Bottle Propping Isn't Safe.

You know those days when you see something and shake your head so hard you think it might just come right off and roll down the street??  I'm having one of those days.

See, I'm in some twin groups on Facebook.  It's not uncommon I read things about how these parents "had" to make their babies CIO because they are "only one person".  ("DON'T JUDGE ME!" is another common statement that seems to go hand in hand with these comments.)

AS a twin mom who never got much help from the start, the whole excuses thing irritates me BAD.

My husband worked 14 hour days from the time I got pregnant until our twins were just over 2 years old.  That means after travelling to and from work, when he was home he was sleeping, showering, or eating.  Never ever did he have more than 2 hours in that entire time, to bathe a baby/cook a meal/wash some clothes.  I managed to not only never "have" to make them CIO, I didn't even WANT to.  How can someone listen to their babies cry and not go to them??  And then to brag about it..."My twins were sleeping through the night at 6 weeks old.  CIO works and I'd do it again!"

Seriously?

My twins didn't EVER sleep through the night until they were 16 months old.  And by "sleeping through the night", I mean, "slept more than 5 hours in a row."

So here's the photo that really got my gears all ground up.  See those things??  "Milk Maid Baby Bottle Holder", they're called. 

Now, here's my thing;  I've HAD twins.  I had teeny tiny twins.  I had twins that needed to be fed every 3 hours, around the clock, for the first 6 months after they came home from the hospital.

Not ever did I need to prop a bottle.  Not ever.  You know why?  I'll tell ya.  I used my freakin' arms and hands.

GASP!

I know!  Crazy, isn't it?!

When my twins came home from the NICU they were still too small and too weak to breastfeed successfully.  They came home almost 2 weeks before their due date...after 8 1/2 weeks in the hospital.  They'd gone from NG tube to a "Haberman Feeder", to a preemie "bottle"...  To me, it was a pleasure to hold their bottles.  It sure was better than watching those NG tubes being changed.  : (

Haberman bottle

Preemie bottle (provided by hospital.  I filled them with pumped breastmilk.)

I managed to hold two bottles at once until I had established my son on the boob, and then (after we figured that out) I would put him on my breast while I held the bottle for my daughter.  She would either be in the nook of my arm, or the nook of my knee (depending on how feisty they were that day!).

Bottle propping is dangerous, and it removes that physical contact that ALL babies deserve, crave, and NEED to thrive.

I'm not sitting on some kind of "high horse", or saying I'm better than anyone.  I'm saying that I followed my instincts, and then (many months later) found out that they were right.

This is what some organizations say about it:
"The most serious risk of propping a baby bottle is that your baby could choke and aspirate formula into his lungs. When you prop a bottle, your baby can't stop the constant flow of milk into his mouth, even when it's too fast or too much for him to swallow. Bottle propping also increases the risk that your baby will develop an ear infection. When you feed in a horizontal position, milk can flow into the Eustachian tube, where the fluid can become infected. Hold your baby's bottle at a 45-degree angle when feeding to reduce the risk of ear infections. Bottle propping can also lead to tooth decay because milk stays in contact with the teeth longer."

"Babies need lots of physical closeness to develop emotionally. Babies in orphanages where bottles are propped often and physical contact rarely occurs can develop higher-than-normal levels of cortisol, a hormone related to stress, a 2001 University of Minnesota study found. Lower-than-normal levels of oxytocin, associated with emotional development, and vasopressin, associated with social development, can also occur, according to a 2005 University of Illinois study. If you must feed your baby in an infant seat because you have twins or triplets, hold the bottle rather than propping it. Make sure you compensate with lots of cuddling between feedings."  (1)


"Do not prop bottles for a baby.  Propping means a young baby is given a bottle to drink by itself and the bottle is propped up (with a pillow, for example) so that it can flow into the baby’s mouth.
Propping a bottle can:
— cause choking and suffocation, 
— possibly cause ear infections and baby bottle tooth 
decay, and 
— deprive the baby of important cuddling and human 
contact." (2)

"It is very important that your baby develop good eating habits. Bottle propping is  discouraged because...Less Interaction with parents, Ear Infections, Choking/aspiration, Tooth Decay." (3)

"Propping a bottle is psychologically unwise and can be physically dangerous. Holding your baby during feeding is one of the best ways to establish close parent/child bonds." (4)
(There are a million links to show the exact same information over and over again, online.  I'll stop at four examples.)I found that feeding time with my babies to be some of the only really calm, quiet moments in our hectic day.  I enjoyed having them close to me.  I was more than aware of just how very lucky I was to have brought them home with me in the first place.  And after spending 8 1/2 weeks being told when I was "allowed" to hold my own babies, once we got them home I was not willing to miss out on any opportunity to absorb every ounce of that contact with them.

It really is disheartening when I see moms so proudly propping bottles, even when they state that they had another person there that could have helped them...so each baby could have been held.  (But it was just inconvenient, and would "spoil" them.)

We all know that the floor does need to be swept.  I agree.  But that job will wait for you.  Dishes need to be done.  They wait too.  And supper can be made at any point in the day.  It doesn't have to be made at the exact same time they need to be fed.  A little bit of planning goes a long way!

I've found that the issue at hand may not even be that these twin moms force their little ones to CIO, or prop their bottles.  After some reflection on the whole subject, I think what really bothers me is that I am an attached parent, and these things just scream detachment*.  How could someone not WANT to hold their babies??  I know all too well that being a mom of twins isn't easy, and I'm not trying to throw stones.  I just know that it's totally possible to attachment parent twins.  Even when you're on your own.  Even on no sleep, with no help, and no prior experience.

