16th Annual March & Demonstration for Genital Integrity: Washington D.C.



Snapshots of the 16th Annual March and Demonstration for genital integrity in Washington D.C. ~ March 25-April 1, 2009. All photos are property of peaceful parenting unless otherwise noted. You may use an image for pro-intact advocacy with a link back to this page.


7 months ~ heading out to his first human rights demonstration




banners on the U.S. Capitol Lawn










The March from the White House to the Capitol begins


Riding along in the Moby Wrap on his first intactivist March











The image above was removed from this album on Facebook more than any other photo. It seems we can DO these things to our infants, but we cannot show pictures of what we do...


























The cherry blossoms are in full bloom during Genital Integrity Awareness Week ~ It is the perfect time to visit Washington D.C. and get involved.



Our button says:
Honor the FGM Bill
Support the MGM Bill
March 30, 2009
Washington D.C.










Receiving wise advice on the Capitol lawn.






Above photo by James Loewen




Crawled between Marilyn Milos and James Loewen, on over to this sign...


Picked it up, checked it out...


and decided to pose entirely on his own:



Good People.
Good Conversations.






Until the violence ends...



What do you get when you put a whole bunch of intactivists on a D.C. subway?
A lot of passengers becoming inadvertently informed! ;)



~~~~

Get involved in the next upcoming demonstration/march!
Information at the 18th Annual March/Demonstration Event page


A portion of the 2009 March ala video by Bonobo3D

Babies are Not Just Skin


I was recently introduced to this most excellent site. Thought I'd share and encourage peaceful parenting clients to check it out:

Not Just Skin.org

Circumcision Is Anti...


Circumcision is anti-Semitic: It kills Jews.

Circumcision is anti-Islam: It kills Muslims.

Circumcision is anti-American: It kills Americans.

Circumcision is anti-Human: 
It has killed untold numbers of human beings 
since its insidious inception.

~Benjamin Lewis

*******

Death from Circumcision Related Reading

Circumcision Deaths: http://www.cirp.org/library/death/


Homebirth, Breastfeeding, Orgasmic Birth on 20/20 + Discovery Health Seeks BIRTH FAMILY

Unfortunately, this turned out to be a pretty pathetic show. Entirely lacking of any accurate information, save what Robin, Laura and some of the other interviewees were able to say. The worst part was that producers included a clip on "fake babies" -- i.e. dolls -- with the rest of the mothering topics. Scary. I also couldn't believe they would pose the question of whether homebirth is actually just "mothers being selfish" (to avoid the very real 34% chance of c-section by just walking into the hospital to birth) without ever mentioning the remote possibility that there are HUGE and innumerable benefits for BABIES being birthed naturally, quietly, gently at home... DH warned me not to watch - that I would be irritated, and I guess he was right. He left the room a couple times shaking his head, stating that it is "just the opposite" of what they are suggesting. I guess we cannot expect the made-for-$$-pop-media to get things right. That'd be asking too much.


--


Looks like this show is finally airing...we will see how topics are presented tomorrow (Fri, Jan 2nd).

I will forward these messages in case anyone is interested:


--

Dear Friends,

It appears that this Fri., Jan. 2nd, “20/20” (ABC TV) will at last be airing their “Extreme Motherhood” show. Segments include homebirth (both unassisted and midwife assisted), serial surrogates (women that have numerous babies for other women), “fake babies” (life like dolls), long-term breastfeeding, and orgasmic birth. Providing the show is good (or at least allows a few grains of truth to get through), I think it’s a great way to start off the new year.

In other news, the Discovery Health Channel is seeking a homebirth family that is willing to have their birth filmed. The birth can be either unassisted or midwife assisted. I’ll enclose a letter from the producer below. Happy New Year, everyone!!

Love,

Laura


Bornfree! The Unassisted Childbirth Page

http://UnassistedChildbirth.com

---

Dear midwives, doulas, and expecting mothers,

My name is Zach Marion and I am producing a natural childbirth show
for Discovery Health Network. The hour long special will feature
three mothers having home births and airs during baby week in June.

We just wrapped on our first story in Kona, Hawaii where Kollette and
her husband, Jason, gave birth on their organic coffee bean farm.
Midwife, April Weaver, attended their birth. In February, my crew and
