BPA–harmful plastic April 28, 2008

Have you guys been researching the news regarding BPA and plastic containers? if so i welcome your advice/comments.

I had known a little about this chemical and therefore had chosen the BornFree brand baby bottles. ( glad i’m also breastfeeding). I have now also recycled all of my nalgene bottles which I’ve been using for the past 10 years! man am I pissed. It is so scary. Wonder what else we are going to find that is harmful to us. –From the mercury in our fish, to drugs in our water supply, to lead in childrens toys, to pestacides on our fruits and veggies, to plastic bags filling up our landfills, to global warming. It all is so scary to me and I often times feel so helpless. I havent been able to keep up with the latest news releases regarding the new info on BPA —Here is a little info regarding this.

BPA/NY Times article.

Kevin Rivoli/Associated Press

Bisphenol-a, or BPA, is commonly used in the production of polycarbonate plastics as well as the epoxy resins that line the inside of most food and beverage cans.

The plastics and coatings made with BPA have many attractive properties. They are, among other things, particularly good at not absorbing flavors or changing the flavor of items stored in them. Polycarbonate looks and feels like glass but is light and difficult to break.

As a result, about 6.6 billion pounds of BPA is produced worldwide each year.

Read More…

BPA’s potential to disrupt the hormonal system, however, has increasingly made its use in plastics for food purposes controversial.

Animal tests have raised questions about the safety of BPA, but the chemical industry says those findings have, in some cases, not been duplicated, and it disputes their relevance to human health.

But in April 2008, the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ National Toxicology Program issued a draft report citing “some concern for neural and behavioral effects in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures.”

The government of Canada went further that same month. After seven years of study, it listed BPA as a toxic substance under its environmental protection act. Because of that listing, it has introduced regulations that will ban selling, advertising, manufacturing or importing baby bottles made with BPA-related plastics. It will also work with industry to minimize or eliminate BPA-based linings in cans used for infant formula.

The Canadian review, however, found “negligible risk” from BPA to those older than 18 months.

Despite that, most of Canada’s largest retailers swiftly removed all food-related BPA products from their shelves.

No significant studies have suggested that other, widespread uses of BPA, which include everything from sunglasses to computer cases, pose any health risk.

– Ian Austen (April 24, 2008)

my question is why are canadians so much fricken smarter than us?? why is the U.S not banning this?????????

post from urbanmamas blog:

Mad, Depressed or Both? That, Mamas, is the Question

I grew up on the east coast but married a gentle man and now live in the friendliest city ever. So while I can thank the bus driver as well as the next person and hold the elevator door open for people miles away, I still have the potential to get REALLY ANGRY. Ever since I opened the O on Saturday and saw the short article (in the Living section, already!) on Bisphenol A and – in a mini rage – tossed every Nalgene bottle I could find, I’ve been pissed. Why? So glad you asked.

1. Pissed that I unwittingly fed my babies breast milk in toxic bottles that may well cause cancer. In them.
2. Pissed that we’ve been drinking (oh so healthy) water out of toxic Nalgene bottles.
3. Pissed that every. single. can. of. food. in our pantry has an epoxy resin coating that is leaching crap into our food: beans, soups, mandarin oranges, and mini corns (god love ‘em). Who needs organic when you’re already dosing up on Epoxy, mamas? I mean, go ahead, toss in a little pesticide residue, what’s the diff?
4. Pissed that going to the store to buy a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g requires an advanced degree in toxicology or at the very least a few hours of extra time to research that I just. don’t. have. Is it too much to ask that I could, say, mosey up to Fred Meier and leave with a bagful of items that won’t slowly kill me?
5. And SUPER PISSED that no-one seems to be doing much. And no, I don’t think the government should do all the heavy lifting for me, but in this case, I’m thinkin’ they need to be there, on the front lines, helping me avoid poisoning myself and my far more susceptible children.

OK, Phase I is over – anger. Time for Phase 2 – action. More? I’m getting tired of this. Where to focus my efforts? Lead? Phthalates? This? Sheesh. No wonder some people get overwhelmed by all the depressing news. Did you catch the Pdx Tribune article on that perspective? There’s one mom who is keeping her fears in check. Not me, mamas. Not me.

My 3 Action Steps: Inform myself, Change habits at home, Change policies. Oh right, I don’t have time to do any of those! Good thing others are working on this:

• Inform myself: Today’s NYT has an informative article on products – for grown-ups and kids – that contain bisphenol-A.
• Change habits at home: Aside from tossing the newer, harder Nalgene bottles (older, softer cloudy ones are OK, so much for progress) and worrying about all those canned beans we eat, I’m heading straight for the OR Center for Environmental Health’s store on NE Fremont. Anyone been? Also, the Oregon Environmental Council has an info-packed resource on Healthy Kids that has a terrific safe products buying guide. And, natch, we uMs have discussed this topic before. Did someone say Sigg?
• Change policy: OCEH is all over this chemical thing. E-mail them to learn more and get involved. Rumor has it, mamas, that the companies that manufacture these products are willingly going to stop manufacturing them and, according to NPR, retailers are even pulling the baby bottles. I want to be happy, pleased, grateful. Relax and take action on some other pressing issue. But call me crazy, I’m not gonna rest easy until there’s a law. Because as sure as I’m cleaning out our pantry, this will blow over like all the rest of it, and then where’ll we be? Mad and depressed, that’s where. Like I am right now.

