My friend Amy has been telling me about this for some time, and I’ve let it go without mentioning. Yet, it’s sooooooo important. Those of us on the other side of pregnancy, need to pitch in and make our voices heard. I’m posting about it quickly without the usual matching comic, because the vote is tomorrow. I’ll try and come up with a comic later today, I’ve been slogging in the garden all day (dearest superhusband got about 60 plants from work, so we had to get them all in the ground. It’s gorgeous!!!!) AND I was doing a podcast with Tanya of the Motherwear Blog AND finishing up the 2nd draft of the THIRD Hathor book ZINES,SLINGS, and OTHER DO IT YOURSELF THINGS.

anyway, on with the action alert. (a disclaimer, whenever I post about anti-depressants, I always hear from a couple of mothers who feel like anti-depressants saved their life. Okay. Great. Take a deep breath, and realize that this is about the bigger picture, EVERY woman being tested in pregnancy for PPD. The test being HIGHLY subjective. MOST woman being prescribed anti-depressants. And ALL women having no choice in the matter. Being able to take an anti-depressant if you feel like you really need it, is very different from HAVING to take one whether you want to or not).

STOP THE MOTHERS Act - A nationwide screening program for psychiatric disorders which encourages drugs to pregnant and postpartum women
URGENT - VISIT http://uniteforlife.org/MOTHERpress.htm and call the HELP Committee and HELP Committee Chair Senator Edward Kennedy TODAY! 2/13/08 They are looking at this tomorrow, Valentine’s Day. OBAMA is a cosponsor.

To the HELP Committee of the United States Senate:

For years, the March of Dimes has warned not to use meds while pregnant. Why now encourage mothers to take drugs?

Please register this extreme objection to the proposed MOTHERS Act (S. 1375) which is now before you in committee. It is my earnest hope that you will immediately defeat this bill in committee. The bill has been brought to you under the guise of ensuring safety or support for new mothers- however, nothing could be further from the truth.

The bill was originally proposed in response to the death by suicide of Melanie Stokes, a pharmaceutical rep. who took her own life by leaping from a balcony several stories off of the ground. Contrary to popular understanding it was not post-partum depression that killed Melanie, but the numerous antidepressant drugs she was taking, which the FDA confirmed double the suicide risk.

Nobody is suggesting that new moms do not ever experience mood swings, depression, or even psychotic episodes. The more important issue is what the effect of this bill will be and why nobody is addressing potential methods of prevention. Everyone knows how many young moms experience gestational diabetes, but who is addressing the even higher rate of gestational hypoglycemia, which often initially manifests as depression? This is a physical condition that is treated with diet and is exacerbated by antidepressants (which list hypoglycemia as a side effect).

To simply screen women for post-partum mood disorders and ensure that they get “treatment,” we would be setting families up for the expectation of tragedy and increasing the chances of that actually happening when we refer them to medical “professionals” who are oblivious to the negative mind-altering effects of psychiatric drugs. A popular opinion among medical caregivers these days is that “post-partum mood disorders” must be a sign of an underlying biochemical imbalance and would be corrected with drugs.

Current drugs used on post-partum women include SSRIs, atypical antidepressants, and even antipsychotic drugs. These pose a significant risk to the immediate safety and health of women as well as their children and families. SSRIs carry a black box warning for suicide and the most popular one, Effexor (the same med. Andrea Yates was taking when she drowned her 5 children), has the words “homicidal ideation” listed as a side effect. Nearly every recent case of infanticide which has made news can be clearly linked back to a psychiatric drug. These drugs endanger babies and mothers.

Additionally, the drugs can be extremely addictive and also pose a risk to nurslings or babies exposed in subsequent pregnancies. Some babies have died from SIDS linked to exposure from pregnancy or nursing; others have experienced coma, seizures, GI bleeding, heart defects, lung problems, and many babies died before reaching full term or soon after birth.