I guess if there's one sliver lining here, it's that I now know without a doubt that after all this time I can still SEE the insanity of the internet, because it still bothers me.  THAT'S how I know I'm walking the right path.  (And how I know that my brain has not been completely corrupted!)

*If you want to read a perfect example of a "detached parent", check the link to a post on "Imperfect Parent".

(1)  Livestrong: http://www.livestrong.com/article/555767-propping-babies-to-eat/#ixzz2973Cl5eV
(2)  Team Nutrition (USDA.gov): http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/Resources/feedinginfants-ch5.pdf

(3) Stanton Territorial Health Authority:  http://www.stha.ca/files/services/123/Bottle%20Propping.pdf

(4)  National Network For The Child:  http://www.nncc.org/nutrition/guide.bottlefed.html

Winter Coats And Carseats

Well, I have one of those husbands who are pretty sure I'm crazy when I say things like the kids can't wear winter coats in their car seats.  He says "they'll get cold", or "they're going to get sick".  And, even if he was right (which he's not, because colds are caused by a virus, not COLD), I'd still rather my kids get a cold than to get dead.

So, because he never believes me until I can PROVE him wrong, I took these photos of our 3 year old daughter in her car seat when it was in the house.

Strapped in as tight as I could do up the straps
with her winter coat on.

The first photo shows her in her coat, all strapped in as tight as I could get her, with the chest clip in the "right" position (armpit level).  With the coat on, she was snug as a bug.

Coat off.  Chest clip is not in the right position.

The second photo shows her with her coat taken off.  I did not loosen or adjust the strapping at all when I took her out, I only un-clipped it and slipped her out.  When I put her back in, I just re-clipped the crotch strap and chest clip, and didn't adjust anything.  You can see already that the chest clip isn't in the right position.  It's too low.

The space between the straps and her chest are as wide as my hand.

When I put her back in and clipped in the straps exactly as they were when she was wearing her coat, you can see that there is more to this than the chest clip being a little low.  The straps were so loose that I could put my hand sideways between the harness system and her body.  Since I didn't use a tape measure in the photo, I'll tell you that my hand is 4 inches across.

Side view of the space between her chest and the clip.

So, clearly there is no safe way to strap a child into a car seat wearing a bulky winter coat.  If you were in an accident, the coat is going to compress and leave your child in a seat that is far from safe.  But don't worry, there are a few ways to deal with it.

What I do is put the kids in their car seats wearing a long-sleeved shirt and a light sweater or sweat shirt.  Then, after strapping them in safely, I put their coat on them backwards, putting their arms in the sleeves, and tucking the coat in beside them.  (Not behind them because that can add bulk too.)

We also always have a few blankets in the car to cover legs, and if it's too warm to put that coat on them backwards, but too cool to just have them in there in a sweatshirt, I will put a blanket over their chest, leaving only their arms out.

If you have time to warm the vehicle up before you get in, that's ideal.  No need to put a coat on backwards, no need for blankets.  Just get in and go.  If you want to take the coats with you, you can always put them on the kids so you can go from the vehicle to the store/mall/house you're going to go in to, and they'll still be warm.

It's pretty easy to keep them safe in the winter if you know the risk involved in putting them in their car seat in their coats.  Sometimes all we need is to be told, and our creativity comes out.  (I'm sure there are many other great ideas out there on how to keep kids warm in the vehicle without a coat, but the ones I listed are the ones we've used.)

Now you know.  : )

Blind Cord Danger ALERT

Visit Parents For Window Blind Safety:

http://www.pfwbs.org/

This video shows you how "safe" blind strings can become dangerous in seconds.

This shows how a child can be killed with a cord wind-up that is supposed to "keep them safe", or how even tying the blind cord as high as you can, may not be enough.

I'm not going to post more videos than that, because I'm pretty sure you get the point:  The blinds are nice.  They block out the sun really good.  They are dangerous as all hell, and not worth the risk.  We can't always prevent things from happening to our little ones, but this is one way we can.  Buy some curtains, remove this risk.  If you want to see more videos, you can go to their website, found HERE.  There are lots of them to watch, and they show how even roman blinds can be a danger.  If you have kids in your home, it is worth a look, atleast.


I for one didn't realize just how dangerous the cords were.  I have ONE blind in my house that uses a cord, and it's tied up so high that when the blinds are down, I can't even reach the cords myself unless I climb.  (I'm 5'5", so I'm not THAT short!)  But, when it comes to the safety of my children, I just can't knowingly keep it and put them at risk of something happening.  And I completely feel like it might never happen.  They might all be able to live side by side with this blind forever, without incident.  But my mother heart says that they might not, and I can't keep it up.  

children have been seriously injured or killed in the USA in the past few decades.

That number doesn't seem like a lot...unless one of those children are your own.

I just hope from this post that people will be aware of the dangers of window blind cords.  I can't learn something like this and not share it with as many people as possible.  I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I didn't tell you.

New Crib Safety Standards Implemented, and A Circumcision Rant

By Kimberly Mirando

(LEGAFI) -- Consumers looking to buy new baby cribs may notice something different: they will no longer be able to purchase cribs with drop-down side rails.

