Another Reason Why Breastfeeding Is So Important

I found this article on yahoo....

Study: Breast-feeding would save lives, money
By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer - Mon Apr 5, 10:53 AM PDT

CHICAGO - The lives of nearly 900 babies would be saved each year, along with billions of dollars, if 90 percent of U.S. women fed their babies breast milk only for the first six months of life, a cost analysis says.
Those startling results, published online Monday in the journal Pediatrics, are only an estimate. But several experts who reviewed the analysis said the methods and conclusions seem sound.
"The health care system has got to be aware that breast-feeding makes a profound difference," said Dr. Ruth Lawrence, who heads the American Academy of Pediatrics' breast-feeding section.
The findings suggest that there are hundreds of deaths and many more costly illnesses each year from health problems that breast-feeding may help prevent. These include stomach viruses, ear infections, asthma, juvenile diabetes, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and even childhood leukemia.
The magnitude of health benefits linked to breast-feeding is vastly underappreciated, said lead author Dr. Melissa Bartick, an internist and instructor at Harvard Medical School. Breast-feeding is sometimes considered a lifestyle choice, but Bartick calls it a public health issue.
Among the benefits: Breast milk contains antibodies that help babies fight infections; it also can affect insulin levels in the blood, which may make breast-fed babies less likely to develop diabetes and obesity.
The analysis studied the prevalence of 10 common childhood illnesses, costs of treating those diseases, including hospitalization, and the level of disease protection other studies have linked with breast-feeding.
The $13 billion in estimated losses due to the low breast-feeding rate includes an economists' calculation partly based on lost potential lifetime wages — $10.56 million per death.
The methods were similar to a widely cited 2001 government report that said $3.6 billion could be saved each year if 50 percent of mothers breast-fed their babies for six months. Medical costs have climbed since then and breast-feeding rates have increased only slightly.
About 43 percent of U.S. mothers do at least some breast-feeding for six months, but only 12 percent follow government guidelines recommending that babies receive only breast milk for six months.
Dr. Larry Gray, a University of Chicago pediatrician, called the analysis compelling and said it's reasonable to strive for 90 percent compliance.
But he also said mothers who don't breast-feed for six months shouldn't be blamed or made to feel guilty, because their jobs and other demands often make it impossible to do so.
"We'd all love as pediatricians to be able to carry this information into the boardrooms by saying we all gain by small changes at the workplace" that encourage breast-feeding, Gray said.
Bartick said there are some encouraging signs. The government's new health care overhaul requires large employers to provide private places for working mothers to pump breast milk. And under a provision enacted April 1 by the Joint Commission, a hospital accrediting agency, hospitals may be evaluated on their efforts to ensure that newborns are fed only breast milk before they're sent home.
The pediatrics academy says babies should be given a chance to start breast-feeding immediately after birth. Bartick said that often doesn't happen, and at many hospitals newborns are offered formula even when their mothers intend to breast-feed.
"Hospital practices need to change to be more in line with evidence-based care," Bartick said. "We really shouldn't be blaming mothers for this."

My Easter With The Family

I am totally exhausted today and I know exactly why that is. Yesterday my house was taken over by over thirty people. My family hosted our extended family get-together this time, and over thirty people came. The majority of them were family members, but there were also a few who were a cousin's boyfriend or girlfriend, or children of the girlfriend/boyfriend, or just good friends of the family. Since I went to Mass the night before I stayed back home to finish up some of the last minute cleaning that needed to be done. I also had fun hiding the easter eggs for the little guys to be able to find.

We had ham, barbequed chicken from the grill, and pulled-pork barbeque sandwiches. We had hashbrown casserole, cheesy broccoli casserole, pasta salad, baked beans, rolls, salad. We had cheese cake, better than sex cake (yes that is the actual name of the cake... it is amazingness!!!)... I am sure there was even more food that that. That is just what I can remember.... Everything I ate was all so good. I totally ruined my diet I think after what I ate yesterday. ha ha.

Anyway, so as I said, we had a lot of people over at our house. My house is not really small. Actually it is a very nice size, it is just that the roomy rooms are all spaced out, and everyone seemed to want to be together. Luckily the weather was gorgeous so that the kids could be outside running around and people could sit outside to eat if they wanted. At one point a group of us girls decided to go hang out in my room away from the crowd and talk about, what else, but boys... Boy problems... boys we like, bad dates... It was some entertaining stuff. Some of the rest of the family would come in every so often, but they never stayed for long.