The bill does not address the fact that studies show that biological agents (antidepressants for example) cited in the bill and already prescribed to pregnant women can cause congenital heart birth defects where children have had to undergo open-heart surgeries to correct this. Also, some babies are being born with organs outside their bodies, requiring immediate surgery.

In closing I want to re-emphasize the total lack of any real answer to post-partum depression posed by this bill. If we can prevent post-partum depression or support moms through it, or offer proven SAFE and EFFECTIVE natural alternatives to dangerous drugs, then we should. However we should never, ever become party to a pharmaceutical campaign to push drugs on the public. We will set ourselves up for disaster if we allow an invasion into the privacy of every family in the country and suggest to our most vulnerable citizens that they might be mentally ill.

We must do everything in our power to protect innocent children, and giving their mothers addictive drugs which pose a significant risk of causing suicide and violence does not protect anyone. It does cause the child to become addicted while still in the womb and sets up drug dependence which can be lifelong.

We still have no idea what effect most drugs have on developing brains. It might take decades for the impact on the developing brain to become apparent.

For information on the research pertaining to the risks of antidepressants and other treatments for new moms and their babies, details about the Melanie Stokes case (or you can read the letter by Dr. Ann Blake Tracy at http://uniteforlife.org/MOTHERSact.htm#drtracymothersact), as well as information on prevention strategies and safe, effective treatments for post-partum mood disorders, please contact us.

Sincerely,

Amy Philo
Founder, www.uniteforlife.org
Co-Founder, www.chaada.org

Camille Milke
Founder, www.copesfoundation.com
New Mexico State Director of the ICFDA (http://www.drugawareness.org/home.html)
Mother of a victim of psychiatric drug-induced suicide and grandmother to a now motherless child

Dr. Ann Blake Tracy
Executive Director of the ICFDA
http://www.drugawareness.org/home.html
Author of Prozac: Pancaea or Pandora? Our Serotonin Nightmare

Addendum

(available online: http://www.uniteforlife.org/MOTHERpress.htm)

Prevention and Alternatives Information from UNITE (www.uniteforlife.org):

I. Danger of drugs
A. Inducing suicide and homicide
http://uniteforlife.org/SSRIs%20and%20Suicide.html
http://www.drugawareness.org/home.html
www.ssristories.com
www.breggin.com
www.healyprozac.com
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/antidepressants/default.htm
http://www.fda.gov/cder/warn/2007/Effexor_XRPromo.pdf
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/04n0330/04N-0330-EC16.html
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/04/slides/2004-4065OPH1_04_Bostock_files/frame.htm#slide0012.htm,

B. Addiction, subsequent pregnancies threatened, nurslings threatened:
http://uniteforlife.org/motherdetails.htm (details on spontaneous abortions and other pregnancy risks)
http://uniteforlife.org/breastfeeding.html
http://uniteforlife.org/antidepressants%20in%20pregnancy%20articles.html
http://uniteforlife.org/developing%20brains.htm
http://uniteforlife.org/health%20risks%20ssris.html
http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/SAFETY/2005/Paxil_DHCP%20Letter_Dec%202005.pdfhttp://www.fda.gov/medwaTCH/SAFETY/2002/Zoloft_USPI_rev4.pdf (See pages 17-18, Pregnancy paragraph - which states that an increase in stillbirths and newborn deaths occurred from pregnancy plus nursing exposure)

Note: despite claims of minimal exposure to nurslings by some health professionals, the data on “safety” of nursing a baby while taking SSRIs and antipsychotics is based on an extremely small sample (nevermind that serious adverse events have been observed even in the few studies actually done). For SSRIs the studies amount to a few dozen people, many of which were also supplementally feeding formula. The Zyprexa study purported to study only 7 nursing couples and only examined 6 children’s blood. See http://uniteforlife.org/zyprexa%20objection.htm for more information on the risks of Zyprexa.

