When I saw the name of my youngest daughter's preschool on the call display, that last thing I thought they would say when I picked-up the phone was, "Michaela has lice".
I panicked.
"You have to come and get her", Mrs Megan told me.
Of course I have heard the stories. My older sister's kids had lice, several times even, but they are all young adults now. That was years ago.
I went to the school and picked M up. Another parent pulled-up at the same time. She asked me, "What are you here for, lice?" I answered yes and wondered how she knew. Turns out she had treated her daugther for lice the day before and brought her back to school that morning.
Mrs Megan proceeded to show me a smudge of brown behind M's right ear that she scraped with the fingernail of her thumb. She said, "See? you have to scrape them with your fingernail to get them off". I looked and nodded.
We went to the drugstore to buy "the lice kit" and who did we run into again but the mom from the school. As I was walking away I heard her ask the pharmacist for "something stronger as that stuff you sold me yesterday didn't work".
I went home and called my sister. She proceeded to tell me about my nephew, who upon his return from camp (some ten years ago), was laden with lice. She used the insecticide lice treatment that most people think is the norm (including myself) and he vomited for two hours afterwards. "Don't put that on Michaela's head. It is an insesticide. It is poison", she pleaded. Later I found out that the chemicals will only kill the live lice therefore you still need to comb out the nits. As well, lice are becoming resistant to the chemicals found in these treatment kits so they are not nearly as effective as they once used to be years ago. I returned the lice treatment kit to the drugstore.
I spent the next hour or so doing research online. What do lice look like? What do nits look like? I inspected M's head in the "hot spot" behind the ears and at the nape of the neck and couldn't see anything, not even the brown smudge Mrs Megan had shown me. I had Robyn take a look (who also has grown children that had lice when they were younger) and she couldn't see anything either. When my husband came home he took a look too. Nothing.
I kept Michaela home from school the next day as they couldn't guarantee the other little girl wouldn't be at school again. When I spoke to Mrs Megan, I told her that M did not have lice. I was told to check her head every day for a week. So we did, twice a day to be extra dilligent, and we found nothing. Mrs Megan checked her head too.
And life went on. This happened at the beginning of December. Christmas came and went. On New Year's Day we had a bunch of family over for Michaela's birthday (she was born on January 2nd) and I'm not sure why, but I noticed her scratching her head. A lot.
The next morning she crawled into bed with me as she often does on non-school days and she was scratching her head again.
We got up and I took a look at her hair and I saw nits. Lots of nits. And then I saw live lice.
By the time my husband got home from work, I had killed 12 lice. I didn't know what to do so I turned once again to the internet and decided to call Barb at Lice911.com. I had heard some of the moms at school talk about her business so decided to call her to get some advice. She talked to me for about 20 minutes. "It's all about breaking up their reproductive life cycle", she told me. Barb researched this business for an entire year before embarking on it nine years ago. She knows her stuff!
"LICE911 is a team of professionals dedicated to head lice awareness through prevention, screening, removal and training. We are Canada's first completely all natural and holistic approach to head lice removal. We work closely with families, schools and entire communities teaching how to safely screen, treat and help prevent head lice infestations."
We made an appointment with Barb, traveled 30 minutes to her office (she also offers in-home service) and she proceeded to do a complimentary assessment on all four of us. And all four of us had lice. Michaela had it the worst, followed by my husband, then myself and last but not least my eldest daughter Antonia.
I should mention that her office is *very* kid-friendly, outfitted with video games and Netflix to keep the little ones occupied.
At that point Barb told us that she can train us on the wet-combing method or she can comb any or all of us out. We decided that she should at least comb out M seeing that she had the most severe infestation. Then my husband jumped into the chair because he was totally grossed out by the whole thing. I jumped in next because, honestly, I didn't trust my husband to be diligent enough combing out my hair - he isn't adept at sectioning hair and combing it out piece by piece. After three of us were done, we decided that we might as well have Barb do Antonia too. I have to say that I was super proud of my girls for not freaking out about the bugs in their hair and for being so patient during the comb-outs. Barb and I had an interesting conversation about business as well. We were there for 4-1/2 hours.