After more than 30 infant and toddler deaths and millions of crib recalls in the past decade, the government has outlawed drop-side cribs and implemented new safety standards aimed at preventing child injury or death.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission voted that as of June 28, 2011, anyone that manufactures or sells baby cribs must meet the new safety standards. Federal mandatory crib standards had not been updated in nearly 30 years and the new rule will usher in a safer generation of cribs. These mandatory standards will:

1) stop the manufacture and sale of dangerous, traditional drop-side cribs;

2) make mattress supports stronger;

3) improve slat strength,

4) make crib hardware more durable; and

5) make safety testing more rigorous.

Only new, safer cribs will be available for consumer purchase, but the Commission has also voted to extend the length of time that short-term crib rental companies have to comply with the new mandatory standards for full-size and non-full-size baby cribs. This extension gives crib rental companies until December 28, 2012 to update their inventory with compliant cribs, which is the same deadline for the public accommodation facilities that these companies serve. Childcare facilities and places of public accommodation, such as hotels and motels, also have until December 18 to meet the new crib standards.

Anyone who fails to meet the new crib safety standards will be likely be subject to consumer class action lawsuits.

Read it yourself HERE.

Now, I posted this for two reasons.  One, to inform you of the law regarding drop-side cribs in the US.  If you want to read the whole story, it's HERE.  (BTW, we had two of these cribs for our twins, and they were horrible.  We DID intend to use it as co-sleeping was something that naturally occurred, not something we'd planned, and we secured the drop side with metal brackets and screws so the side no longer moves what so ever.  Even though they are still legal for use in Canada, our daughter will not be sleeping in it until she is old enough to use it as a daybed...without the drop side on it.)

The second reason I posted this was out of confusion, really.  How is it that in the "last decade" there have been "30 infant and toddler deaths" from the use of these drop-side cribs, and they're being made illegal...BUT, every year, upwards of 200 infants die due to LEGAL routine infant circumcision, and no one bats an eye?  Is it just me, or is that bad math?  It seems to me that children are MORE safe in a drop-side crib than they are when they are circumcised.  And clearly they aren't safe in a drop-side crib.  It just confuses me and makes me wonder where the logic is.  *Banging head on desk*

Safe Plastics vs Unsafe Plastics

So, we all know about BPA, right? Really? What do you know about it? And did you know that BPA isn't the only plastic-related health issue? Did you know that there are safe plastics and unsafe plastics? I didn't.

Since I obviously don't know what information you actually have on it, I'll tell you what I knew about BPA. I knew it was bad. I knew it was in plastic baby bottles, and that all plastic baby bottles had been recalled and replaced with

glass, and then with BPA-free plastic. That's about it. And I had no idea what the numbers on the bottom of plastic containers meant. I thought it was a recycling code or something. There's more to it, and it could hurt you or your kids if you don't know the facts.

I found all of this out when I was skimming through my "learning" package given to me when I went to the hospital to pre-register. There's a 3 page "Smart Plastics Guide" that has info about Bisphenol A (BPA). I normally don't even read these "guides", and I was surprised by what I read.

..."Studies have shown the main source of exposure for newborns and infants is from bisphenol A migrating from the lining of cans into liquid infant formula and migrating from the polycarbonate (hard, clear plastic) baby bottles into the liquid inside following the addition of boiling water.

Therefore, Health Canada is working with infant formula manufacturers to reduce levels of bisphenol A in the lining of infant formula cans, and encouraging the development of alternatives..."

Advice for Parents and Caregivers

1. If you continue to use polycarbonate baby bottles, it is recommended that you do not put boiling water into them. Very hot water causes BPA to migrate out of the bottle at a much higher rate.
2. If you are unsure as to whether your bottles are polycarbonate, check to see if the bottom of the bottle has the number 7 in the center of the recycling symbol. Although the number 7 is a broad category, you can only be sure it is polycarbonate if the number 7 also has a PC beside it. If the bottle does not have a recycling symbol, there is no certain means of identifying whether it is made from polycarbonate or not. ( I recommend erring on the side of caution on this one.)
3. Water should be boiled and allowed to cool to luke warm in a non-polycarbonate container before transferring into baby bottles. This advice is consistent with proper instructions for the preperation of infant formula. (If you want to read that, it'll be on the website.)

It goes on to talk about proper ways to sterilize bottles, and how breastfeeding is the best food for optimal growth in newborns and infants. If y

What Plastic Labels Mean

Not all containers are labeled and a recycling symbol on a product doesn't mean it's recyclable. Commonly, only #1 and #2 with narrow necks are

recyclable, but some communities recycle other plastics with narrow necks. Check with your l

ocal municipality or waste disposal company.

GOOD PLASTIC

• A recycling symbol with the #1 in it (which could have "PETE" labeled under the symbol) PETE: Polyethylene terephthalate ethylene, used for soft drink, juice, water, detergent, cleaner and peanutbutter containers.
• A recycling symbol with the #2 in it (which could have "HDPE" labeled under the symbol) HDPE: High density polythylene, used in opaque plastic milk and water jugs, bleach, detergent, and shampoo bottles, and some plastic bags.
• A recycling symbol with the #4 in it (which could have "LDPE" labeled under the symbol) LDPE: Low density polythylene, used in grocery store bags, most plastic wraps and some bottles.
• A recycling symbol with the #5 in it (which could have "PP" labeled under the symbol) PP: Polypropylene, used in most Rubbermaid, deli soup, syrup, and yogurt containers, straws and other clouded plastic containers, inclucing baby bottles.

