The Fatal Consequences Of Tampons

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Amy Rae Elifritz (The "ARE" in "You ARE Loved") was a healthy 20y/o with a full life ahead of her until June 13, 2010, when she died suddenly of Toxic Shock Syndrome(TSS). {You can read about her in the PDF brochure HERE}. From that time on, Lisa(her mom) has been committed to doing everything possible to raise awareness.  In 2011, she founded the non-profit organization You ARE Loved.  As of June 2011, the organization has already reached tens of thousands of people through face-to-face educational programs and online awareness initiatives.




WHAT IS TSS?


TSS develops when the common bacteria, Staphylococcus Aureus, produce a toxin which is absorbed into the bloodstream. The toxin rapidly overwhelms the immune system and attacks the major organs, leading to kidney failure, collapse of the lungs and in severe cases, cardiac arrest. Alarmingly, half of all known cases of Toxic Shock are women using TAMPONS.

Symptoms of TSS

• Sore throat
• Aching muscles
• High temperature; over 102 degrees F
• Vomiting
• Watery diarrhea
• Red rash
• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Very low blood pressure

Only one or two symptoms may occur. They do not necessarily occur all at once and may not persist.

What You Should Do

• Remove the tampon (save it if possible)
• Seek IMMEDIATE medical attention
• Inform the doctor that you have been using tampons
• Take TSS information leaflet with you

After Effects of TSS?

Survivors of Toxic Shock Syndrome may have been hospitalized for weeks and there is usually a long recovery period. They may have suffered:

• Loss of fingers and toes due to gangrene
• Permanent kidney and liver damage
• Deafness and blindness
• Peeling skin, and loss of nails and hair
• Continual infections
• Short term memory loss
• No energy for months or even years
• Psychological and emotional distress

To Reduce the Risk of TSS

• Use a Menstrual Cup
• Only use tampons made of organic cotton
• Use the lowest absorbency needed at each stage of your period
• Avoid using tampons continuously during a period. Alternate with sanitary pads at night so the toxins have time to dissipate.
• Use a pad at the end of your period
• Change tampons every 4 to 6 hours
• Don’t use tampons if you’ve had any unusual discharge
• Wash your hands before and after use and handle the tampon as little as possible
• Alert your family and friends to the symptoms and emergency action required
• Read and keep this information leaflet or the leaflet inside the tampon packet

If you have ever had TSS, NEVER – EVER use tampons again!

What Causes TSS?

There are two types of TSS, one is caused by Staphylococcus aureus and the other type occurs during menstruation with the use of tampons. Vaginal tampons, especially those containing any synthetic ingredients like viscose rayon, create the physical-chemical conditions that allow for TSST-1 toxin production to degress dependent upon the composition of the tampon and the environment it creates. Research clearly shows that the toxins of Staphylococcus aureus are amplified by these tampons. (the tampon connection).

There has never been a case of TSS caused by the use of all-cotton tampons.

I highly recommend looking into menstrual cups

over the all cotton tampons. 

Lunette Cup(I own this)

Diva Cup

Even Cloth pads would be better

Milk Sharing: Why And How!!

This week is National Milk Sharing Week 2011. If you want to know more about it, here is a link for more information:


http://www.worldmilksharingweek.org/

In honor of this week, I am going to write about the who, what, where, when, why and how of milk sharing. Let's begin with the WHAT...


What is "Milk Sharing":


When a mom that has plenty/extra breastmilk not being used and wants to share it with a mom that for whatever reason is not able to provide enough breastmilk of her own for her child, but, doesn't want or can't use formula.


Why "Milk Share":


There are many reasons parents seek out milk sharing for their babies. Some preemies are very formula intolerant and develop necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) because of this. Studies have shown that preemies fed breastmilk are less likely to develop the condition. 


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110430171122.htm 

Some moms have had double mastectomies and cannot breastfeed, but, want their children to still get the milk instead.


Some women have insufficient glandular tissue (IGT) and find it hard to produce quite enough. Therefore, they choose donor milk to bridge the gap instead of formula.


Other moms adopt and find that relactaction is not something they want to do or can't do, so, donor milk it is. 


Another reason some people go for donor milk is that the mom has passed away soon before or after the birth of the child and the dad knew mom wanted to nurse and chooses to get donor milk for baby.


Then, there are beauties like Anaya(She is a 2 y/o with Krabbe's Disease http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002178/) who have thrived off the generosity of others. She has grown by leaps and bounds from the donations of breastmilk since she was born. https://www.facebook.com/TheAnayaInitiative , http://healinganaya.blogspot.com/p/about-anaya.html



Where And When is "Milk Sharing" happening:


EVERYWHERE and EVERYDAY!!!!! And I will show you who is helping!!!!