family April 28, 2008

It is sunday night, just settling in after a great weekend here in Portland. FINALLY, we had a few nice sunny days of weather. It had been so cold and rainy recently which was starting to get to me. Ryan, my dad and our friend Rob who owns/runs his own landscaping company ( KYNE Landscaping) spent all day Saturday landscaping our front yard. They did a ton of work and it looks so much nicer now. Anna and I just hung out and watched them, enjoyed the sunny day and talked with neighbors and friends who stopped by.

We had family in town for the past 2 weeks. They all enjoyed meeting Anna. It was so nice for us having extra hands to help! Anna really enjoyed and will miss talking naps on her grandparents laps. Ryan and I are so appreciative of the fact that we have great supportive parents/family. It makes all the difference in the world. After having them here for a few weeks it brings to light even more just how far away we are from everyone. It made us both really miss being home and being near everyone.

Moving back to the midwest is something we both have contemplated off and on for about 2 yrs. It is a hard decision to make because on one side we LOVE Portland and our life here. We have the best friends in the world, good jobs, nice house. We love the lifestyle Portland affords us with Mt Hood, and the coast, wine country, hiking, skiing, biking etc. However, on the flip side is that we are so far from our family. It is hard to only be able to go home once a year to either St. Louis and Minnesota. Plus, now we need to think about what life we want for Anna. Not saying we are moving but just that it is something on our minds. We will see what the future brings.

new pics of Anna the Banana April 22, 2008

1. Mom and Anna 2. Grandma Jane and Anna 3. Anna 4. Gigi, ryan +anna

Sorry I have not posted anything in awhile. Things have been quite busy and the lack of sleep is starting to wear on me. I’d have to say that at times this is the hardest “job” I’ve ever had. It is the most rewarding but also the most physically challenging. I guess I am that type of person that doesnt function well on no sleep and now having been 4 weeks without sleep it is catching up with me. Anna is eating every 2-3 hrs which means I am lucky to get maybe 1.5 -2 hrs of sleep per time. In the night I can hardly keep my eyes open during our nighttime feedings. I do take a nap each afternoon –if I didnt I’d be a wreck. I have no idea how women return to work at 6 weeks. That is just 1.5 weeks away for me and there is no way I’d be functional in any way shape or form at a 8-10 hr job each day. It just would not be possible. I give props to those women who manage —because I for one would not. My big accomplishments for the day are showering and eating. Well, I try to get out of the house for at least 1-2 hrs a day just to maintain my connection with society-otherwise I’d really go looney.

Last week my mom and I went up to my old work ( I still haven’t told them I am not returning yet). It was so hard because everyone was so excited to see me and meet little Anna. I had not been to work there since Jan 7th! That is so crazy. I am planning on starting at my new job sometime around end of June beginning of July. I just found out that as of May 31st I’ll no longer have healhty insurance covered through my work due to me exhausting all my medical and family leave. It will be quite tight around here for a few months but to me it will be worth it. I wouldnt trade anything for the ability to be home longer with my new baby. We are still figuring each other out, how could I leave her all day with some else at this point??? Ryan and I have found a daycare we are going to use which is good, although it will be so hard to drop her off there. Luckily she’ll only have to go there 2 days a week.

Last week she was weighed and is now up to 9 lbs 5 oz. That is almost 2.5 pounds gained since her birth.!!!! What can I say, she likes to eat. She is starting to have more wakeful periods which is so fun. She is also getting better control with her head and neck and seems to be quite strong. ( must take after her mother huh??)

My mom was in town all last week and my dad and sister are her this week. It is nice to have the extra helping hands around!!!

Well until I have more time….. hope to be posting more soon,. Check back.

Update April 14, 2008

Grandma Jane P got into town this Saturday. !!!! She was very excited to meet her First grandchild.

It was a beautiful weekend here in Portland–78 degrees and sunny. We were going to attempt to go the farmers market Saturday morning however by the time we got going it was too late. Things take much longer with a newborn. I think eventually we will get the hang of it..but until then it is quite a juggling event. Anna still has her nights and days mixed up which makes it hard from mom and dad. I think I haven’t had more than 2 hours of sleep in a row for 3.5 weeks now. Much different from the weeks before on bedrest!! Ryan and I have been so sleep deprived that we both are talking in our sleep these days. The other night he was talking to me with his eyes wide open about some guy named Steven and how Steven was going to bring me food. Then the other night apparently I was asking Ryan–eyes wide open yet sound asleep if Anna had holes in her socks. It has been quite comical listening to the other one late at night. Even though the lack of sleep is hard sometimes–I know it is short lived ( well hopefully short lived) and we need to treasure all these moments now because as everyone tells me…THEY GROW UP SO FAST.