After we were done we knew we had made the right decision. Although the wet-combing method isn't hard per se, you do need to do it correctly for it to be effective.
Here is the count:
Michaela: 600 nits, 100 live Mike: 150 nits, 30 live Me: 40 nits, 3 live Antonia: 30 nits, 10 live
Our instructions were to do the wet-combing method every three days for three weeks or until we "combed-out clear" twice. Barb made us up a schedule for each person and at my request, split it up so that we were doing two people per day. So it was comb outs for two days, then one day off, then repeat. It felt *so* overwhelming to me as I knew I would be doing most of the comb outs. I think the first one took me three hours. The first time Mike combed me out, it took him four - my butt was pretty much numb by then. But we got faster over time.
And then I had to call the masses of people that were at our house over the holidays and tell them that they had potentially been exposed to lice. Funzies.
I am happy to say that as of a couple of weeks ago we have finished our comb outs and have packed up our Lice Screening Kit (that my husband insisted on buying and that I originally scoffed at). I figure I spent between 40 and 50 hours combing. By week 2 I recruited my mom and my sister to help. My mom was also helping over at my sister's house (she does daycare for me) as her younger daughter was infected as well. She caught her eldest in time, only finding two live lice and no nits.
Barb was there for us along our journey as well. She offers unlimited support via phone or email to anyone that needs it, not just clients.
I now know, much to my chagrin, more about lice than I ever thought possible, nor would ever want to. I do however, feel much more prepared if (heaven help us) this ever happens again. What I *can* say is that there are a lot of MYTHS out there about head lice and a lot of misinformation on the internet.
I also think that every school district should hire an expert like Barb to present to parents at the beginning of EVERY school year. Knowledge and awareness are key.
FACTS About Head Lice
1. Lice don't jump or fly; you need five seconds of head-to-head contact to transfer from one host to another.
2. Lice don't care how clean or dirty your hair or your house is, how much money you make, where you work, how old you are or what ethnicity you are. Of course the negative stigmas still exist. Education is key.
3. Nymphs (baby lice) need to eat immediately upon hatching or else they will die. They cannot reproduce for 7-10 days.
4. Lice are creamy yellow to black in colour (and may even appear red if they just ate - I know... eww!). They move very quickly on your head, detecting movement and hiding from bright lights. Therefore the best way to confirm whether you have lice is by finding their eggs (nits). Nits vary in colour from clear to brownish-grey, are about half the size of a sesame seed, are all the same shape and size and can be found attached to one side of the hair shaft, at about a 45 degree angle, one to two inches from the scalp. You will find eight to ten nits in one area, cemented to the hair shaft and thus difficult to remove. They will be concentrated around the ears and at the nape of the neck.
5. You need only clean your house on the first day. Wash the clothes the infested person was wearing and their bedding using the hottest water possibe and dry in a hot dryer for 20 minutes; lice cannot burrow therefore you only need to clean surfaces. Vacuum any upholstered furniture and car seats. Items that can't be washed or dried can just be set aside (no need to bag) for 48 hours; lice with no host will die of deyhydration usually in the first 24 hours. Combs, brushes and hair accessories can be cleaned by washing them in hot tap water (65°F) for 10 minutes.
6. There is no need to use any chemicals, tea tree oil, mayonnaise or anything else you read on the internet to rid yourself of lice. The key is in the comb and the best one on the market is the LiceMeister, manufactured and sold by a non-profit organization. If you have school-age children, invest in one today. (And no, I'm not getting a kick-back for that endorsement.)
7. After the initial treatment, it is "life as usual". Kids can return to school and regular activities and you can return to work.
8. Average infestations take three weeks to clear. There is no "quick fix" and lice will NOT go away without treatment.
9. The best way for girls to prevent a lice infestation is to tie their hair back - "ballet buns" and braids offer the best protection.
10. Teach your child to avoid head-to-head contact with other children and not to share personal items such as hats, sleeping bags, combs and brushes. As well, teach them to tell you if their head is itchy or if they feel like there is something moving in their hair.