I had a blast with my family, but I am not going to lie, it was also nice once everyone left and there was silence. I did not even want to turn on music, which is a big thing for me. I went to bed early, but tossed and turned a lot last night, so when I woke up I was still feeling kind of groggy.

The Dinner Roll

I stole this off of a friend's facebook note... very sad, but oh so true.

Once upon a time I was invited to the White House for a private dinner with the President.

I am a respected businessman, with a factory that produces memory chips for computers and portable electronics.

There was some talk that my industry was being scrutinized by the administration, but I paid it no mind. I live in a FREE country. There’s nothing that the government can do to me if I’ve broken no laws. My wealth was EARNED honestly, and an invitation to dinner with an American President is an honor.

I checked my coat, was greeted by the Chief of Staff, and joined the President in a yellow dining room.

We sat across from each other at a table draped in white linen. The Great Seal was embossed on the china. Uniformed staff served our dinner.

The meal was served, and I was startled when my waiter suddenly reached out, plucked a dinner roll off my plate and began nibbling it as he walked back to the kitchen..
“Sorry ’bout that,” said the President. “Andrew is very hungry.”

“I don’t appreciate…” I began, but as I looked into the calm brown eyes across from me, I felt immediately guilty and petty. It was just a dinner roll. “Of course,” I concluded, and reached for my glass.

Before I could, however, another waiter reached forward, took the glass away and swallowed the wine in a single gulp. ”And his brother, Eric, is very thirsty,” said the President.

I didn’t say anything. The President is testing my compassion, I thought. I withheld my comments and decided to play along. I don’t want to seem unkind..

My plate was whisked away before I had tasted a bite. “Eric’s children are also quite hungry.” With a lurch, I crashed to the floor. My chair had been pulled out from under me. I stood, brushing myself off angrily, and watched as it was carried from the room. “And their grandmother can’t stand for long.”

I excused myself, smiling outwardly, but inside feeling like a fool. Obviously I had been invited to the White House to be sport for some game. I reached for my coat, to find that it had been taken.

I turned back to the President. “Their grandfather doesn’t like the cold.”

I wanted to shout, “that was my coat!” But again, I looked at the placid smiling face of my host and decided I was being a poor sport. I spread my hands helplessly and chuckled.

Then I felt my hip pocket and realized my wallet was gone. I excused myself and walked to a phone on an elegant side table. I learned shortly that my credit cards had been

“Andrew’s whole family has made bad financial decisions. They haven’t planned for retirement and they need a house. They recently defaulted on a subprime mortgage. I told them they could have your home. They need it more than you do.”

My hands were shaking. I felt faint I stumbled back to the table and knelt on the floor.

The President cheerfully cut his meat, ate his steak, and drank his wine. I lowered my eyes and stared at the small grey circles on the tablecloth that were water drops.

“By the way,” he added, “I have just signed an Executive Order nationalizing your factories.
I’m firing you as head of your business. I’ll be operating the firm now for the benefit of all mankind. There’s a whole bunch of Erics and Andrews out there and they can’t come to you for jobs groveling like beggars…we need to spread YOUR wealth around…”

I looked up. The President dropped his spoon into the empty ramekin which had been his crème Brule. He drained the last drops of his wine. As the table was cleared, he lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair.

He stared at me. I clung to the edge of the table as if it were a ledge and I were a man hanging over an abyss. I thought of the years behind me, of the life I had lived. The life I had earned with a lifetime of work, risk and struggle.

Why was I punished? How had I allowed it to be taken? What game had I played and lost? I looked across the table and noticed with some surprise that there was no game board between us.

What had I done wrong?

As if answering the unspoken thought, President Obama suddenly cocked his head, locked his empty eyes to mine, and bared a million teeth, chuckling wryly as he folded his hands.

“You should have stopped me at the dinner roll,” he said.

"Lord, Send Out Your Spirit And Renew The Face of The Earth..."