BAD PLASTIC

• A recycling symbol with the #3 in it (which could have a "V" labeled under the symbol) PVC or V: Polyvinyl chloride, used for cling wrap, some plastic squeeze bottles, cooking oil and peanut butter jars, detergent and window cleaner bottles.
• A recycling symbol with the #6 in it (which could have a "PS" labeled under the symbol) PS: Polystyrene, used in styrofoam food trays, egg cartons, disposable cups and bowls, carry-out containers and opaque plastic cutlery.
• A recycling symbol with the #7 in it (or any other # not listed) OTHER: Usually polycarbonate, usedin most platic baby bottles, 5-gallon water bottles, "sport" water bottles, metal food can liners, clear plastic "sippy" cups and some clear plastic cutlery. New bio-based plastics may also be labeled #7.

PVC: The toxic Plastic

Polyvinyl chloride, also known as vinyl or PVC, poses risks to both the environment and human health. PVC is also the least recyclable plastic.

• Vinyl chloride workers face elevated risk of liver cancer.
• Vinyl chloride manufacturing creates air and water pollution near the factories, often located in low-income neighbourhoods.
• PVC needs additives and stabilizers to make it usable. For example, lead is often added for strength, while plasticizers are added for flexibility. These toxic additives contribute to further pollution and human exposure.
• DIOXIN in air emmissions from PVC manufacturing and disposal or from incineration of PVC products settles on grasslands and accumulates in meat and dairy products and ultimately in human tissue. Dioxin is a known carcinogen (cancer causing agent). Low-level exposures are associated with decreased birth weight, learning and behavioural problems in children, suppressed immune function and disruption of hormones. in the body.

Health concerns with food use of plastics

BPA (#7)

A chemical that mimics the action of the humane hormone estrogen, can leach from polycarbonate plastic. Human exposure to BPA is widespread. A CDC study detected BPA in the urine of 95% of adults.

• BPA has been found to stimulate prostate cancer cells and cause breast tissue changes in mice that resemble early stages of breast cancer in both mice and humans.
• One study found an association between ovarian dysfunction and higher levels of BPA in urine.
• Early life exposure to BPA can also cause genetic damage. Research shows that BPA causes chromosomal errors at low levels which in mice can lead to spontaneous miscarriages and birth defects.
• In humans, one study found that women with a history of recurrent miscarriages had over 3fold higher levels of BPA in their blood compared to women without a miscarriage history.

Exposure to BPA (#7) can cause the following adverse effects:

• Early onset of puberty, and stimulation of mammary glad development in females.
• Changes is gender-specific behaviour
• Increased prostate size
• Decreased sperm production
• Altered immune function
• Behavioral effects including hyperactivity, increased aggressiveness, impaired learning and other changes in behaviour.

DEHA (#3) is one of several plasticizers (softeners) to which people have daily exposure through food, water, air, and consumer products. PVC cling wrap contains DEHA, which can leach into oily foods on contact and when heated. DEHA exposure is linked to negative effects on the liver, kidney, spleen, bone formation and body weight. It is also a possible human carcinogen (cancer causing agent), affecting the liver.

Styrene (#6) can leach from polystyrene plastic. It is toxic to the brain and nervous system, among workers with long-term exposures, but also has been found to adversely affect red blood cells, liver, kidneys and stomanch in animal studies. Aside from food containers, children can be exposed to styrene from secondhand cigarette smoke, off-gassing of building materials, auto exhaust fumes and drinking water.

FETUSES AND YOUNG CHILDREN ARE AT GREATEST RISK.

Young children's immature immune systems, rapid development and different eating patterns make them more vulnerable to these toxic exposures. Long term exposures to these chemicals or a few large exposures at a critical time in development could adversely impact children's health.

DISCARD old, scratched polycarbonate baby bottles and "sippy" cups. Plastic that shows signs of wear-such as scrates or a cloudy, crackled appearance-more readily leaches chemicals. Scratches can also harbor bacteria.

Now, there's more about all of this on the Health Canada website, and at: iatp.org/foodandhealth

The Effects of Emotional Abuse on Children

Emotional Abuse in Committed Relationships: Effects on Children

What is the most profound form of child abuse?

Published on January 28, 2011 by Steven Stosny in Anger in the Age of Entitlement

Families do not interact predominantly by language. That might surprise you, until you consider that humans bonded in extended families for millennia before we had language. Even today, the most sensitive communications that can have far-reaching consequences on our lives occur betweenparents and infants through tone of voice, facial expressions, touch, smell, and body posture, not language.

Though less obvious than interactions with young children, most exchanges with older children and between intimate partners also occur within an unconscious process of emotional attunement. Without realizing it, we tune our emotions to the people we love. That's how you can come home in one mood, find your partner or children in a different mood and, bam! - all of a sudden, out of nowhere, you're in their mood. Quite unconsciously, you automatically react to each other.

Emotional attunement, like most emotional processes, is negatively biased. Probably because negative emotions are more important for immediate survival - giving us the instant capability to avoid snakes in the grass and fend off saber tooth tigers - they gained priority processing in the primitivebrain and continue to have undue influence in modern times. To keep from being "brought down" by the other's negative mood, many families attempt to dull their sensitivity to the emotional world of one another. This puts them squarely on the road to dissolution, as it stenches the lifeblood of relationships -- compassion and appreciation -- both of which require openness to attunement. Due to the automatic process of emotional attunement, children are painfully reactive to a walking-on-eggshells atmosphere between parents, even if they never hear them say a harsh word to one another.