At the end of the day, aside from the hours and hours of combing, the worst part of this situation was not snuggling our kids for three weeks. As Barb said after she finished our initial assessment and found all four of us infested, "You are a close family".
I hope this helps at least one family rid themselves of lice or prevent an infestation from even happening.
Have you had lice in your house? How did you handle it?
Giving birth is one of the most intensely powerful physical and emotional experiences a woman can go through. Labour and birth themselves are intense, as well as the transformation of a woman into her new-found role as a mother.
Our North American culture does not always seem to honour this process or transition. Historically, women were able to rely on a community of other women to support them throughout this experience. Today, women generally are expected to carry themselves through pregnancy, birth and postpartum with minimal support or nurturing from other women.
Enter the Birth Doula. The word doula is a Greek word meaning “female slave” or “woman’s servant”. In the birth world, a doula is a woman who provides familiar, knowledgeable emotional and physical support to a woman prenatally, during labour, and postpartum.
The support a doula provides allows women to remember their births as more positive, blissful experiences, feeling honoured, heard, comforted and supported throughout.
Here are 5 ways a doula can make your own birth more blissful:
1. A doula is focused on your emotional and physical needs 100%. Your doctor or midwife is a medical professional, trained to ensure you and your baby stay healthy. We’re lucky to have them as safeguards for birth, there to intervene if things don’t go as smoothly as they usually do. Because their role as medical professionals is their number one priority, they are not able to provide continual support as you cope with the intensity of contractions during labour. Your doula is not a medical practitioner, and does not have this responsibility pulling at her attention. This allows her to put all of her energy into making sure you are as comfortable, relaxed and taken care of as possible.
2. A doula can do the left-brain work. During prenatal classes and in birth books, you learn about different labour positions, comfort measures, specific things to try for certain situations that may come up during birth. You may also have heard that it is important to allow yourself to go inward, switching to the more meditative, right-brained mentality and focus on letting your body do its work. It is difficult to stay in that meditative, focused state if you are constantly reaching into your “left” brain to think of all the things you could be trying. You doula can do that thinking for you, making gentle suggestions for trying a new position, reminding you to have a sip of water between each contraction, getting you to the washroom once an hour to make sure your bladder is empty and there’s lots of room for baby to move around. She will also have a few tricks up her sleeve for dealing with especially intense labour or discomfort. This allows you to stay focused inward, steadily focused on coping with each contraction.
3. Doulas provide continual and familiar support. If your are birthing in a hospital setting, there will be nurses around to check in and monitor you between visits from your doctor or midwife. An important thing to point out is that hospital staff work in shifts! Labour can be a long journey, and in your time at the hospital, you sometimes go through one or two OB's and multiple nurses. Your doula will likely be your only support person that you and your partner became familiar with during pregnancy, and will stay by your side through the entirety of labour. Your doula knows you, knows your birth vision and knows what you’ve experienced so far in your birth. This steady and familiar presence offers a feeling of safety that is so important to minimizing your stress level during labour.
4. A doula takes stress off your partner. We are lucky here in North America to live in a time where fathers are invited into hospital birthing rooms. It wasn’t long ago that women birthed without any familiar support in hospitals, left only with doctors and medical staff. However, men have traditionally never been a part of birth, and in our culture, people barely talk to women about birth, never mind men! Because of this, it is a lot to ask of the father to be your sole support person during birth. Doulas do not replace the father’s role in your birth experience. They simply remove the pressure on dads to remember their crash course in labour and birth over the last few months. Between holding mom, taking steps to minimize her discomfort, making sure the whole birth team is nourished and hydrated, asking the right questions of medical staff, and suggesting techniques for keeping things moving along smoothly, there is no shortage of support to give mom. Having a doula to aide in some of these tasks makes birthing a more blissful experience for both mom and dad.
5. A doula will make sure you continue to feel supported after birth. You’ve had your baby. Now what? As you settle into your new role as a mother, your doula will be available for breastfeeding support, emotional support and to help you find any postpartum resources to make the entry into this new part of your life as smooth and blissful as possible.
