Did you think I wouldn't jump at the chance to rant?

[primroseburrows]

In no particular order, off the top of my head:


1. I think that Americans need a wake-up call about finding alternative sources to energy. We're a country of SUVs and not enough caring that we're destroying our planet with fossil fuels. It would be a hardship, but I'm for Americans paying three or four dollars a gallon for gasoline. Wake up and smell the MBTE, people. And you, Dubya, should be ashamed of yourself.

2. Medical circumcision (graphic link here) is a Bad Thing, unless it's medically necessary (and it's usually NOT). Looking like Daddy or making washing up easier are no excuses for mutilation.

3. I subscribe to the Consistent Life Ethic, which makes me a persona non grata in most political camps, especially among the liberals.

4. Babies should be born at home unless there's a real medical reason for a hospital birth. Statistics continue to show that homebirths are safer.

5. Infant formula should be available by prescription only (this idea isn't really mine, it's patchfire's, but it was so good I stole it). That way a doc can determine if a woman is really unable to lactate properly. Breast pumps should be available free of charge for working moms who need them. I'd pay a tax to make that happen.

6. Marijuana should be legalised, so that the War on Drugs can spend more time and money chasing the cocaine and heroin dealers.

7. George Bush should be impeached. He's violated at least as many laws as Bill Clinton. His violations are worse, because what Clinton did had nothing to do with National Security, and what Bush has done has everything to do with it.

8. Except for people who had family or friends who died in the 9/11 attacks, Americans need to Get Over It, People, and stop using it as a reason to support American invasions and occupations and supression of our civil rights. There are plenty of other countries who have to deal with acts of terrorism every single day.

9. I don't care about Michael Jackson. Listening to/Reading/Watching stories about him and his lunacy is like watching a train wreck. It's interesting for a while, but afterwords just makes you feel awful inside.

10. I like Howard Dean because I like Howard Dean. I'm not "settling" because I don't think some other candidate couldn't get elected. I'm not going to vote for him for any other reason than he's my candidate of choice, and if any other candidate were frontrunner I'd still vote for Dean. I perhaps didn't think this at the beginning of my research, but after reading about his platform and watching the way he's conducted his campaign, he's my guy.


Okay, guys, don't go defriending me all at once, okay?

Comments

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

*borrows patchfire's icon*

Here's a good page with a lot of info on the benefits of breastfeeding.

One of the most important reasons is the antibodies in breastmilk that keep the baby from getting sick early in life. Also, there's a reduced risk of allergies and digestive upsets, it's cheaper, the baby's less likely to get cavities, it's better for the mother, etc. Lots of reasons.

Why forbid it? Because women do it for all the wrong reasons (oh, I can't breastfeed, I work, or, Oh, I can't breastfeed, I don't have enough milk [this is almost NEVER true; when it is, it's because she's probably supplementing breast with bottle and the milk supply is diminished because the baby's not nursing enough]) Also, poor women are apt to overdilute formula to stretch it, which can cause malnutrition. If formula were regulated, women would have to at least try to breastfeed, which would give babies the antibodies they need right after birth. Then the doc and the woman together could decide if there were a real problem.

[avariel-wings.livejournal.com]

In addition to all that, there's some evidence that a certain proportion of cot death cases are directly attributable to the baby being allergic to cow's milk.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't doubt it.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Why forbid it? Because women do it for all the wrong reaso

That sort of worries me, though. Because I do generally think that breastmilk is best and would definitely go for that if I were in the situation, but it seems very scary to not allow parents to feed their children the way they choose if they're not threatening their lives. That just seems like a different issue.

That said, I am of course not about to defriend you over it!:-)

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

You have a point. *g*

I suppose my rant on that is more of a frustrating bit of rhetoric than an actual call to action. But still, I think there are far too many professionals telling women they can't breastfeed for some reason or another, effectively taking away their choice, and undermining their confidence in the natural workings of their own bodies.

[patchfire.livejournal.com]

The sad thing is that, when you're not in a developed country, feeding with formula does endanger the child's life in many cases. A lot of women are approached by formula saleswomen dressed as nurses, the mothers start formula, and then can't afford to keep feeding it to their children, and they dilute it with water. This can happen in low-income areas in developed countries as well, but at least our water isn't contaminated in the same way.

That said, I agree with you in principle. Restricting a parent's rights isn't a good thing. Something like making formula available by prescription would rasie awareness, though.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

Good points as well. Hey, I remember that episode of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman where the baby was killed by formula (I think it was a problem with sterilization with the bottle or something). In general it's kind of awful that people have to fight about this at all--particularly people who have something to somehow gain by how a woman feeds her child, like a company producing formula or baby bottles.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

There's been a boycott of Nestle products for years for this very reason. It's hard to do, though, since Nestle products are so ubiquitous.