Last night I was able to attend my very favorite Catholic tradition ever, the Easter Vigil Mass. I love entering into the church and it is all dark and the only light in the sanctuary comes from the candles everyone is holding. It is a very intimate feeling. I enjoy that time in the dark while listening to the many readings... ones that are so familiar to me that I know them pretty much backwards and forwards. It feels even more like a family community coming to hear the patriarch of the family telling the stories of our past. It is relaxing and comforting.

The most fun part of the Mass for me is most definitely when the lights come on during the gloria and we can finally enjoy the beautiful flowers which adorn the altar. It is exciting because I know when it is coming, and every single time I still am amazed at how pretty the sanctuary looks once those lights are turned on. Everyone who has a job to do get up and move like busy worker bees getting their jobs done as quickly and nicely as possible.

I was happy to know a number of people coming into the church this year. One whole family became Catholic. What excited me about this particular family the most is the fact that they send both (well only the younger one now because the older is in kindergarten) to my daycare. I was so happy to watch the parents faces after they were all together and I just saw this look of great joy. It was as if to say that they were finally home. It was a tender moment to catch. Another person who came into the church that I know happens to be someone who I know through work as well. His wife was a co-worker of mine. I knew him a little before they became engaged and I was able to attend their wedding. It was nice to see him get baptized and confirmed.

After Mass there was a reception, and boy did they go all out this year. It was like a pitch-in dinner. There was so much delicious food. I enjoyed catching up with some really close friends of mine who I have not seen in quite a while, and who I have missed dearly. It was a happy way to celebrate Easter.

Hanging Out on the Roof

Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same.
~ Anonymous~

A friend hears the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails.
~ Anonymous~

"A good friend is my nearest relation."
~Thomas Fuller (1732)~

"We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindnesses there is at last one which makes the heart run over."
~ Samuel Johnson~

I love to go out a sit on my roof. Sounds silly I guess, but it is always a lot warmer sitting on the roof rather than on the deck. I go out on my deck and climb over the railing. It is nice because the roof almost meets with the railing where it ends, so climbing over it has never been a problem for a short person like me. I remember growing up how I would have to sneak and do it because whenever my mom would find me up there I would not hear the end of it. Even now I like to go out there when no one knows I am out there. It is another spot of mine I like to use to think and reflect.

While on the roof today I was thinking a lot about my friends, and how much I love them. I thought about how funny it is that we end up choosing the friends we do. We all go around looking for relationships. Bonds. Something familiar in some way. Sure, we like to act like we can do it on our own, but really deep down we all have a need for companionship... So when we meet another person for the first time we ask the same types of questions, those that barely scratch the surface, but just enough to figure out if we have something in common. Something that will help us know if it is worth it enough to eventually let our guard down even more and know it is safe to do...

Most of the time that connection has to do with faith for me, not to say that I do not have friends are are not Catholic, because I do, I have lots, but I have a much closer relationship with those that do share my faith. There is something about going to church together and adoration together and having those relationships centered on God. I feel so much more at home with those people. I know without a doubt that if I need to have something prayed for these friends will tell me that they will pray about it and I know they will and vice versa.

As I sat on the roof I thought about some memories with friends I had not thought about it a long time. Some good times which brought a smile to my face. I am even more blessed to know that the good friends I had growing up as a kid I still keep in contact with. It is funny to me how your friends really do become like your family. I cannot tell you when that moment happens because it is kind of a gradual thing. You start out as acquaintances and somewhere along the line of sharing laughs and tears, triumphs and letdowns, secrets and inside jokes they are no longer friends. Sometimes that bond is stronger for a friend than your own extended family...Granted with every relationship there are up's and downs, but at the end of the day I still know they have my back, and I make sure to remind them I will always have theirs. That is what friends are for afterall!!!

"The Night Before Your Death"

This poem is more appropriate for yesterday's Holy week celebration, but I just ran across it today, and I want to share it, so here it is...