I will be traveling to Salt Lake City Utah to follow another family
who is erecting a birth teepee. However, our production schedule is
open during the month of January.

We are looking for one more family to feature on the program. The
focus here is home births with a unique angle. For example, home
birth in the city might be a nice contrast to our other two stories.
The baby must be due between the beginning of January and the middle
of February. Mothers who appear on the show receive an appearance fee.

The crew arrives a week or two before the due date to shoot a back-
story. We spend 3 or 4 days with the family doing interviews and
capturing their day-to-day life. Then, we are on standby to document
the birth.

We understand the effect we may have on a birth just by being there.
Through our experience gained in capturing 34 births for the
Discovery Health series, House of Babies, we know how to fade in to
the background and become a fly on the wall.

Exposure has always been an issue for our moms and their partners.
Network television does not allow nudity. Blurring is employed to
keep content tasteful. I would be more than happy to send an episode
of House of Babies on DVD to any mom so she understands.

This is a positive experience for all that are involved. As a
producer, I have the unique opportunity to promote midwifery and home
birth on a big stage. Help me take advantage of this position. Let's
put empowered mothers and inspiring birth plans on the show.

If you are a mother or know a mother that fits the above criteria,
please contact me immediately. I am in the office 8am to 5pm CST on
weekdays. I can be reached in the evenings and on weekends by cell
phone.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you!

Zach Marion

zach@videoartsstudios.com (zach @ videoartsstudios.com)
Cell: (218) 556-8966
Work: (701) 232-3393

The Effectiveness of Anesthesia for Circumcision Pain

By Danelle Day, Ph.D. © 2008


How often is anesthesia used during circumcision, and how effective is its use in warding off the otherwise unbearable pain of having one's genitals probed, sliced, and cut away?

Frequency of Anesthesia

Because physicians in the United States are not required to keep records of when and how circumcision is performed, we do not have concrete numbers on the exact percentage of times anesthesia is used during infant circumcision. University of Alberta research (Edmonton, AB) estimates that the majority - 96% - of physicians in the U.S. and Canada do not using anesthesia prior to circumcision, even when parents are told otherwise.

Nursing staff in recent years have come forward (sometimes by name when they have left a job, at other times, anonymously) to admit that they typically are instructed to tell all parents their newborn babies will receive anesthesia, or "pain relief" prior to circumcision, but more often than not this is no more than a sucrose (sugar) dipped pacifier and/or topical EMLA Cream.


Sugar Water

Sugar has been demonstrated to be ineffective in pain reduction. While this seems commonsense to adults (would you cut your genitals with a scalpel, or have amputative surgery performed on your body, while you are given nothing more than a sugary sucker?) it piggy-backs a long held myth that "babies don't feel pain." Certainly, nothing could be further from the truth. Research now confirms  that while sugar in the mouth may change facial expressions during inflicted pain, it does not reduce the neurological brain response (significant cortisol spikes) that takes place, or the body responses (rapid heart rate, respiration, and occasional intense trauma responses - shock, heart failure, seizure, coma, stroke) that may occur.


EMLA Cream

Like sugar, EMLA Cream used as "pain relief," or as an anesthetic, is equally ineffective. This is yet another experiment any consenting adult can try on him/herself: rub some EMLA Cream over your genitals, or any part of your body, and make a pin prick with a needle or a slice with your razor. Feel it? So do babies - with even more intensity. In fact, not only is EMLA ineffective at blocking pain in the many dermal layers of the skin, it does nothing to block the deep and highly sensitive nerves in the penis - the majority of which are concentrated in the foreskin. And even when used in an ernest attempt to reduce pain, physicians are not waiting the recommended 1-2 hours after application of EMLA to begin cutting of the exterior layers of the penis (the only tissues that would be numbed by EMLA Cream).

In addition to its ineffectiveness, EMLA cream is not to be used on infants or the genitals of children. The EMLA Cream manufacturer's insert cautions:
EMLA is used to temporarily numb the surface of the skin. It is used for pain relief on the skin prior to procedures such as needle insertion and minor skin surgery in adults and children over 12 months of age. Its effectiveness is lessoned in children under 7 years of age. 
When using EMLA Cream, it should not be applied to the following areas: 
• cuts, grazes or wounds
• skin rashes or eczema
• in or near the eyes
• inside the nose, ear, mouth, anus
• on the genitals of children
In addition, the following warnings have been issued for professionals using EMLA cream in their practice:
  • EMLA cream should not be applied to open wounds. 
  • Controlled studies of EMLA Cream in children under the age of seven years have shown less overall benefit than in older children or adults. These results illustrate the importance of emotional and psychological support of younger children undergoing medical or surgical procedures. 
  • During or immediately after treatment with EMLA Cream on intact skin, the skin at the site of treatment may develop erythema or edema or may be the locus of abnormal sensation. 
  • Blistering on the foreskin in neonates about to undergo circumcision has occurred. 
  • In patients treated with EMLA Cream on intact skin, local effects observed in the trials included: paleness (pallor or blanching) 37%, redness (erythema) 30%, alterations in temperature sensations 7%, edema 6%, itching 2% and rash, less than 1%. 
  • EMLA Cream must be applied to intact skin at least 1 hour before the start of a routine procedure and for 2 hours before the start of a painful procedure.
Despite its continued use in U.S. hospitals on neonates, EMLA Cream is ineffective and counter-indicated to be used in this fashion.



Dorsal Penile Nerve Block 

Logic would suggest that if we cannot reduce the pain of genital cutting by sugar water or EMLA Cream, a block to the dorsal nerve in the penis may be the solution. However, studies demonstrate that even a nerve block is ineffective when it comes to the intense pain of genital cutting. In a study conducted in part by the University of Iowa College of Medicine, approximately half of newborn males were circumcised with a local dorsal penile nerve block (experiment group), and the other half (control group) were circumcised without anesthetic. Adrenal cortisol levels in the brain (neurological indicators of extreme stress exhibited when humans are in pain) were compared. The findings indicate that neurological and physiological response to pain of the surgery was not significantly reduced by the administration of the penile nerve block. All infants showed trauma-induced stress responses. 

Research conducted by Dr. Paul D. Tinari and colleagues suggests this neurological shift in functioning to withstand the pain of circumcision has a lasting impact on the brain. Studies that look at infant pain and its relation to adult perceptions of pain, and neurological response in adulthood, would support these conclusions -- extreme pain in infancy impacts the brain and body for a lifetime. 

In the following case examples (videos below) from clinicians, anesthesia is used prior to circumcision. Hundreds more examples can be found today online in educational videos made for medical students, and on YouTube videos (occasionally uploaded by well meaning parents in the U.S. who were never told that circumcision is unnecessary, risky, painful and removes the important, purposeful prepuce organ that all mammals on earth are born having, and the majority keep happily for a lifetime). 

Watching these examples contributes to the ubiquitous realization that circumcision surgery is extraordinarily painful, and is not remedied with anesthetic in the majority of cases. Only under full anesthesia would an infant not experience pain during genital cutting. And because general anesthesia is counter-indicated for newborns unless there is a life-threatening reason to us these operative means, rarely would they be implemented. Even in cases that general anesthesia is used, a baby does not have the means to have adequate post-operative pain relief during the healing stage -- something a consenting adult can choose to self-medicate for if s/he opts for any form of genital cutting later in life. Should we find a way to make circumcision 100% pain free during and after surgical amputation, we are still permanently removing important parts of the human body, forever impacting a child who will grow to be an adult, unable to get back pivotal parts of the penis that were removed. 

To learn more about the most common forms of circumcision today, see: 








New to this topic? Find more: Should I circumcise my son? 

Questions? You're welcome to write to SavingSons@gmail.com or join the Exploring Peaceful Parenting discussion group: www.FB.com/groups/ExplorePeacefulParenting