Having a birth doula to support you during birth is one of the easiest ways to create a sense of calm trust in the process. The biggest enemy of birth is stress, which interferes with progress and can slow or stop contractions altogether. Having a doula by your side providing continual emotional and physical support during your birth makes it so much easier to create a blissful birth for you, your partner and for baby.
Jessica Austin is a Birth Doula and Childbirth Educator based in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Her doula practice - Birth Takes a Village - has a mission "to promote a gentle and informed birth culture". You can also find Jessica on Facebook and Twitter.
I for one wish I had hired a doula for my birth. Don't get me wrong, I had "textbook" pregnancies and wonderful births both times. As well, my doctor and the rest of the hospital staff, as well as my husband, were all amazing during my labour and birth and I wouldn't change a thing. However, a doula is there to support you in a different way and I would definitely opt to have that support if I were to have another baby. Jessica's five points really resonated with me. It just makes sense. How about you? Did you have a doula? If so, what was the best thing about having one? If not, will you have one "next time"? Please share your experiences below.
"Medical induction of childbirth is on the rise with more than 45% of Ontarian womenʼs labours beginning with induction by cervidil or oxytocin. While there are some circumstances where a medical induction may be necessary or even beneficial to the birthing mother and her baby, it is estimated that 90.8% of women will not need a medical induction for labour to begin. As such, many inductions are avoidable and are thought to be an elective option rather than a necessary procedure based on a medical indication." ~ Amanda Spakowski, Birth Doula and Prenatal Educator
I met Amanda Spakowski in my first year of business and she has been an avid supporter of PumpEase ever since. In 2009 she relocated to Toronto and launched a new business by the name of The Nesting Place. I have watched it blossom into a wonderful community-based venture offering birth and postpartum doula services, prenatal classes, Birthing from Within® classes, infant massage and much more in both Toronto and Peterborough, Ontario.
Recently Amanda introduced me to a wonderful paper that she wrote about Induction and the top 10 ways to avoid it. I highly recommend you read it, share it and bookmark it.
I'd love to hear your thoughts, whether you're currently pregnant with your first child or are finished having your family and have thoughts in hindsight. Please leave your comments below.
Un Resumen del código de la OMS (Código Internacional de Comercialización de sucedáneos de la leche materna) Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) Ginebra, Suiza, 1981, 1986, 1994, 1996, 2001
Mucha gente, incluyendo madres, incluso madres que amamantan, no lo puede explicar, entonces aquí esta nuestra explicación del código. Psst! ¡Esto es muy importante, así que transmite esta información!
El Código de la OMS incluye las 14 importantes previsiones que describimos a continuación (vamos a ver cuantas infracciones podemos encontrar en nuestra vida diaria, ¿estas de acuerdo?). ¿Por que hay tantas infracciones? Bueno, porque en Norte América, El Código de la OMS es voluntario – entonces no tiene carácter obligatorio. Algunos países, como Irán, han adoptado El Código como ley y ahora las formulas lácteas SOLO están disponibles por receta y su presentación es en lata con una etiqueta genérica. ¡Me encantaría ver eso tanto en Canadá como en USA algún día!
Oh, y una cosa mas… sabias que USA fue el UNICO país de 189 que voto “NO” a adoptar El Código en 1981? DEBERIA.DARLES.VERGUENZA! Hay que sacar a esos tipos de las compañías de las formulas lácteas FUERA de la “cama que comparten” con el gobierno AHORA.
Aquí vamos…
1. No anunciar los productos que están bajo El Código al público.
Productos “bajo el alcance del Código” incluyen: substitutos de la leche materna, formulas lácteas, otros productos derivados de la leche, comidas y bebidas, comidas complementarias para la alimentación con biberón, cuando son comercializados o representados como disponibles, con o sin modificación, para su uso parcial o total como substitución de la leche materna; biberones y chupetes para el biberón. Básicamente y en resumen: formulas lácteas, formulas de seguimiento, biberones y chupetes para biberón. Nop, yo nunca he visto esos productos anunciados públicamente EN NINGUN LUGAR (aja).