II. Prevention of Post-Partum Mood Disorders:

A. Avoid interventions in childbirth: HOME BIRTH or midwifery or otherwise natural childbirth statistically results in LESS PPD…

Mothers Can Avoid (Specifically):

1. Labor drugs, including pitocin which interferes with normal oxytocin stimulation of uterine contractions (oxytocin is the love hormone and sets off many chemicals in the brain associated with normal maternal bonding & protective behavior)
2. IVs with glucose water during labor which can lead to complications in the newborn like perceived excessive weight loss, hypoglycemia, thus creating “mommy guilt” from feeling as if she is unable to sustain her own baby’s survival due to perceived inadequate milk supply and subsequent breastfeeding difficulty when baby is inevitably given supplemental feedings
3. Avoid epidural which can cause breastfeeding difficulties in the newborn and may be associated with mood problems (the anesthesia fentanyl in the epidural is derived from cocaine)
4. Avoid episiotomy which can lead to excessive blood loss and fatigue as well as significant pain leading to use of pain medications
5. Avoid restrictive dieting before / after childbirth which can cause preterm labor (not having enough calories and protein leads to low albumin and high blood pressure), low blood sugar and lack of energy
6. Avoid epinephrine, which is often necessary in labor because of fetal distress or maternal distress (trouble breathing, low blood pressure) which are side effects in both mom and baby from pitocin or other augmentation as well as epidurals. Epinephrine is synthetic adrenaline and has been linked to mental disturbances.

B. Post-partum period:
1. FOR MANY WEEKS MOMS WILL NEED: someone to help with meals, chores, child care, etc. Without that, women ARE FAR MORE LIKELY to feel “symptoms” of depression, anxiety, etc.
2. MOMS WILL NEED someone to help with breastfeeding if they are inexperienced or have problems. They can contact a La Leche League Leader or an IBCLC. Loss of breastfeeding is sometimes associated with PPD due to additional hormonal changes in moms, while breastfeeding itself is thought to ease PPD due to numerous factors.
3. MOMS (and families) WILL FEEL BETTER if they cosleep because they will be well-rested and breastfeeding will be easier. For safety tips on cosleeping moms can use common sense or write to amy@uniteforlife.org for more info. Contrary to campaigns by the Crib Manufacturers SIDS is actually more common in cribs.

III. Alternatives to Drugs:

1. Screen for underlying medical conditions such as Thyroid disorders, anemia, etc. and treat those as safely as is possible. Thyroid disorders such as hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism (or both - postpartum thyroiditis) are quite common and can cause depression or anxiety. Often the first sign of hypoglycemia is depression which can be handled by eating often - 6 small meals per day helps keep the blood sugar level normal.
2. Omega 3 Supplements (From Fish Oil, Flaxseed, etc.)
3. Exercise (although initially excessive exercise will not help a woman, after childbirth it is necessary to rest in order to recover, and not lose too much blood)
http://uniteforlife.org/exercise.html Medication shown to cause relapse, exercise MORE effective than antidepressant drugs
4. Some people feel that counseling is effective
5. Some people find alternative treatments effective, for example: chiropractic, homeopathy (even for PSYCHOSIS), accupuncture, energy work, etc.
6. MOMS can FIND A SUPPORT GROUP or helpful PERSON but NOT one that will push them to use drugs.

IV. Alternative Ways to Support American Families:
If the government really wants to help moms, why not educate on these common sense strategies, push for better maternity leave allowances, improve obstetric cooperation with midwifery, or promote paternity leave or leave for grandparents who can help new mothers during their time of need?

V. The Bill Violates Basic American Principles and Rights:
Mothers want time in PEACE and PRIVACY to be with their new babies to bond. They DO NOT need to be dragged off to an invasive and dangerous screening for mental problems. The power of suggestion alone is enough to scare a significant amount of moms and this invasion of privacy goes far beyond anything EVER imposed on the U.S. Public.

Furthermore, similar programs like Teen Screen have been a total failure with an 84% or higher misdiagnosis rate. The vast majority of these misdiagnosed students were referred to mental health practitioners and put on drugs.

