A tree hugger I'm not...redux

Since I've had so many new visitors lately, I've decided to repost the first blog entry I wrote, back in August. I just like to remind people of what the Green Grandma blog is all about.

Of course, the site has evolved somewhat since its inception, and the focus is not always on environmental issues, but also includes health-related posts, particularly in the realm of children's health. Sometimes I even deal with mental health issues.

But it can all be wrapped up in my mission statement of "combining old-fashioned ways with 21st century common sense..." Whether I write about the environment or health, it all comes down to common sense solutions to the problems.

With that said, here is a repost of my very first blog entry from August 20, 2009, with an update:

A while back, my cousin suggested I start blogging on environmental issues and call my site, Green Grandma. It took a few months of contemplating my purpose in this.

First of all, don't let the name fool you...I'm by no means a liberal tree-hugger. Politically, I lean more toward a moderate to conservative point of view. However, I get quite frustrated with the whole concept of one party over the other caring about the environment. I, for one, do care. As a matter of fact, I seem to care much more than many of the people I know who lean a different way.

That said, let me expound on why I'm starting this blog and why my cousin, Kelly, suggested the name "Green Grandma" for me.

In October of 2008, my precious first grandbaby was born to my youngest daughter. The lovely little Lady Laura has motivated me to be even more environmentally conscious than I'd been in the past. After all, this is the world we're leaving behind for her. I have to care.
Fortunately, my concern for the environment has spilled over to my daughters as well. As a result, Laura wears only cloth diapers. We will never add a disposable diaper to a landfill because it goes against everything in us.

Ewww. Many of you are cringing right now. Why? Because a parent/grandparent/aunt/uncle/babysitter might get their hands a little dirty? Oh please. Rinsing out a cloth diaper in the toilet is not all that difficult. Messy? Sometimes. But doable. And well worth it. Every time I hang diapers on the line to dry, I remind myself that I am investing in Laura's future. Maybe I don't have much money to put aside for her. But I can invest in this planet she'll inherit.

There are a lot of naysayers when it comes to using cloth diapers. People will protest and even try to use environmental excuses.

"Washing diapers uses too much water."

Well, I hate to burst that bubble, but in actuality, it takes far more water to manufacture disposables than it does to wash cloth diapers throughout the two years or so a child wears them. Plus, according to the law, it is illegal to put human waste in the landfills. Guess what that means, folks? That means disposables should technically be washed out before being thrown away! You may as well just use cloth...especially if you consider yourself a law-abiding citizen.

Let me say that I'm proud of my daughter, Jessica. She could take the easy way out. Despite her desire to be a fulltime SAHM (Stay at Home Mom), her need for benefits makes that impossible for her right now. So every morning she's up early nursing and caring for her baby and getting herself ready for work. Some mornings she drives Laura to my home so I can watch her and other mornings she hands over her parenting duties to her husband. Work is stressful and the days are long. Jess spends lunch hours standing in the Ladies' Room pumping bottles. Evenings are spent doing normal mommy things, plus washing, drying and folding diapers. It would be much more convenient to pop open some formula and slap on some disposable diapers. But who ever said life as a parent was supposed to be convenient? Like I said, I'm proud of my daughter, Jessica. In today's world of celebrities, bigger-than-life politicians and super heroes, she is my hero.  UPDATE:  Jess was able to leave her job earlier this month and, for now, fulfill her heart's desire, and be a SAHM.

Yeah, you can call me Green Grandma....it's a title I'm honored to wear.

Keeping it green,

Hana

The Purpose-Driven Breast

Let’s face it…debates over breast milk vs. formula can get as heated as a lit sparkler in a child’s hand (never a good idea, folks)!

Yes, it’s a matter of choice. No, there aren’t any laws dictating what you are to feed your baby. But there is a common sense factor here – which is, after all, the theme of the Green Grandma blog: combining old-fashioned ways with 21st century common sense!

Before I ruffle too many formula feeders feathers (nice alliteration, don’t you think?), let me preface by saying I’m only pointing out the facts on the benefits of breastfeeding. That doesn’t preclude some of the benefits you may find by feeding your baby formula.

Let’s start at the very beginning (a very good place to start). Before you even know you’re pregnant, your breasts seem to take on a life of their own. A-cups start fitting nicely into B-cups, Bs into Cs, and so on. While you may enjoy the burgeoning voluptuousness, the tenderness you experience is another story altogether. But there’s no stopping this natural progression. Your body prepares itself for what it was created to do – nourish your little one(s). And it can’t read your mind! If you don’t plan to nurse, it doesn’t stop its preparations….and engorgement is the unfortunate consequence that follows if the milk is not released by a suckling baby soon after he/she is born.

There are countless benefits to breastfeeding, both for the baby and the mother as well.

Moms benefit in the following ways:

• If you have a family history of breast cancer, breastfeeding cuts your risk of developing breast cancer before menopause by 50% or more.
• You never have to worry about running out of formula and sending daddy out on a late night run for some.
• You will bond with your baby in a way unique only to nursing mothers.
• There will be a significant delay in getting your period after having the baby. A word of caution here: don’t think this means you can’t get pregnant while nursing – just ask any number of moms out there with children really close in age!
• Breastfeeding produces a calming effect in the early weeks and months postpartum. This is due to the brain’s release of the hormones oxytocin and prolactin. Goodbye pre-birth moodiness. Hello serenity! This is a perk for daddy as well.
• Weight loss – if you’re nursing, you’ll be burning about 600 calories more daily than if you were using formula. Now that’s real motivation!
• You’ll save $$ -- tons of it, in fact. Let’s face it…there’s no comparison in the cost here.

And let’s not forget the benefits your child will reap:

• Research indicates a sizable drop in the risk for SIDS.
• Babies who are breastfed experience fewer allergy problems.
• The chance of becoming obese in their teen years is significantly less.
• Nursed infants are more immune to infections such as: diarrhea, ear infections, herpes simples, haemophilus infuenze, and RSV (respiratory syncytical virus).
• There is also a good deal of research suggesting a measurable increase in IQ and cognitive reasoning skills in breastfed babies.

The rest of us benefit as well when you choose to breastfeed your baby, because breastfeeding is much kinder to the environment. A green alternative to formula feeding, it produces nothing that will later reside in the landfills. Plus, think of the lack of manufacturing needed, as well as all the environmental costs of transporting the formula to the various outlets. It all adds up.

While some moms opt for disposable breast pads, there are greener alternatives to these as well – you can make your own cloth liners, purchase washable ones or try what has been described as “the revolutionary new alternative to traditional breast pads combining such unique features as flexibility, breathability, invisibility and ‘sticks to you ability’ to provide the kind of protection every expectant and nursing mother needs.” LilyPadz® can be purchased online or in stores like Target. Check them out at www.lilypadz.com.

“But I have to go back to work. I can’t breastfeed!” I hear you saying. Let me refer you to my daughter on that one. She’s been working fulltime and breastfeeding exclusively for over eight months now…plus using only cloth diapers! It’s called a breast pump and it’s really not that big of a deal. I can put you in touch with her if you’d like. She’ll be happy to discuss the benefits and challenges associated with working fulltime while breastfeeding. Maybe I’ll have her guest blog one of these days.

As always, this information is just for your consideration.

Keeping it green,

Hana