ears, Abnormal smells or tastes, Drooling, Slurred speech, Blurred vision, Muscle cramps, stiffness, twitches and much more. Most people describe it as hell.

Frequency of withdrawal reactions
Antidepressant______halflife_______Frequency of withdrawal reactions

Effexor____________5 hours_____________78%
Paxil_____________21 hours_____________66%
Zoloft____________26 hours_____________60%
Prozac___________4-6 days_____________14%

People can become completely incapacitated by SSRI withdrawal.
Reference: “The Antidepressant Solution” by Joseph Glenmullen, M.D.

Suicide, homicide, nightmare side effects all for a drug that is little more then snake oil for the majority of people.

FDA Testimonials - Suicide, Violence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdkFasjSJ_g&feature=related

One moms personal story.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQW23XCmOCw

In Memoriam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isPtIloi_0E&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni0lK4Na6VY&feature=related

What do you think should be done?

Should the drug industry be held responsible for their betrayal of the American people?

community.webshots.com/user/e...ctivist

This is my art site with lots posters on the subject.

You can learn lots more about corruption in the drug industry here.
theeffexoractivist.org

Thank you for reading this far.

posted in Aware Mothers - 0 replies

an interesting site

2008-03-10T05:04:20Z

I hope i am not breaking any spam rules or the like with this posting!

Hi all,

I have come across a great website on my travels and thought i would share it with you.

Qassia is an intelligence sharing website that rewards you for the intelligence ( intel ) you share by directing traffic flow to your website/websites.

They ( the Qassia team) are in the very early stages of building their data banks and NOW is the time to get yourself in there and start sharing all that knowledge that you and you alone have expertise in.

They are searching for all sorts of intel and unlike Wikipaedia and other intelligence sharing websites, YOU are the only one allowed to edit your information.

ALL intel you add to the site earns you points AND provides a direct access link back to the website of your choice.

It is being envisioned that this sight will eventually outgrow the other major intel sites.

As I mentioned, this site is in its early stages and basically, all you can do at this stage is sign up, start entering your intel, start screening other peoples intel for points and start wracking up your points.

The point is that ALL of us are very good at SOMETHING or know a lot about SOMETHING and that is what Qassia is looking for.

It is well worth looking at as a means to generate business and to get your knowledge out there.

I have included a link to my profile page and if you wish, you can sign up from there.

I think it is worth looking into- even in these early stages, it has generated a large amount of traffic through my weblog and the publishing process is simple.

blessed be, Lisa x
http://lisab.qassia.com

posted in Aware Mothers - 1 reply

Is 15 months too soon to start toilet training?

2008-03-03T15:39:49Z

My daughter is 15 months old, and can talk, feed herself, walk all over, says "No" and is EXTREMELY independant. She has to brush her own teeth, and needs to have some control in her daily doings. She has sat on the potty all by herself clothed, but I have never even tried to get her to "go" there yet.

My sweetie says it's too soon, and I have another friend who knows a woman who's son was trained by 1 year. (That seems extreme to me, but this is my first time around this block..as it were).

Any suggestions? Other signs I should look for? I should mention, we both work full-time, long hours, so our home time is quite precious and I don't want to spend it argueing with her or him over what time and how often she should be going to the bathroom like a big girl, but at the same time, I don't want her to wait too long either.

Thanks for any input!

posted in Aware Mothers - 16 replies

persistent drooling

2008-03-01T14:23:01Z

I have an almost 5 year old who still drools quite a bit. I know this can be associated with very large adnoids/tonsils of which he has both. They are VERY large and being watched by an ENT, but we are trying to avoid an unnecessary surgery if at all possible. Has anyone else had to deal with this problem? I worry that my son will enter Kindergarten next year still drooling on his papers and possibly get teased.
thanks!

posted in Aware Mothers - 4 replies

A gentle reminder from your moderator

2008-02-29T19:22:50Z

Hi everyone! As I've said in the past, I'm not always active on this tribe as I trust all of you to be loving and supportive of each other as mothers, womens and humans. I am always grateful when things are brought to my attention in terms of improper use of the boards or inappropriate ads or posts. That being said, I also welcome debate and shining light on any subject that pertains to our roles as mothers and women. However, I will delete any post that is aggressive, attacks another member personally or threatens the harmony of our community. Please keep in mind that I will issue a warning to anyone who feels compelled to attack another member of this tribe and will ask that member to leave the tribe if it happens again. I never wanted to take this position as so far these boards have been a haven for so many. I know that controversial subjects can bring up a lot of conflict and emotions, but please try to refrain from attacking and try to understand that there is a human being on the other end of that keyboard who is caring, loving, devoted and seeking knowledge just like you. Love to all and thanks again for making this tribe so strong and supportive!-Alexandra (Taosmom)

posted in Aware Mothers - 3 replies

Any Montessori teachers here?

2008-02-24T14:08:28Z

Or any teachers in alternative schooling?

I have the opportunity to do a teacher training (Montessori ages 3-6) and am interested in hearing feedback from others who have traveled that journey!

xoxo-kt

posted in Aware Mothers - 5 replies