==================
Additional Critiques of the Bill
==================

There is no language in the bill that protects thousands of mothers being erroneously screened and drugged with antidepressants that medical studies show cause birth defects and withdrawal symptoms, devastating families and driving up health care costs to treat these iatrogenic-caused conditions.

The bill seeks more appropriations to the National Institutes of Health to research postpartum depression but doesn’t specify how the funds are to be used. For example, during the past 3 years, NIMH has already spent more than $10 million on 38 studies of PPD, yet the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine lists no grants on its website for such research.

There is no language about the diverse medical opinion and studies about “post partum depression” and whether it exists as a mental disability or as a physical condition that can be treated by normal medical or alternative means.

While the bill promotes more research into the condition, it doesn’t provide safeguards about this research and the effects of biological agents on the fetus–with studies suggesting that antidepressants may exert an impact on developmental processes of the embryo, and cause higher rates of premature delivery, low birth weight, admissions to intensive care units, and poor neonatal adaptation, including respiratory and feeding difficulties in infants.

The way in which the bill is currently worded could lead to thousands of suits as hundreds have already been filed concerning antidepressant use during pregnancy that has resulted in infants being born with a life-threatening lung disorder, PPHN and that between 10% and 20% of infants born with PPHN end up dying, even when they receive treatment.

Love,
Heather

So, I had this idea in mind to replace all the words with other words, to get kind of mad-libby with these ’so-called’ papers and studies that sneeringly discuss breastfeeding (and what the heck, ANY of our mother issues, right?) And as I was mulling it, working it out in my head, Mark Morford wrote this excellent piece on Scientific Studies:
Study says many studies suck
Research shows we are far too drunk on stupid studies that tell us what research shows
Here’s a quote:

Look, I know. Studies rule. Studies are our cultural cocaine. We cannot get enough. I cite them all the time myself in this very column. Many studies are incredibly helpful and informative, and without the trillions of formal scientific studies we’ve enjoyed to date we would know precious little about everything from medicine to human behavior to how many orgasms a woman can have in a day (unlimited!) to the average number of erections a healthy male gets in his sleep (5.3!) and the exact number of times George W. Bush and his scabrous lizards lied to the nation so as to lead us into a disgusting and horrid war (935!) and, well, a million other Very Important Things.

And speaking of, here is a lovely, important, enlightening study that I would like to tell you about (thanks Jeanne!) I have a copy but I’m forbidden to share it…but here’s a bit: ‘As good as chocolate’ and ‘better than ice cream’: How toddler, and older, breastfeeders experience breastfeeding by Karleen D. Gribble