2. No muestras gratis a madres.
¿A cuantas nuevas mamas (incluyendo a una servidora) les han dado muestras gratis en el hospital, en el consultorio de su doctor, en alguna expo de “bebe/embarazo” ó en alguna canasta de bienvenida? De acuerdo a un estudio reciente, casi 2/3 de madres primerizas recibieron una muestra gratis de formula láctea por correo. Las compañías de formula dirigen su mercadotecnia directo a las mamas, en contra de El Código, en.cada.oportunidad.que.tienen.
3. No promoción de productos en ninguna institución de salud, incluyendo la distribución de producto gratis o a bajo costo.
¿Has visto los blocks de notas o posters “patrocinados” por una compañía de formula en la oficina de tu doctor o en el hospital? ¿Que tal las infamemente famosas pañaleras de las compañías de formulas que se regalan en muchos hospitales en USA? (puedes leer sobre esto en Ban the Bags). De hecho, estudios demuestran que dichas pañaleras o bolsas de las compañías de formula acortan la duración de la lactancia exclusiva, incluso cuando las muestras de formula son sacadas de dichas bolsas. Para citar a la Dra. Alison Stuebe, la mujer tras “Ban the Bags”, “Ninguna compañía con fines de lucro da nada “gratis”. Las compañías de formula dan estas bolsas a las madres como una herramienta de mercadotecnia y su meta es que los hospitales le den estas bolsas a las mamas ya que eso implica que el hospital apoya a una marca en particular de formula. Si esto no permitiera vender mas formula de una marca en particular, estaría en contra de los intereses de los accionistas de estas compañías permitir que las mujeres recibieran estas bolsas.”
De hecho, de acuerdo a un estudio Canadiense reciente del Departamento de salud Publica de Toronto, “De 1,500 madres primerizas encuestadas, al 39 por ciento les dieron formula al ser dadas de alta del hospital. Como resultado, muchas de estas mujeres pararon de lactar a sus bebes mucho antes que las mujeres que no recibieron formula. Las mujeres que no recibieron muestras gratis tuvieron 3.5 veces mas probabilidad de amamantar exclusivamente después de 2 semanas.”
“El impacto de promover la formula al momento de dejar el hospital les de un mensaje confuso a las nuevas madres”, dice Linda Young, directora de Salud Maternal del Recién Nacido y del Niño en el hospital East General de Toronto. “Se lo dan a las mujeres “por si acaso”, Pero el mensaje real es que probablemente vas a fallar…y un biberón lleva al siguiente.”
Escuchen señoras, al aceptar estas muestras por parte de las compañías de fórmula están llenando de dinero los bolsillos de esas compañías Y lo mas importante es que se están auto saboteando. No.Lo.Hagan.
4. Ningún representante de la compañía puede dar consejos a las madres.
El verano pasado, participe como proveedor en una Expo bebe. Nuestra mesa estaba localizada aproximadamente a la mitad del perímetro de la Expo. Inmediatamente a la derecha de la puerta de la entrada (como si eso no hubiera estado planeado) estaba la mesa de una compañía de formula. Estaban dando LATAS COMPLETAS DE FORMULA! Cada persona que venia a nuestra mesa tenia la bolsa que obsequiaban en cuanto entrabas a la expo con una lata de formula saliéndose por encima de la bolsa. Me quite el gafete y fui a su mesa, haciéndome pasar como un cliente. Pregunte por las latas de formula. ¡Caray fueron tan amigables! Me dijeron que todo lo que tenia que hacer era anotarme para su “programa” y yo recibiría el kit que incluía la lata de formula (No recuerdo como lo llamaban al kit, algo molesto, como “kit de soporte para la lactancia”, porque recuerdo haberme asqueado internamente). Anotarme en el programa incluía darles mi e-mail (¡por supuesto!). ¡Sip, es cierto! Agrega a la futura mama a tu lista de correos para que la puedas inundar con e-mails justo cuando acaba de tener a su bebe, cuando esta desvelada, vulnerable y con las hormonas provocándole un estado emocional. Y asegúrate de que tengan una lata grande de formula a la mano para cuando la cosa se ponga dura al rededor de la 4ta o 5ta semana y ella esta a punto de darse por vencida con todo el asunto de la lactancia; ¡la lata estará lista justo ahí para tentarla! Estas compañías minan la confianza de las mujeres haciéndolas pensar que no serán capaces de amamantar y ¿adivinen que? Esa noción se manifiesta y se rinden. No escuchen a nadie que les diga, “Un biberón de formula no le hará daño a tu bebe.”, (incluso si es su propia madre). Quizás no dañe a tu bebe, pero dañara la relación de lactancia que existe entre tu bebe y tu y dañara a tus reservas de leche. Créelo, a mi me paso, “hace mucho tiempo” antes de que supiera lo que ahora se.