Everyone in a walking-on-eggshells family loses some degree of dignity and autonomy. It seems that you become unable to decide your own thoughts, feelings, and behavior, because you are living in a defensive-reactive pattern that runs largely on automatic pilot. In my experience of treating nearly 6,000 family members who walk on eggshells, no fewer than half suffer from clinical anxiety and/or depression.

"Clinical" doesn't mean feeling down or blue or worried; it means that symptoms interfere with normal functioning. They can't sleep, concentrate, or work as efficiently, and can't enjoy themselves without abusing a substance.

Most children in families that walk on eggshells do not feel as good about themselves as other kids. Test this for yourself. Try asking children to describe their peers. If there is emotional abuse between the parents, they are likely to describe peers in superior terms - smarter, better looking, better athletes, or more popular.

The most common symptom of children in families who walk on eggshells is depression. But the signs can fool you; childhood depression often looks different from the weeping, withdrawn, or sullen demeanor of the adult version. Childhood depression can resemble chronic boredom. Children normally have high levels of interest, enjoyment, and excitement. If your child is not interested in the things in which children are normally interested, lacks enthusiasm, and is seldom excited, he or she is probably depressed.

Another common symptom of these children is anxiety, particularly worry about things that children do not normally worry about, like how their parents are going to get through the evening with each other or whether the bills will get paid. Many kids have school problems, show aggressive tendencies, hyperactivity, and either over-emotionality -- anger, excitability, or frequent crying that seem to come out of nowhere -- or the polar opposite: no emotions at all. In the latter condition, they can look like little stone children; you could slice up a puppy in front of them and they wouldn't care. They have turned off all emotion to avoid the pain of walking on eggshells.

Witnessing a parent victimized is often more psychologically damaging to children than injuries from direct child abuse. That has proven true not only in my clinical experience but in my own family as well. I have but the faintest memories of child abuse that are more physically than emotionally based - a small hole in my skull, a knocked-out front tooth, and a couple of dislocated joints. Yet I have vivid recollections of seeing my mother ignored and dismissed as well as demeaned and terrified. Observing a parent abused is the more profound form of child abuse.

********************************

The above information is something that every parent should know. It's too easy to ignore that your spouse/significant other treats you like garbage...because you think it doesn't matter. You think that because they are not HITTING you, that it's okay...it won't emotionally scar your children, and maybe it will show them that you "perserveared" when things weren't good. You may think that what you're doing is "best for the children", staying in an emotionally abusive relationship. Too many people are afraid to be alone, to raise their children alone, or to "put them through" the trauma of a divorce or separation. I hope now you'll see that even when your spouse doesn't put his hands on you, he is hurting not ONLY you, but your children as well. Our children deserve to live their lives feeling safe, secure, happy, free...not feel like the life they have could come crumbling down at any moment if they too don't walk on eggshells.

I believe that people are generally good, and that even the worst people have a potential to become the people they could and should have been all along. However, if staying in a relationship means that you are being hurt (whether emotionally, physically, or sexually), you need to get out of there. You can assess the whole situation better from the outside...when you're safe. Things you may have just lived with, thinking that was okay (or perhaps you were raised this way and felt it was normal), you can recognize as toxic, not only to you, but to those children who depend on you to keep them safe from ALL forms of abuse. Our children will live what they learn...they ARE a product of their environment. We need to let our children grow up in homes where they are allowed to feel the way children deserve to feel, and see their parents being good to one another.

Please, never forget that they see everything. They're like little ninjas...they see and hear things that we don't know they see or hear. So let them see and hear good things. What they see growing up is how they are going to view the world, and how they are going to expect their lives to be when they are grown themselves. Your daughters will act the way they see their mother act, and expect to be treated the way they see her treated. Your son will act the way they see their father act, and treat his women the way he sees his father treat his mother.

Even if we find it hard to stand up for ourselves, and expect to be treated kindly and lovingly by our spouse, we should be able to do it for our children...and for the adults that they are going to become.

Canadian Flu Insert Tells Canadians To Beware of The Vaccine Itself!

Below I am posting from a website the information about the H1N1 vaccine that has been added to the "seasonal flu" shot given in Canada. From the second they released it (after only the minimum 4 months of testing), I knew it was bad. It is illegal to test vaccines on pregnant women or on children...so there was NO testing done on these two groups. The people getting the shots are the guinea pigs. YOU are testing the safety of this vaccine.
The worst part of it all is that people never question things. They take their Dr's word for everything and essentially put their lives (and the lives of their children) in his/her hands. These Dr.'s are paid. These Dr.'s get kickbacks. These Dr.'s don't care if you or your child become injured or die from this. You are ONE person. You are a number. Don't believe me? Ask your Dr. about "herd immunity". (Sadly, you won't even be given the true definition, but the made-up story they tell is bad enough!)




Canadian Flu Insert Tells Canadians To Beware Of The Vaccine Itself
Posted in Weight Loss on 28. Oct, 2009


Click here to view the actually pharmaceutical insert that comes along with all the Canadian swine flu vaccines being rolled out as of this Friday across Canada. Some areas of Canada are already underway with H1N1 vaccination drives.