Last week I felt like I was coming down with the flu. I was having hot flashes/night sweats and chills and my entire body hurt down to the bones. My fever was 102 F. Then a few days into that I noticed a red streak along my right breast. Oh oh I thought–Mastitis ( breast infection). Sure enough went to the Doc and yes I had an infection–go figure–just my luck. So now I am on antibiotics and doing much better but I felt miserable last week. I tell ya this breastfeeding business isn’t always easy.

In fact this whole thing called pregnancy and beyond is amazingly hard work. If you think about what a job pregnancy and having a baby does to your body it is crazy. From early on in pregnancy most people are struck with strong fatigue and then morning sickness. Then you may get a few months to feel good before you get very large and uncomfortable. You feel like your body is hardly yours. You hurt in strange places, your feet swell, simple tasks you used to do with ease are difficult. Then you are thrust into this act called LABOR and man oh man is it ever labor. Then after several hours/days of labor and pushing a baby out of space you’d never believe could fit a 7 lb baby you have the days afterward of recovery. Again your body feels like a foreign object and you are so tired accept now you have this fragile and beautiful little being to care for. However, even just several days later you see your body returning somewhat to pre-baby form—and you find this energy to continue going on even though you haven’t slept in days. It truly all is such a miracle and the human body is quite remarkable.It certainly makes you appreciated all the hard work your parents did for you over the years. So go thank your mom and dad if havent already. (THANKS MOM AND DAD)

The ballon April 9, 2008

So for those of you that have been reading this preterm labor/pregnancy blog now since the beginning, you may be wondering…what ever happened to the balloon.?????? ( see previous post re this). Well, I do believe the balloon did drop when she was born. I had gone in to the hospital on a Wednesday March 19th, the balloon at that time was quite low to the ground. I however did not deliver Miss Anna until the next afternoon-March 20th and then of course spent the following 2 days in the hospital recovering. When I did return home on Saturday the balloon was on the ground. So, It is my belief that it did drop when the day Anna was born.

We also had another outing yesterday. We went to the grocery store Fred Myers and then off to Milagros -a neat Children’s Store located in NE Portland. We went there in search of the Moby Wrap/sling. Havent yet tried the sling out but look forward to using it. We also took Max for a walk. It was a bit challenging being alone and pushing the stroller and holding the dog leash but we managed. All is all, it was a great day. Anna also got some sleep last night which means mom and dad were finally able to catch a little shut eye.

We are looking forward to having Grandma Jane coming into town this weekend.

2.5 weeks old. April 7, 2008

Baby Anna is now about 2.5 weeks old. We are trying to settle into routine but obviously routines are hard to come by with newborns. She is currently still has her nights and days mixed up and enjoys keeping her parents awake all night. Her Grandma Helen was in town all last week and her Grandma Jane will be coming next week. Mom is trying to find some time for herself. I’ve made a few journeys outside the home–the grocery store and Target! Wow what fun huh! Last week we went to our 2 week checkup and Anna had gained almost a whole pound since birth!! This made mom feel very relieved. All that hard work at breastfeeding seems to be paying off. Anna is doing well according to her Doctor with no concerns. Her fractured clavicle seems to be healing fine and doesnt bother her in the least bit. Her jaundice has essentially cleared up and her cephalohematoma ( bruise on head) is resolving.

On Saturday we had our first major outing besides the Doctors Office. We went out for coffee with dad and grandma to this place called Sip and Kranz, then off to a baby store called Little Urbanites for a few fun things. After that–some time at a friends house and off to dinner at Jakes. It was a BIG day. I realized just how isolated I’ve been these past 3 months. I am ready to get out and see the world again now.

More news: that job that I wrote about that I interviewed for a few weeks ago….

They called and offered the job to me!!!!! So I accepted! I guess it wasn’t as bad of an interview as I thought. I will be working in the same department with the same company just at a new location and only part time. I’ll be working 2 ten hour shifts which will be great and NO more nights or weekends as I did in the past. I think this will be a good combo for me and Anna. It will allow me some adult time and yet not be working too much as I used to do. We still have to settle in on a daycare which I am totally not looking forward to. We interested in this place that is located on the first floor of Ryan’s office building so daddy will get to be nearby. I dont even want to think about dropping her off there just yet. I am so glad I’ll be home for 12 weeks–6 weeks is just too soon. It is a shame because 6 weeks is only the time allowed medically for the woman to heal and recooperate from labor–but the newborn infant isnt considered in that time off period. 6 weeks seems so premature for a little one to then be left alone with stranges all day while mom is off working 40 hours a week. It seems you would have hardly developed your relationship/routine with your little one before you are required to re-enter the work force. Additionally I can see why so many women give up breastfeeding at that point because It all can be quite challenging to juggle. I think our country would be better off if we placed more value on the family unit–allowed moms to stay home longer ( with some pay) to develop these crucial relationships with our children. It seems our country just values the bottom line–money –over families and relationships. It is very sad to me. No wonder we have such craziness going on in the world.

Randy Pausch Lecture–really acheiving your dreams–Final Lecture. April 2, 2008

Very inspirational video that is worth the time to watch. Professor diagnosis with terminal pancreatic cancer–his final speech.