Hoy en día, pregunto si en la Expo en la que voy a participar le hace honor a El Código ANTES de firmar cualquier contrato como proveedor. No.Me.Vuelve.A.Pasar
5. No regalos o muestras personales a los trabajadores de la industria de la salud.
Favor de ver el punto #3. Esta práctica es desenfrenada. Se puede encontrar información extensa e interesante al respecto aquí, aquí y aquí (y eso fue solo una búsqueda rápida en Google). Ya es tiempo que los trabajadores de la industria de la salud Y LOS HOSPITALES le digan a las compañías de formula que se vayan, que no les den muestras gratis y que no regresen ¡NUNCA!
“Siempre ha habido controversia respecto a los hospitales que reciben formula gratis. Es por eso que el hospital East General de Toronto – el único hospital Amigo de La Mama y El Bebe en la ciudad que se encuentra entre una docena del mismo tipo (en Canadá) – cancelo su contrato en el 2005”, dice Linda Young, directora de Salud Maternal del Recién Nacido y del Niño.
“Cuando las compañías de formula hacen un contrato, hacen una lista de todas las cosas que regalan- la formula, los chupetes para biberón y los biberones y eso resulta en una gran cantidad de dinero,” dice Young, eso sin agregar que a veces hay un bono por el solo hecho de firmar el contrato entre $130,000 y 150,000 dólares los cuales los hospitales pueden usar para otros programas y servicios.
El único otro hospital que Young sabe que esta comprando la formula en lugar de obtenerla gratis es el Lakeridge en Oshawa. “El dinero es algo muy difícil de rechazar para un hospital,” afirma.
6. No palabras o imágenes idealizando la alimentación artificial, incluyendo imágenes de infantes, en la etiqueta de los productos.
OK, la “mayoría” de las compañías de formula han cambiado a patitos, conejitos o corazones en sus etiquetas en lugar de imágenes de bebes, pero, aun hay muchas infracciones. Por ejemplo, Enfamil’s Enfagrow Premium Next Step Lipil tiene la imagen de un bebe y de un niñito en su etiqueta y su nicho de mercado son los bebes de 9-24 meses. Por supuesto, fuera de imágenes, las etiquetas de las compañías de formula láctea están llenas de medias verdades, mucha palabrería que suena medio científica y acogedora al mismo tiempo, de esta manera las compañías de formula esperan que sea (mal) interpretado idealizando así la alimentación artificial. Créanme, ellos pasan mucho tiempo e invierten mucho dinero escribiendo el texto “adecuado” para convencer a los padres de comprar su producto.
7. La información a los trabajadores de la salud debe de ser científica y veraz.
La información que viene de las compañías de formula “parece científica y veraz” pero sus afirmaciones son sacadas de contexto, modificadas y de nuevo, escritas “adecuadamente” por sus departamentos de mercadotecnia de alto poder para lavarte el cerebro y que pienses que sus productos son “tan buenos” como la leche materna.
8. Toda la información de la alimentación artificial, incluyendo las etiquetas, debe de explicar los beneficios de la lactancia y todos los costos y peligros asociados con la alimentación artificial.