~~~~

MOTRIN APOLOGIZES TO MOMS

Motrin's apology on their site


After having their entire site down for the night, Motrin just posted this apology, directed at the onslaught of mothers who wrote in regarding their anti-babywearing (and I would say un-baby-friendly) advertisement. The ad was put out in both print and video forms.


With regard to the recent Motrin advertisement, we have heard you.

On behalf of McNeil Consumer Healthcare and all of us who work on the Motrin Brand, please accept our sincere apology.

We have heard your complaints about the ad that was featured on our website. We are parents ourselves and take feedback from moms very seriously.

We are in the process of removing this ad from all media. It will, unfortunately, take a bit of time to remove it from our magazine advertising, as it is on newsstands and in distribution.

Thank you for your feedback. Its very important to us.”

Sincerely,
Kathy Widmer
Vice President of Marketing
McNeil Consumer Healthcare

Motrin Makes Moms Mad


I have to second what other mothers have wondered, "WHAT was Motrin thinking?!" If nothing else, the misinformation put forth regarding safe and effective babywearing in this ad is cause for concern.

Wearing your baby correctly is comfortable for both mom and baby. It leads to a much happier couple. There should be no pain - or need for Motrin - involved. If anything, babywearing reduces any "pains" of early babyhood.

Our son is currently pushing 19 pounds and has been worn since birth. He has never once been in a stroller or left in a carseat outside the car. As a professional mother making attempts to juggle a career (that I stepped down within at his birth), and as a current 'single' mom as my partner has been deployed around the world for 7 months, babywearing throughout the day (and sleep sharing at night) is life-saving. My son's comfort, security, safety, development, and happiness - completely void of the need to cry - as well as the secure attachment and bonding between the two of us, is natural, normal, primal, instinctual, and the furthest thing from pain-causing that I could imagine.

There are many mothers that Motrin did not interview when tossing together this baby-unfriendly advertisement...I am just another one.







Thank You, Dad: For keeping me whole!

I came across a thread of messages from people thanking their husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, etc., who were cut at birth for keeping their baby boys intact. It is beautiful and heartwarming. I have mountains of respect for my (cut) partner for his wisdom in researching things fully before making decisions and not just blindly jumping onto bandwagons, even when it goes against his previous life experience.

View the whole thread at: http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?p=12452285


BlessedMommy2006 Wrote:

This is something that has been on my heart today and I just wanted to share.

Thank you so much for courageously choosing to look at the facts and choosing what's best for your son, even though it was different from what your parents chose for you. Thank you for being man enough not to feel that your manhood was challenged by your son's intact status. Thank you for not jumping into the "everyone's doing it" boat and using social reasons to justify circumcision. Thank you for being willing to stand up to criticism from your parents if needed.

To all men like this (including my wonderful DH who's total on board with intactness, should we have a son this time), I say thank you. You are making a huge difference.

Freebirth on Discovery Health

I am reposting this message pertaining to a show that would be worth checking out for all you birth-advocates. Freebirth is of course more controversial than homebirth with an experienced midwife. It is not something I chose to do with my first baby, but is still interesting and I have a lot of respect for women who do choose to birth this way.

It airs on Discovery Health at 9pm (EST) today (Tues), 12am Wed 10/22, 11am Sat 10/25


Dear Friends,

Oct. 21st at 9pm (EST), “Freebirthing," the British UC documentary that was originally titled “Outlaw Births,” will be airing on the Discovery Health Channel in the US. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, it isn’t a bad program, as far as these things go. There was actually much I liked about it, but of course there are negative comments throughout from medical professionals who don’t approve.

I’ve blogged about the program several times. Here is my most recent posting: http://laurashanley.blogspot.com/2008/10/freebirthing-to-air-on-discovery-health.html

Be sure to read the comments below it. Heather B., who is prominently featured in the program, shared her thoughts about the way her story was presented. Heather is also prominently featured in the promos they’ve been showing on Discovery Health. I’ve turned to the station 3 times in the last few days, and within 15 or 20 minutes saw the promo each time.

Here is a page I put up with video clips from the British version. It’s essentially the same as the one I put up for “Outlaw Births” – http://freebirthing.org

To read what Discovery Health says about the show click here - http://health.discovery.com/tv/crib-notes/freebirthing.html

In other news, we have another tentative date for the “20/20” childbirth show – Oct. 24th. The show has been bumped several times and could be bumped again. But if it does end up airing, this could be a big week for UC! I’ll keep you posted!

With much love,

Laura

Laura Shanley

Bornfree! The Unassisted Childbirth Page

Six Reasons Not to Get the Flu Shot

By Sheryl Walters
More from Walters at: Young Living Guide



Every year it is recommended that people get a flu shot to avoid spending time feeling horrendously bad over the winter. Elderly people are especially warned that without a flu shot, their health could be in serious jeopardy. In recent years, this warning has been extended to children, and more recently even teenagers. Yet there is mounting evidence that flu shots do not guarantee a healthy winter, and in fact they cause far more harm than good.