You are free to interpret the insert yourself by clicking the link above, as it is produced so Canadians can investigate it.

Notes of extreme interest (concern) are the following……….

1. “The authorization is based on the Health Canada review of the available data on quality, safety and immunogenicity“……currently no standard testing on quality and safety of the H1N1 vaccine has been conducted thus far as the standard tests applied to all other vaccines
are supposed to be much longer. Real results on the safety of the vaccine will not be in unitl next year.

Health Canada officials do admit that they will collect data on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine as the H1N1 vaccines are administered. This means the people getting the H1N1 vaccine are the test subjects and most are not aware that they volunteered to participate in that experiment.

2. “H1N1 vaccine is favourable for active immunization against the H1N1 2009 influenza strain in an officially declared pandemic situation.”…….most Canadians are not aware but when the WHO (the World Health Organization) declares a pandemic situation it automatically allows vaccine manufacturers to bypasses the standard safety and testing standards applied to vaccines and medications in the past in each member country.

Just by using the word pandemic the legal avenues and standard human right violations against or involved in vaccine injury are cut off for people who get injured by the H1N1 vaccine. The word “pandemic” drives fearful people to the flu clinics yet the word also triggers a form of martial law and a reservation of legal human rights.

If you are injured by the vaccine the legal system is preset to state, “Canada was set into pandemic alert status by The WHO (a group of unelected officials) and had to place the safety of everyone above the safety of you and your family……..you cannot sue us because the WHO said it was too dangerous to test the vaccine before we gave it out but it was not too dangerous to give it to you and risk your injury or death”.

3. The ingredient (adjuvant) squalene is included in the vaccine……Canada has never approved the use of an ingredient like this in it’s history. Such ingredients have been proven highly suspect in many experiments all over the world for actually damaging the immune system by asking too much of it at one time. In many cases the exact ingredient inside the H1N1 vaccine has caused extreme decreases in health in test subjects.

4. Formaldehyde, mercury and polysortbate 80 are all in the H1N1 vaccine being given out to Canadians. The dangers of those toxic chemicals can be found in the list here. There is no magic used in medicine where these ingredients will not damage your cells or the cells of a child, senior, infact or fetus.

5. Mercury’s links to Autism were questioned when a committee (a group) voted against mercury’s involvement in Autism but committee members with no financial ties to the vaccine manufacturers voted that the link of vaccines causing autism was sound while all others with financial ties voted the link was not sound. A story first broke in Rolling Stone Magazine showing vaccine manufacturers had the reports in their hands proving a concrete link between Autism and vaccines but orchestrated the cover up. Watch this documentary for the complete story of Autism’s link to vaccines.

6. “There is currently limited clinical experience with Arepanrix™ H1N1..”…this means no safety or effectiveness results exist at this time for the Canadian H1N1 vaccine. Those results will be recorded as the vaccine is injected into Canadians adults, children, infants and seniors alike.

7. “Elderly (>60 years): No clinical data are available for Arepanrix™ H1N1 in this age group. One dose of 0.5mL at an elected date may be considered“…….meaning they do not know if the vaccine works or if the vaccine is safe but they are going to inject it into the old people anyway and make them the first group to get it.

8. “Children and adolescents aged 10-17 years: No clinical data are available for any influenza vaccines with AS03 in this age group. Consideration may be given to dosing in accordance with recommendations for adults.”………..same as #7 above

9. “Children aged 3-9 years: Based on limited clinical data available for AS03-adjuvanted H5N1…”…….meaning they are basing the vaccine dose for this age group on very limited data from another vaccine that is not the H1N1 vaccine (H5N1 – not H1N1) so again they are doing this because no standard testing results exist regarding the Canadian H1N1 vaccine. They are giving out a vaccine that has not been tested under standard procedures.

10. “Children aged from 6-35 months: No clinical data are available for influenza vaccines with AS03 in this age group“…….same as comments from #7, #8 and #9.

11. “Warnings and Precautions -Caution is needed when administering this vaccine to persons with a known hypersensitivity (other than anaphylactic reaction) to the active substance, to any of the excipients and to residues”…….do you really think anyone will be given this list of ingredients or a similar list and be asked if they are “hypersensitive” to any of them? Are you hypersensitive to mercury? What kind of question is that and how are you supposed to know if you are hypersensitive to any of them when many are known toxins and carcinogens?

12. “As with all injectable vaccines, appropriate medical treatment and supervision should always be readily available in case of a rare anaphylactic event following the administration of the vaccine“………not too sure how this applies to giving the shot out at Grocery stores like the Health Unit has done in the past…….what kind of emergency medication and emergency equipment is going be on hand if someone collapses after the shot at an off site non-medical location. The same clause openly admits a fatal result can occur from vaccination, although rare.

13. “Arepanrix™ H1N1 should under no circumstances be administered intravascularly or intradermally“……..with millions of shots being given in weeks…….the statistically probability that a health care workers hits a vein is high.

14. “Antibody response in patients with endogenous or iatrogenic immunosuppression may be insufficient“……..this means things like Aspirin, Tylenol, other pain killers and immune suppression drugs actually shut off your immune system so taking those painkiller chemicals/toxins may not be a good idea when you are being injected with vaccine chemicals/toxins. I am not aware of anyone who gets screened for taking those drugs before they get the shot.