This study revealed that breastfeeding can be a time of intimacy between mother and child, with the child connecting with his/her mother by stroking her or talking with her during breastfeeds. Breastfeeding was also shown to be something that was integrated into daily life as children continued to play, watch television or read a book while breastfeeding. While the intimacy associated with breastfeeding often leads to it being described as a special time between mother and child (Dignam, 1995), it is evident that breastfeeding can also be very ordinary and not separated from other aspects of life. Further research to elucidate what activities mothers might be involved in while breastfeeding may provide a greater understanding of how mothers incorporate breastfeeding into their lives. The responses that children gave to questions about why they breastfed and what they feel like when they breastfeed validated maternal perceptions about why children breastfeed. Children said that they really liked breastfeeding, that it had a calming and relaxing impact on them and that when they breastfeed they feel close to their mother. Children also explicitly stated that they breastfed because they like the milk but their enjoyment of breastmilk can also be deduced from their descriptions of the taste of breastmilk. Many children compared breastmilk to a type of milk such as cows’ milk, rice milk, a flavoured milk or just plain milk and given that breastmilk is indeed a type of milk this is not unexpected. Many children also stated that breastmilk tasted like something sweet, for example, like a type of fruit, chocolate, sugar, cordial, jam, lollies or ice cream. They also compared the taste of breastmilk to a sweet food using phrases such as ‘better than ice cream’ or ‘as good as chocolate’ or indeed simply describing the milk as ‘sweet’. Again, this is not unexpected since breastmilk contains a relatively high concentration of the sugar, lactose (Emmett & Rogers, 1997). Some children compared the taste of breastmilk to foods that do not immediately appear to resemble characteristics of breastmilk such as cheese, peanut butter or ‘McDonalds’. However, a large proportion of the children described breastmilk as being yummy or nice or said that they like or love the taste and this may be the thread that combines all of the descriptions the children used. It appears that children like the taste of breastmilk and when asked to describe its flavour they compare it to a food they consider delicious. It is also worth noting that children’s descriptions of breastmilk can provide diagnostic information as the children of two mothers who had recently had mastitis described the milk as sometimes tasting ‘salty’ or ‘yucky’. Mastitis changes the flavour of milk by increasing the salt concentration and mothers sometimes report breast refusal as the first symptom of developing the condition. Mothers’ recall of conversations they had had with their children about breastfeeding provided insight into how children view breasts and breastfeeding. It appears that many of these long-termbreastfeeders saw the world through a lens where breastfeeding is normal and expected and where breasts are for breastfeeding. This view of breastfeeding may have arisen from children’s experience of breastfeeding themselves or from regularly seeing others breastfeed. This is in contrast to the view predominant in many developed countries where breasts are considered a sex organ (Dettwyler, 1995a; Stearns, 1999). The sexualisation of breasts has resulted in many, including children, believing that breastfeeding is an activity to be performed only in private (Russell, Richards, Jones, & Hoddinott, 2004; Stearns, 1999). The resultant stigma associated with breastfeeding in public remains a significant barrier to women successfully breastfeeding (Hannan et al., 2005; Li et al., 2004). It is likely that the breastfeeders in this study will assimilate the dominant culture’s sexualisation of breasts as they grow but perhaps they will also retain an acceptance of the nurturing role of breasts and carry this into adulthood and parenting….

Conclusions Despite the WHO/UNICEF breastfeeding duration recommendations, in developed countries, very few children are breastfed beyond infancy. The social pressure to wean early is an important factor preventing a greater incidence of long-term breastfeeding. Part of the pressure to wean stems from the common belief that breastfeeding is something that mothers somehow impose on their children. This study shows that, to the contrary, long-term breastfeeders actively seek breastfeeding from their mothers because they find it pleasurable and helpful in dealing with stress. An understanding of breastfeeding as experienced by children may aid in removal of the stigma associated with breastfeeding beyond infancy. Learning about breastfeeding via observation, discussion and role-play is common amongst long-term breastfeeders and further research is needed to elucidate the significance that this might have in the ability of girls to breastfeed their children when they themselves become mothers.

But of course, we (the enlightened mamas on this blog ;o) already know all of that didn’t we? This is the rare study, one with a hypothesis that maybe just maybe, the bonds between mother and child should be respected and nurtured and then seeks information to support that hypothesis.

Unfortunately the large proportion of studies right now- millions and billions of them- are hell–bent on showing that perhaps CIO is just fine (if the study is heavily manipulated), perchance formula is almost as good (ignore the warning labels, please!), maybe full-term breastfeeders are loony. These studies seem almost (dare I say?) worded to let the mainstream culture (and the super-independent lifestyle) off the hook. They’re piling on, trying to drown out the simple lifestyle choice of family, and things that you just KNOW to be true.

so I agree with Mark Morford:

This, then, is the danger: Despite the frequent inanity, despite the insulting silliness of much of the information, we’ve been led to believe that it is only through a relentless obsession with tiny, data-driven studies that we can obtain real knowledge, real understanding of what we’re about and how we should eat, sleep, screw, breathe.

As such, we risk perhaps the most vital and precious aspect of human understanding, our innate sense that everything is far, far more complicated and messy and juicy and fluidly interconnected, far more non-dissectible than we like to imagine, and in fact trying to dismember human experience into its drab components merely destroys the holistic integrity of the whole damnable circus.