Here are 6 reasons to avoid getting a flu shot.

1. There is absolutely no evidence that flu shots actually work. The flu shot is only able to protect against certain strains of the flu, so if you come into contact with a strain that you are not protected from, then you will still get the flu. This is in fact not uncommon. In 2004, The National Vaccine Information Center reported that the vaccine given that year did not contain the flu strain that caused the majority of flu outbreaks that year. A study published in the Lancet in August revealed that there was no correlation between the flu shot and reduced risk of pneumonia. Further, a large study of 260,000 children between 23 month and 6 discovered that the flu vaccine is no more effective that a placebo. This was reported in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

2. The flu vaccines, as well as all other vaccines contain mercury, which is a seriously health compromising heavy metal. Vaccines contain Thimerosal, which is made up of mercury. The amount of mercury contained in a multi-dose flu shot is 250 times higher in mercury than what is legally classified as hazardous waste. Side affects of mercury toxicity are vast and include depression, memory loss, attention deficit disorder, anger, oral cavity disorders, digestive disorder, anxiety, cardiovascular problems, respiratory issues, thyroid and other glandular imbalances, and low immune system to name a few.

3. The flu vaccines contain antibiotics such as neomycin, polymyxin B and gentamicin which are added to eliminate stray bacteria found in the mixture. Evidence shows that antibiotics wipe out beneficial bacteria that is needed for optimum health. Antibiotics ironically lower the immune system and cause Candida overgrowth.

4. Vaccines contain Polysorbate 80 as an emulsifier. This highly toxic agent can seriously lower the immune system and cause anaphylactic shock which can kill. According to the MSDS sheet at Science lab.com, section 11, polysorbate 80 may cause reproductive effects, cancer, and may be a mutagenic, (change the genetics), in animals. According to PubMed.Gov, neonatal rats that were injected with small doses of polysorbate 80 had serious damage to their reproductive organs, often resulting in infertility. Imagine that they are recommending this for young girls! It's no wonder that the infertility rate is skyrocketing each and every year.

5. There is growing evidence that flu shots contribute to Alzheimer's disease due to the aluminum and formaldehyde combined with mercury since they are even more toxic together than they are alone. Some research suggests that people who received the flu vaccine each year for 3 to 5 years had 10 times greater chance of developing Alzheimer's disease than people who did not have any flu shots.

6. With so many potential side effects, it seems clear that the flu shot is potentially dangerous while not making a difference anyway. In addition, it is also completely unnecessary. Everything that we need to enjoy amazing health is right here on planet earth. Nothing man made is ever, ever needed in order to ward off illness and live vibrantly.

Here are some powerful ways that you can ensure you don't get the flu this year without injecting yourself with the toxic flu shot:

·Make sure that you get plenty of sunshine over the winter research continually indicates that the winter flu is often a result of vitamin D deficiency from lack of sun. If you live in a place without sunshine, take cod liver oil, find a place that offers sunshowers (natural tanning beds), and if it is sunny go outside as much as you possibly can no matter how cold it is. Raw, unpasteurized milk is another vitamin D abundant food.

·Exercise, exercise, exercise! When you get out and get your body moving, you are much less likely to get sick. Yoga, for example is a fabulous way to get fit, relieve stress and boost the immune system.

·Eat plenty of immune boosting foods such as garlic, vitamin C containing fruits and fresh green juices (broccoli, cabbage, cucumber and celery.) A diet rich in live foods is a sure way to stay healthy all year long.

·Cut out sugar. Sugar suppresses the immune system and causes disease. Today there are so many wonderful healthy alternatives such as agave nectar and xylitol that it is totally unnecessary to ever consume sugar.

·Deal with emotional stress. Anger and stress suppress the immune system. Yoga, meditation, counselling, natural therapies and plant medicines can transform stress and help you live with abundant health in mind and body.

·Get plenty of sleep. A lack of sleep suppresses the immune system, but is a reality for millions of people. Find ways to make life less hectic so that you have more time to catch those zzzzs.


Sheryl Walters is a kinesiologist, nutritionist and holistic practitioner. Her website www.younglivingguide.com provides the latest research on preventing disease, looking naturally gorgeous, and feeling emotionally and physically fabulous. You can also find some of the most powerful super foods on the planet including raw chocolate, purple corn, and many others.

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