15. “Pregnancy and Lactation -No data have been generated in pregnant women with Arepanrix™ H1N1 nor with the prototype AS03 adjuvanted H5N1 vaccine“……meaning health officials have absolutely no data on how this vaccine affects women who are pregnant but they are going to give it to them anyway and mark them as a group who gets bullied into receiving the shot first. The female has always been a historical target of the male dominated medical industry. All the way from the witch hunts (women curing with food/natural items) until today.

16. “CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE TAKEN OF ANY RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY OF CANADA.”……….I believe this means you are supposed to do your own homework regarding the risks of the vaccine even though the media and the health care system are rarely telling people any particular risks (other than the blanket statement that there are risks in all vaccines) and the insert is hard to interpret even for the most informed individuals.

17. “No data are available on the concomitant administration of Arepanrix™ H1N1 with other vaccines, including seasonal trivalent influenza vaccines. Such data are in development, and this document will be amended to include them as soon as available. However, if co-administration with another vaccine is indicated, immunization should be carried out on separate limbs. It should be noted that the adverse reactions may be intensified”………..meaning they have no data on the safety of injecting this vaccine along with another vaccine but the medical industry gives a full speed ahead to do it anyway……it just means the patient will experience more side effects……..the exact same side effects they rarely talk about in public but list on the insert so they are not liable for your injuries.

18. Here are some of the potential side effects listed in the insert of the Canadian H1N1 vaccine. These side effects happened during the short testing period with another vaccine (that was not even the swine flu vaccine but only one similar) on healthy people (meaning they cherry picked their test subjects – not everyone getting the shot will be healthy) and the vaccine tested did not even include the adjuvant squalene, which is hypothesized to be one of the or the most dangerous ingredient in the new H1N1 vaccine.

Pain
Redness
Swelling
Fatigue
Headache
Arthralgia
Myalgia
Shivering
Sweating
Fever
Muscle Aches
Joint Pain
Blood and lymphatic system disorders -lymphadenopathy
Psychiatric disorders -insomnia
Nervous system disorders -dizziness, paraesthesia
Ear and labyrinth disorders -vertigo
Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders – dyspnoea
Gastrointestinal disorders nausea, diarrhoea,pain, vomiting, dyspepsia, stomach discomfort
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders – pruritus, rash
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders -back pain, musculoskeletal stiffness, neck pain, muscle spasms, pain in extremity
General disorders and administration site conditions injection site reactions (such as bruising, pruritus, asthenia, chest pain, malaise
*two instances of ovarian carcinoma (highly rare/potential link only)
*a metastatic malignancy of unspecified type (highly rare/potential link only)
exacerbation of diabetes mellitus and hepatic cirrhosis (highly rare/potential link only)
*a myocardial infarction (highly rare/potential link only)
*Bell’s palsy
*anaphylactic reaction to food
*convulsions
*neuritis
*psoriasis
*polymyalgia rheumatica
*Grave’s disease
*uveitis
*scleroderma
*isolated IVth nerve palsy
aerythema

* denotes effects from a vaccine test that did contain the adjuvant squlene
*** we can also be relieved that the makers of the vaccine have decided that many of these effects had very little or nothing to do with the vaccine…..that is a song they have played many times before.

That was a quick review up until page 10 of the 24 page insert. I had to stop because I believe that should be enough for anyone that these vaccines are highly questionable.

I also want to add one more link that compares this vaccine to the one used in the 1960's that was pushed on pregnant women as well. It was called Thalidomide, and was said to prevent morning sickness, and was also advertised as a cure for insomnia, cough, cold, and headaches and a minor side effect of pregnancy. “The drug was given to millions of pregnant mothers in 46 countries without proof of its benefits or harm to the fetus was ignored by the German drug manufacturer." Just like the H1N1 vaccine. As I mentioned earlier, it is illegal for any drug company to test vaccines on pregnant women or infants.

The truth is that no one knows for sure what the long-term effects of this vaccine are. Only time will tell. And since Canada has added it to the seasonal flu vaccine, it's not even an option anymore. If you want the flu shot, you're getting this strain too. I wish I could say that what they're doing is not amoral. But it is. They beefed up the stories of the people who died from it so they could get everyone in line to get the shot. And now what's left is the memory of what we were told. Sadly, this is nothing more than propaganda used to feed the fears of people who don't care enough to look up the information for themselves, or those too blind to recognize that money means more than lives, and the only "number" that counts is the one with the dollar sign in front of it. Not the one beside your name.

If this post does nothing else, I hope it makes you look at your lives, and the lives of your children, as something you need to fight for. Question what you're told. Research it. Make an educated decision. As the saying goes, "educate before you vaccinate". We can't UN-vaccinate. Once the damage is done, it's done. So know what you're talking about.

Carseat Safety--Infant Rear-Facing

This is something that people NEED to know. I've seen way too many babies in car seats that are just barely strapped in. I honestly think that the baby would be safer duct taped to the hood of their car. The biggest problem with this is that so many people have never taken the time to go to a car seat clinic and learn how to do this from an expert, and they've never bothered to read their car seat manual. (You know, it's that little booklet that comes with the car seat!) Just doing those two things could SAVE YOUR CHILD'S LIFE. It's basic, but so important!!


This photo shows the RIGHT WAY to put your child in their car seat.