Look at it this way: It’s a bit like touching your lover softly, carefully on the lips. It’s either a dry, mappable array of specific nerve endings and chemicals and saliva glands and swarms of bacteria and random synapses screaming their desperate need to procreate, or it’s, well, pure goddamn poetry. Study says: Your choice.

Yep, your choice.

Love,
Heather

(sleep deprived, I HOPE this made sense ;o) but man, that was a FUN birthday party!

The Musing is related to this Comic: Marginal Scientists!
and this Comic: scientists manipulate!
and this Musing: Parenting Culture Studies, huh?

http://www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com/

There was a screening of the movie at a local theater at 11:00 am on a Sunday. I left the kiddies with darling super-husband and went ALL BY MYSELF. Silly, I go to the grocery store and other types of shopping by myself sometimes. But, I can’t remember when, if ever, I went to a theater by myself. Quite fun actually. The theater filled to capacity, the movie was VERY good, if it won’t change minds about how and where we birth, I don’t know what will. I was completely convinced that homebirth is the way to go. Of course, I was convinced before, but now even more so ;o) After the movie we were able to ask questions of Ricki Lake (the producer) and Abby Epstein (the director) which was definitely a perk of living in a giant city, and made me feel all star-struck and stuff. Netflix is going to release the DVD on February 26th, so start planning your home viewing/party/gathering now!

this is also a good time to sign up to come to the Trust Birth Conference! in early March. I’ll be there all weekend and already have plans to meet with a mama friend from this lovely cyberworld of ours. If you come to the conference, send me a note and we’ll all go out for eats together!

love,
Heather

And why won’t Heather write the word S*X? (answer: because Lord Knows what the hell will link here if I do! Can you imagine the amount of Porn? So, bear with me while I add a tiny asterisk to the middle of a three letter word, as if that will confuse the spiders and robots and googlemonsters of the world ;o)

Over the next few days I’ll be posting four comics that attempt to answer that question of why is breastfeeding equated with S*X. I think you’ll find it funny, AND bawdy and that this is not a good week to teach the kids to read with Hathor comics ;o) Unless of course you’ve been wanting to have a little ‘talk’ with your youngster and then by all means.

Enjoy!
xox,
Heather

I planned to write a couple of days ago, but I’ve been in the thick of a bunch of sick-o stuff. We have a tooth abscess, a possibly broken finger, the vomits, a sore throat, and lice. I kid you not. such is the life as a host organism with a brood of wee ones! (CAUTION! if you think that parasites can’t happen to you, and you scoff or some such thing. You will get parasites three fold. It’s the way the universe works. Lice, Pinworms, fungus. With your name on it!) So this is the third of six new Resolutions, I promise I’ll get through them pronto!

I am reading the BEST book! I usually wait until I finish, but I’m too excited! For my birthday I got a little mad money, so I went to my local BIG BOX bookstore ;o( and waiting on a table, just inside the door…

I’m telling you, it’s fabulous! Really. Here it is in a nutshell:

DEATH to the SUPERMARKETS BAKE BREAD PLAY THE UKULELE OPEN THE VILLAGE HALL Action is futile Quit moaning MAKE MUSIC STOP CONSUMING START PRODUCING BACKTOTHELAND SMASH USURY EMBRACE BEAUTY EMBRACE POVERTY HAIL THE CHISEL IGNORE the STATE REFORM IS FUTILE ANARCHY IN THE UK HAIL THE SPADE HAILTHEHORSE HAILTHEQUILL LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR BE CREATIVE FREE YOUR SPIRIT DIG THE EARTH MAKE COMPOST LIFE IS ABSURD WE ARE FREE BE MERRY_
How To Be Free byTom Hodgkinson is now out in paperback for £7.99 (Penguin) “Essential” –Time Out “Invigorating” –The Independent “Inspiring” –Psychologies

But it is so much more…check out the website: the idler and perhaps send him a note telling him that he rocks! I plan on doing that this morning…

Love,
Heather

ps. the calendars are FLYING off my desk, I’m ordering more right now…don’t forget to get thy order in pronto (It’s still early!)