The Night Before Your Death

The night before your death, you gather your friends
You wash their feet and teach them
You tell them to love each other as you have loved them
How have you loved them?
They’ll soon see

You break bread and give thanks
You say this is your body given for them
This is your blood soon to be spilled for them
They recline at your feet and adore your mystery
How little do they know your scorching pain
How little do they understand your suffering

You drink with your betrayer calling him friend
You look at him with sorrowful passion
You would give your life so he would give up the sin
Indeed you would do so even if he doesn’t
If only he trembled at your eyes
If only he felt your persistent compassion
If only he doubted his own judgment
If only he queried your merciful intention

You go to the garden, betrayed and misunderstood
You pray in sweat tears and blood
You agonize in acute prescience
You look into the future
You see souls losing their way
You see despair, distrust, blasphemy and hatred
And all this you see despite your death on the tree
You would die for them
Yet they would still go astray
You tremble and cry
You wonder if this could pass you by
For your pure heart cannot stand
The rejection of heartless faithless humans

But for the sake of your Father
You abandoned yourself to whatever might be
At the hour of death God is your only friend
Your only comfort and peace
How little is your loving heart repaid
How little is your grace received
How lonely is God Almighty
All for the sake of love
For love you would endure anything and everything
For love you would chance rejection
Even if thousands mock you
If one soul loves you back you would on the cross be glad

You look at your friends, who are weary with sleep
You tell them to pray so to be strengthened
How your heart bursts with passion
How you long to share with them your interior action
Yet they are still children
They’ll have a lot to learn
You look at them with the love of a parent
You’ll hide them under your wings
You’ll anticipate them with patience

How much kindness and virtue
How pure your love and sacrifice
Intelligent angels cannot understand
But hearts of humans will be won

The night before your death
Your sorrow is greater than death
The depth of your mercy no one can fathom

Eternal night
The night before the Savior’s death
Eternal agony
The agony that purchased our lives
Eternal moment
The moment you said yes
Eternal drama
The drama that would purify your lambs

The night before your death
We shall always remember
We shall tremble and repent in awe

My Holy Thursday Evening

Today is Holy Thursday, as every Catholic should know. I spent quite a bit of time tonight remembering how I acted on this day last year versus this year. Last year on Holy Thursday I made some really really bad choices and ended up with the worst hang-over I have ever gotten in my life... whereas this year I spent it by going to not one, but two Masses and then a friend of mine's play he directed, "Agnes of God," after which the group all went to Taco Bell for some catching-up time.

It was interesting for me to attend two different Masses tonight... well actually I should say one and a third of another. You see I went to Mass at my home parish, which was done beautifully. After a few minutes spent with Jesus I immediately left to meet friends of mine at the other Catholic parish in town. While walking into the building I happened to notice my nose started to bleed and immediately headed for the bathroom. I texted a friend saying I would be out and we can leave for the play a.s.a.p.. Well my nose finally stopped bleeding and I walked out of the bathroom where I became very confused because everyone in the church was moving in a procession, and then I realized it was a Eucharistic procession, so I decided to go along with the crowd. It was very solemn and the latin hymns were sung beautifully as we walked around outside to the back entrance where we made our way back inside. It was very nice to be a part of it... and a nice surprise for me too...

After Mass my friends and I immediately got into cars and drove to watch my friend's play, "Agnes of God." For those of you who have never heard of this play I have to say it is a very interesting plot line. It is about a young nun, Agnes, is discovered, her body covered with blood, having just given birth. Her baby is found dead in the same convent room strangled by the umbilical cord. Dr. Martha Livingstone, a court-appointed psychiatrist, is brought in to
examine Agnes and determine whether or not she is fit to stand trial. Mother Miriam Ruth, the nun in charge of the convent, wishes to protect Agnes’ innocence throughout the interview process. Before and after Agnes’ sessions with the psychiatrist, Mother Miriam and Dr. Livingstone debate what is best for Agnes. During their discussions, Agnes’ life before she came to the convent becomes a central topic in trying to understand her innocence and beliefs. Dr. Livingstone also investigates Mother Miriam Ruth’s role in the events once she discovers Mother Ruth was present at the birth of the baby and had known previously about Agnes’ pregnancy. Throughout these exchanges, Dr. Livingstone questions Mother Miriam about earlier events in Agnes’ life. In the end it is revealed that Agnes was the one who killed her baby in an effort to “return the child to God.” I think it was tastefully done, and there are a number of Catholic humorous parts in the first half of the play. The second half is a lot more serious as the whole understanding of what really happened on the night the baby was born is unraveled. I highly recommend it to anyone if they ever happen to get a chance to see it.

All in all I think it was a nice Catholic evening spent for me. :)