Who is helping with "Milk Sharing":


Human Milk 4 Human Babies (HM4HB)
http://www.hm4hb.net/index.html (Main page, be sure to visit the other pages)


Eats On Feets
http://eatsonfeets.org/#about (About page, be sure to visit the other pages)




How to "Milk Share":
Both of these organizations can be found on Facebook where you can find your local chapter and post on their wall to find a donor to supply you with milk or to find a family in need of your extra milk. 

The Gerber Generation...

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Rice Cereal. Parents just CANNOT wait to start giving their babies cereal, whether in their bottles or with a spoon. Parents are lead to believe that cereal is harmless and will make baby sleep all night long. They assume that a baby wanting to eat every 2 hours definitely needs to be "filled up" with some rice cereal. They mistakenly believe that reflux or spitting up will be instantly solved by the addition of cereal to a bottle. 


Let's start from the beginning...rice cereal was originally made because it is hypoallergenic, meaning hardly anyone is allergic to it. It's easy to make runny and last but not least, it was made by "baby food" companies to extract more money from parents. According to Gerber, your baby "HAS" to have "baby" food, it "NEEDS" purees, it "CANNOT" live unless you give it purees from 4 months old. Somehow, our views have been skewed to actually believe this garbage. 


If you ask the mom that believes this, she will tell you how her 9 or 10 week old baby "HAD" to be fed something besides breastmilk/formula because he "just wasn't satisfied" on milk alone...


If you ask a mom that has researched "baby led solids" and the effect of early solids, she will tell you how her baby is thriving on milk alone at 7, 8, 9 months and sometimes even older. 


Did you know that the AAP and the WHO recommend waiting until at least 6 months before introducing anything besides breastmilk or formula to your baby? Do you think they do that to be mean or punish your "starving" baby? No. It's because evidence shows that babies digestive systems are NOT ready for solids. In fact, until they are no longer on breastmilk or formula, they don't even need solids. Solids are introduced before one because we have a ton of folks that formula feed and switch to cow's milk around 12 months. So, kids need food then to make up for the nutrition they will no longer be getting. If they are still on breastmilk or formula, they don't "NEED" food to "fill them up". They need more breastmilk of formula. 


I want you to look at your baby's fist. Imagine a cup that size...how much do you think it would hold? Definitely NOT 8 oz of formula/breastmilk PLUS cereal. Your baby's stomach is the same size as their little fist. Let me repeat that: BABY'S STOMACH IS THE SAME SIZE AS ITS LITTLE FIST!!!!!!  So, there is NO way baby is drinking a huge bottle and then needing jar upon jar to "fill them up". Perhaps baby is full, but, thinks that pain is hunger and is confused. As tiny as their stomachs are, they need small amounts of breastmilk or formula often. They don't need stuffed enough to do without for 4 hours. In fact, new studies are showing that small bottles given often help sooth reflux. 


Baby's MAIN nutrition is their breastmilk or formula, NOT foods. They should be getting enough of their milk to meet this need and after 6 months, if they want, some solids to play with. 


http://www.drgreene.com/article/about-whiteout-movement

http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/babyledweaning.htm

http://www.rapleyweaning.com/

http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/best-first-food-for-baby.html

http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/first-foods.html

http://healthyfamilychronicles.blogspot.com/2011/04/rice-cereal-good-first-food-for-baby.html

http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/news/2010/01/cereal-not-a-good-first-food-throw-that-box-of-cereal-away/

Sadly, this notion that mom/grandma and whoever knows best has been around since the 1800's at least where babies were fed Pap from a pap boat. Pap is a mixture of breadcrumbs, flour, rice or barley mixed with fluids such as broth, milk (if the infant was lucky), water, wine and even beer, to aid the digestion of pap it was often pre-chewed by the nurse or nanny.

Pap was a popular form of infant nutrition for almost 300 years and used in many well to do homes. However for unwanted or illegitimate infants in foundling homes it was often the only form of sustenance as a result the mortality rate was appallingly high. Despite a growing number of experts advising against the use of pap it never-the-less persisted as a major source of infant nutrition in many nurseries until the late 1800’s, largely due to the ignorance of nannies and nurses who took great delight in disregarding the advice of physicians, who they believed were usurping their position in the household. ‘Nanny knows best’.

 http://www.webchildhoodmuseum.com/index_files/Page379.htm

As a side note before the defensive early feeders come out claws first:


"I have to say, the research showing that early solids leads to obesity and what not are referring to ADULTS. Not to your 14 month old that is "healthy and fine and skinny and perfect and smart and...". So, please don't throw that out to me. Oh and I am NOT a food snob or Holier than thou Mommy or whatever else you want to call me. I also don't care if you and your grandma and everyone else on the planet had rice cereal and early solids and are "just fine". I was given fried eggs from 2 weeks old plus whatever else mom wanted. I also was given Gatorade as a juice... my mom was given some concoction of a formula and my son was given rice cereal starting at 4 months plus other foods. SO...I KNOW about giving foods early and everything that goes with it. Also, I am not blaming all of the overweight kids today on early solids, again, this is referring to ADULTS that were fed early solids."