Another MUST read: "What Shamu taught me about a happy marriage"

I know, I should rename this blog "Mrs M's favorite articles from the New York Times". Anyway, this one has great ideas on training husbands and kids and made me genuinely laugh out loud. Enjoy!

a little news

My husband was sustained as bishop of our ward this week. We would certainly be grateful for prayers on behalf of our family and our ward.

Warning labels on formula?? Breast is best, says article

There's an article in the NY Times today called Breast Feed or Else. It suggests that the body of evidence supporting breast feeding has grown so large that it's not just healthy to breastfeed, it's risky NOT to breastfeed. You may have to register to read the article, but it is worth reading.

Here's a paragraph touting some of the benefits of breastfeeding:

Ample scientific evidence supports the contention that breast-fed babies are less vulnerable to acute infectious diseases, including respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, experts say. Some studies also suggest that breast-fed babies are at lower risk for sudden infant death syndrome and serious chronic diseases later in life, including asthma, diabetes, leukemia and some forms of lymphoma, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Research on premature babies has even found that those given breast milk scored higher on I.Q. tests than those who were bottle-fed.

The article also mentions health benefits to mothers who breastfeed:

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, extended breast-feeding reduces the risk of ovarian cancer and breast cancer. New studies have also found that women who breast-feed face a lower risk of adult-onset or Type 2 diabetes, and they seem to be at lower risk for osteoporosis later in life.

Immediately after childbirth, nursing accelerates healing by reducing the amount of bleeding and causing the uterus to contract more rapidly back to its normal size. Making milk burns up to 500 extra calories a day, so nursing mothers get help shedding extra pounds from pregnancy, experts say, especially if they nurse for an extended period.

Experts say lactation also seems to have a calming effect on the mother, which may be an adaptive mechanism to ease the transition to life with a new baby. Every time a mother nurses, she gets a spike in oxytocin, which may have an antianxiety effect and help promote bonding with the new baby, said Kathryn G. Dewey, a professor of nutrition at the University of California, Davis, and an expert on breast-feeding.

Should there be warning labels on formula, as the article suggests? The proposed text for these labels is something like

The Department of Health and Human services has determined that "breast-feeding is the ideal method of feeding and nurturing infants."

or

The Department of Health and Human services has determined that"breast milk is more beneficial to infants than infant formula."

What do you think? The evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of breastfeeding, but I'm not sure warning labels on formula are the way to encourage breastfeeding. A public education campaign certainly needs to accompany it, and ob-gyns need to continue emphasizing the health benefits of breastfeeding (and the risks of not doing so).

We made it!

I've been on an extended hiatus from real life. The boys and I went to beautiful, green MN, where my parents live. For 5 days, I attended the SAA 12th Biennial Conference in downtown Minneapolis and the boys stayed with my parents. What a treat! My focus was the Suzuki Early Childhood Education teacher training offered by Dorothy Jones. It was strengthening and enriching to be completely immersed in a Suzuki environment. I feel much more a part of the Suzuki community rather than 1 little teacher, teaching in a little studio.

After the conference ended, I joined the boys at my parents' home. They were so happy to run in the backyard and play with the neighbor kids and dig in the sandbox and blow bubbles on the porch and jump on the mini-trampoline and eat lunch outside on the deck and play in puddles in the cul-de-sac. It was a great break from urban, apartment life, where I never let them outside without close supervision.

All vacations come to an end, and we came home yesterday. It was 12 hours of travel. 90 minute drive to airport, then flights home through various large airports: Minneapolis, Chicago O'Hare, Las Vegas, and LAX. Picture it: me, 1 year old, 3 year old, my violin, my emergency carry on with clothes for all in case of who knows what, and 3 y.o.'s carry-on with food and distractions. We definitely had a few moments that were, uh, not worth reliving now. BUT, on the whole, it was a very positive travel experience. The man sitting next to us on the longest leg (3.5 hrs) was very helpful and accomodating and kept track of my youngest while I helped 3 y.o. in the bathroom. (As a side note, you can fit at least 3 people in those tiny airplane bathrooms if 2 of them under 4. Possibly more - has anyone tried more?)

Now we're happily home. We got up at 5:30 am, but the boys are napping now and I'm catching up on important things, like bills and blogging. Mr M is glad to have us back, I am quite certain, and we are very happy to be home. And now, on with real life!