Bueno, yo no he leído la etiqueta de ninguna lata de formula en algún tiempo, pero, se que la mayoría de las compañías de formula incluyen una leyenda, en letra muy pequeña, afirmando que “la leche materna es lo mejor para tu bebe”. Pero acaso describen los costos y peligros asociados con la alimentación artificial? Hmmmm?
9. Los productos no aptos como la leche condensada y endulzada no deben de ser promovidos para los bebes.
OK, estoy perdida en este punto. ¿Existe gente que le de leche condensada y endulzada a sus bebes? Así que busque en Google “Leche condensada y endulzada para bebes” y solo obtuve 4 resultados, en su mayoría blogs que hablaban de “hace mucho tiempo” cuando nuestra madres y abuelas hacían eso, o foros con gente preguntando si se puede hacer ahora. Creo que se puede decir que si existe gente que pregunta que si lo pueden hacer, entonces también existe gente que ni siquiera se ha molestado en preguntar y lo están haciendo.
Lo que se es que en países tercermundistas, donde usualmente disfrutan de una cultura que se enfoca en la lactancia, y después de que las compañías de formula han dado suficientes muestras gratis para que al usarlas substituyendo tomas de leche materna la leche de las mamas primerizas se “seque”, ellas, que no pueden comprar mas formula, pueden substituir con leche endulzada y condensada o con cualquier otro producto derivado de la leche para alimentar a su bebe hambriento. Quizás ellas también mezclen la formula con mas agua de la recomendada para hacer que la formula les dure mas. Oh y esa agua no es muy sanitaria que digamos. Estas practicas ejercidas por las compañías de formula han matado a millones de bebes.Si. Millones.
10. Todos los productos deben de ser de alta calidad y tomar en consideración las condiciones climáticas y de almacenamiento del país donde serán usados.
De alta calidad? Claaaro. ¿Sabes de esa lata de formula de $20-30 dólares que ves en los anaqueles de las tiendas? Bueno, el contenido vale por ahí de 25 centavos de dólar. Si, es cierto. Venticinco.Centavos.[1] El resto del dinero se gasta en mercadotecnia. ¡Pero esperen! Hay un CODIGO que prohíbe la mercadotecnia de sucedáneos de la leche materna. Como es posible que las compañías de formula gasten millones, quizás billones en mercadotecnia cuando esto va en contra de El Código de la OMS?
Eso sin mencionar los 57 productos de alimentación artificial que fueron recolectados por estar “defectuosos” de 1982 al 2007 – fueron más de 9 MILLONES de unidades. Ejem… la leche materna NUNCA es recolectada por estar defectuosa.
11. Promover y apoyar la lactancia exclusiva por 6 meses como una recomendación de salud publica global con continuación de la lactancia hasta los 2 años o más.
Creo que un buen primer paso seria prohibir la comercialización de la formula para bebes de 6 meses o menos. Sacarla del mercado. Punto. Para el menos de 5% de mujeres que no pueden amamantar físicamente[2], se podría comprar con receta médica. Entonces veremos las tazas de lactancia de inicio y hasta los 6 meses elevarse meteóricamente.
En cuanto a la promoción y apoyo, es impresionante y descorazonante escuchar las incontables historias de las mamas- la desinformación, las contradicciones dependiendo quien estaba de guardia en el hospital esa noche, la falta de entrenamiento medico, etc., etc. ¡Pero estamos trabajando en eso! Organizaciones como Best for Babes, por ejemplo, están trabajando sin cesar “para ayudar a las mamas a vencer las “Booby Traps” – las barreras culturales e instituciones que no permiten a las mamas alcanzar sus metas personales de lactancia. Para inspirar, preparar & empoderar™ a las mamas. ¡Para darle un nuevo look a la lactancia y darle a las mamas las soluciones que necesitan para lograrlo!
12. Promover la alimentación complementaria apropiada a partir de los seis meses de edad reconociendo que cualquier comida o bebida que se de antes de que sea necesario nutricionalmente puede interferir con la lactancia.