Before our twins were born we took a car seat course at a prenatal health fair that we attended. We also had most of an entire night of our prenatal classes that was dedicated to car seats. Then, when the twins were in the NICU, I took an 1 1/2 hour course on car seat safety. (I was living in the hospital with them at the time and the nurses made me take the course to "get out and have a break".) I'm glad I did, though. It was by far the most detailed of the 3 clinics. Everyone should take go to a car seat clinic, and you can find out the dates and times of one near you by contacting your Public Health Unit. Just do it. It could save your child's life!

The most common problem I see when people have babies in car seats is where they locate the chest clip. I have seen them up at their neck, and down at their belly button, and everywhere in between! The chest clip belongs at ARMPIT LEVEL, to prevent damaging organs and to properly hold baby in place. It's not hard to do, and it can be one of the most important ways you can keep your baby safe. When these are put too low, they can no ONLY cause damage to organs, but your precious gift can come flying right out of the top of the 5-point harness. Don't depend on the leg straps to hold them in. All parts of your car seat are designed to work together to keep your baby safe. Many times parents who *think* their child is "being hurt" by the straps touching the sides of their neck, will go out and buy aftermarket strap covers. These can interfere with the positioning of the chest clip.

The next problem I see is with the straps themselves. People think that their child will be uncomfortable if the straps are tight. Better uncomfortable than dead, in my opinion. Straps need to be flat against the child's body, with just enough room under the strap for ONE finger. If you have any slack in the strapping, your child is NOT safe. Tighten, check, tighten, check... They need to lay flat on the child and not be twisted. Besides keeping your child from being ejected from their car seat, it also helps keep them sitting in it!!!

One of the worst things I've ever seen was just recently when a couple came to my home to purchase some of my baby items, and their son was wearing a thick winter coat. The coat forced the shoulder straps down around his ELBOWS. Seriously. (Grab the duct tape and knock the snow off the hood of the car, Ma! We's gotsta take the baby to town!) The shoulder straps are made to hold the baby in the car seat by holding them in by the SHOULDERS. (Not just a clever name here!) Unless that baby was secretly Superman's baby, I don't think he'd have the strength to hold himself in his car seat by the elbows. And coats often interfere with the positioning of the chest clip. See an example here.

On top of making it impossible to correctly position the shoulder straps, thick coats also add unnecessary bulk. If you strap your baby into his/her car seat and then take them out without loosening the straps, put them back in without their coat and see how much extra room there is. Are the straps still tight up against their body? If not, that coat is too thick. It will compress in an accident and your baby will be thrown from the car, or will become like a cannon ball flying around inside your car. Just picture that. I've read a story about a police officer who went to the scene of an accident and found the winter jacket of an infant strapped securely into the car seat, and the infant had been thrown out of it. Don't let it happen to your child!!! The car seat "bags" that you thread the straps through are also unsafe because it adds bulk. Never add anything to your car seat that was not included when you purchased it. To keep your baby warm, dress them in a long-sleeved shirt (there is no difference between a shirt made of jersey and a thin sweatshirt), and put them in their car seat. Once strapped in safely, you can either put a blanket over them (do not tuck it in behind them), or put their jacket on backwards, arms in sleeves. Again, don't tuck it in behind them.

My next pet-peeve is seeing babies in car seats that clearly exceed the weight and/or height limit specified on the SIDE OF THE CAR SEAT. Your child MUST be an inch below the top of the car seat for it to be used safely. When you get in an accident, the car seat is designed to push up against the back of the seat it's strapped to. It covers your child in what would look like half an egg. The "shell" of the car seat surrounds your child and keeps them safe. The weight maximum isn't just a suggestion, either. It's the MAXIMUM weight that can be safely put in that seat!!! When your child outgrows their car seat, buy them a seat that can be rear-facing until at least a year old...preferably until they reach the weight/height maximum stated on the side of the seat! Your child is 500% safer staying extended-rear-facing. Even if your child was the first one ever to end up with broken legs/ankles, wouldn't that be better than your child being internally decapitated?! I think so! Please watch this video. It will open your eyes.

This is my own daughter in her car seat, using a car seat cover. It slips on over the top of the car seat, and does not interfere with any aspect of the strapping whatsoever. In my opinion, this is the only safe way to keep your baby safe and warm at the same time. (I want to mention that I'm not a Leaf's fan...my husband is. So please don't judge me on that. LMAO!)

Another danger in car seats are the added padding some parents add to their child's car seat. These not only create extra bulk, but are not fire-resistant. Your child could potentially burn to death while strapped into their seat, unable to escape. Sound harsh? I speak the truth. Read what carseat.org has to say about it. Never add ANY aftermarket accessories to your car seat except rolled receiving blankets...they are the ONLY acceptable addition to your car seat! Besides being a fire hazard, and having the potential to add unnecessary bulk, you will find that many after-market products proper positioning of the chest clip or shoulder straps impossible. Save your money. Things like this are dangerous and a waste of money.

Your car seat manual will tell you how to safely install your seat and/or base. PLEASE read it, and have it checked by your local fire dept. to ensure it was done properly.

And I shouldn't have to say this, but NEVER put your child's rear-facing car seat in the front seat of your car. It could kill them. Even if your air bags are disabled, it is possible that they could inflate in an accident. This warning should be clearly stated in your car seat manual, as well as on the back of the passengers sun visor.

My last statement on infant seats is this: The shoulder straps should come from AT or BELOW your infant's shoulders. If you are unsure of the fit, stick a Popsicle stick through the back of the seat to find where it sits on your child.

When your child moves into a forward-facing seat, those straps need to be AT or ABOVE their shoulders.