En realidad es muy simple: los bebes no necesitan NADA excepto leche materna por sus primeros 6 meses de vida. De 6 meses en adelante, se recomienda continuar con la lactancia al mismo tiempo que se complementa con comida nutritiva hasta los 2 años o más.
13. Las comidas complementarias no se deben de comercializar a manera de que minen la lactancia exclusiva y sostenida.
Justo como las formulas lácteas son comercializadas para minar la lactancia exclusiva y sostenida, de la misma manera lo son las comidas complementarias. Estar al tanto de esto es la mitad de la batalla. ¡Edúcate y pasa la voz!
14. La asistencia financiera de la industria alimenticia infantil puede interferir con el soporte de los profesionales de la salud a la lactancia.
Todos sabemos que las compañías de formula están “en la cama” con el gobierno. ¿De que otra manera iniciativas como la del 2004 “Los Bebes Nacieron para Amamantarse” una campaña de comerciales para el servicio público, lanzada por el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de USA y el Consejo de Anuncios, fue detenida de ultimo minuto por los intereses de las personas que apoyan a las compañías de fórmula? Si, es cierto, les hicieron aligerar los comerciales hasta el punto de que fueron casi ineficientes, después ellos mismo redoblaron su presupuesto de mercadotecnia a $50 millones de dólares. Y las tazas de lactancia disminuyeron de nuevo.
Es muy triste cuando las ganancias políticas y comerciales están muy por encima en importancia que la salud de nuestros propios hijos.
Nuestro agradecimiento a Patricia Garcés por traducir este artículo de manera voluntaria al español para que más personas puedan leerlo, disfrutarlo y aprender de él.
[1]Testimonio presentado en la litigación Anticompetitiva de la formula infantil en la corte de distrito de Estados Unidos en Florida, Tallahassee el 2 de Junio de 1992.
Alguna evidencia que corrobora los costos de producir formula infantil aparece en un estudio no publicado de la USDA elaborado por el Instituto Triangular de Investigación en Abril de 1992 (Josephine Mauskopf y Nancy Dean, “WIC Rebajas del programa: Un Análisis Económico”, Reporte final. Contrato #53-3198-0-033, Tarea 6.1 Centro para la Investigación Económica) en el cual el costo de producir una lata de formula infantil estaba estimado en los ingredientes que la componen. Sin embargo, oficiales de la USDA expresaron preocupación acerca de la validez de estos costos estimados por la limitación metodológica, incluyendo la disponibilidad de datos respecto al procedimiento de elaboración de la formula infantil.
[2]Neifert et al. 1990. The influence of breast surgery, breast appearance, and pregnancy-induced breast changes on lactation sufficiency as measured by infant weight gain. Birth 17(1): 31-38
Hi everyone! Please check-out our latest video entitled, "How to Use a PumpEase hands-free pumping bra". Any idea what it's about? OK, just kidding...
I worked with the wonderful Cathrin Witt on this project. I was responsible for taping it and tried my best to follow Cathrin's guidelines for shot angles and such, however I'm no professional in this arena so you can blame the "not so great" lighting on me. Cathrin was in charge of editing - adding music, stills and titles - and making it look all pretty and professional!
The cool thing is, Cathrin (or Cathy as I knew her as in high school) and I reconnected on Facebook a couple of years ago, yet did not meet face-to-face or even speak over the phone to get this video produced. She lives in Bellevue, WA - about two hours south of me AND in a different country!
So just think... if the next time that Cathrin and I venture down the video production road, we actually work together in-person, we could potentially have Oscar material on our hands! Should we clear off our mantles Cathrin?
Anywho, take a gander at the video and let us know what you think. You like? No like? Tell us all about it below!
Tags: 'how to pump', 'hands-free pump', 'nursing bra', 'easy expression'
4. Ningún representante de la compañía puede dar consejos a las madres.
6. No palabras o imágenes idealizando la alimentación artificial, incluyendo imágenes de infantes, en la etiqueta de los productos.
