Homeopathic Solutions to Migraines / Headaches

Aconite: good for sudden, violent headache. Person is thirsty, restless and fearful. It is felt in a band around the head, or in the forehead as a bursting pain. It is worse at night, form warmth, and getting up form bed. It is better for open air, although it frequently comes on after exposure to cold or wind.

Arnica: head feels bruised and aching, or may be sharp, is made worse by stooping. It is often a result of an injury to the head (recent or old injury), or from lost of studying, reading or intense concentration.

Apis: Stinging, stabbing or burning headache, rest of body feels bruised and tender, symptoms are worse if it's hot and stuffy.

Belladonna: throbbing, drumming headache that comes on suddenly. Face with be flushed, head hot, pupils dilated and symptoms are much worse from exposure to the sun.

Bryonia: head feels bruised; with sharp, stabbing, tearing pain, usually right sided. It is made worse by any movement, even of the eyes, or lifting the head. The person of often constipated and grumpy. Pain is from stooping or coughing.

Chamomilla: grouchy person, not able to get comfortable or be consoled. wants to be left alone, hard to please, often arching the back helps some.

Coffea: another hangover remedy, mind is in overdrive; restless and sleepless; made worse by coffee or tea (or may be in withdrawal from caffeine and that is why the headache).

Gelsemium: head feels full and swollen, pace purplish and congested - looking; expression dull and heavy; dilated pupils, weak and shaky in the legs; common for summer colds, this headache may follow a cold.

Glonoinum: violent headache when every heartbeat makes the head throb, much worse from stooping or shaking the head; may have come of after exposure to heat or sun exposure, with dehydration.

Hypericum: hypersensitive scalp, feels like the base of every hair hurts; bursting, aching headache' worse from damp, foggy, overcast weather, especially before a storm. also after head or spinal injury.

Ignatia: Feels like a tight band across the forehead, or like a nail being driven through the side of the head. Sighing is a keynote symptom. They are worse from exposure to tobacco smoke.

Iris versicolor: (migraine) blurring of vision before headache comes on; tight feeling in scalp; headache right-side. may vomit bile, is not as bad for them if they move around gently.

Kali bichromicum: this is the usual one for the sinus headache, it is worse in the mask area for the face, worse from bending over. It is in the area around, over, under or behind the eyes, also at the base of the nose. Pressure int eh areas with the fingers make the pain worse, but in the open air (unless the cold air hits their face). Heat applies in the areas of pain usually improves the symptoms.

Lycopodium: (migraine) worse on the right side, feels like the temples are being screwed together, trying to concentrate makes the pain worse, person often feels dizzy. Symptoms often worse from 4 to 8 PM.

Natrum muriaticum: (migraine) throbbing, blinding headache; warmth and movement make it worse; head feels overstuffed and congested; headache preceded by numbness and tingling in lips, nose and tongue.

Nux vomica: (classic hangover headache) irritable and oversensitive; dull, dizzy, bruising headaches; worse in the morning, better after being up awhile; nausea; aftereffects of overeating, rich food, sweets or alcohol; head feels as if it has been beaten. Person intolerant of advice, noise or cold. Better after nap.

Pulsatilla: (migraine) headache worse in the evening, during menstrual period; aggravated by rich, fatty foods; head feels like it is going to burst; person teary, craves sympathy and often very emotional.

Sanguinaria: (common migraine remedy) worse in the Am; bursting pain that is right-sided and seems to start at the back of the head, spreading upward and over the eye; pain often extends into right shoulder; "sick headache"; may increase as the day progresses and some improvement later in the day; may have nausea, vomiting and dizziness. Worse from sweets, or touch, better in darkness.

Silicea: (migraine) pain starts at the back of the head, then shifts and settles above on eye; aggravated by cold, helped by wrapping the head warmly and tightly; person prone to head sweats. Hunger headaches.

Spigelia: (migraine) sharp, darting, severe pain over left eye; pain seems to pulse with every pulse beat; stooping or even moving suddenly makes the pain worse.

Thuja: (migraine) left-sides, as if the head is being pierced by a nail.

Heroic Police Officer Breastfeeds Orphaned Babies

CNN Transcript by Jiangyou

A Chinese policewoman is being hailed as a hero after taking it upon herself to breast-feed several infants who were separated from their mothers or orphaned by China's devastating earthquake. Officer Jiang Xiaojuan, 29, the mother of a 6-month-old boy, responded to the call of duty and the instincts of motherhood when the magnitude 7.9 quake struck on May 12. "I am breast-feeding, so I can feed babies. I didn't think of it much," she said. "It is a mother's reaction, and a basic duty as a police officer to help."

The death toll in the earthquake jumped Thursday to more than 51,000, and more than 29,000 are missing, according to government figures. Thousands of children have been orphaned; many others have mothers who simply can't feed them."

At one point, Jiang was feeding nine babies. "Some of the moms were injured, their fathers were dead. Five of them were orphans. They've gone away to an orphanage now," she said.

She still feeds two babies, including Zhao Lyuyang, son of a woman who survived the quake but whose breast milk stopped flowing because of the traumatic conditions. "We walked out of the mountains for a long time. I hadn't eaten in days when I got here and my milk was not enough," said that mother, Zhao Zong Jun. "She saved my baby. I thank her so much, I can't express how I feel."

Liu Rong, another mother whose breast milk stopped in the trauma, was awed by Jiang's kindness. "I am so touched because she has her own baby, but she fed the disaster babies first," Liu said. "If she hadn't fed my son he wouldn't have had enough to eat."

Jiang has became a celebrity, followed by local media and proclaimed on a newspaper front page as "China's Mother No. 1." She's embarrassed by the fuss. "I think what I did was normal," she said. "In a quake zone, many people do things for others. This was a small thing, not worth mentioning."

There has been a huge outpouring of support from families who want to adopt babies orphaned by the quake. But that process takes time and there are mouths to feed.

Jiang misses her own son, who's being cared for through the emergency by in-laws in another town, but she is aware of the new connections she's made. "I feel about these kids I fed just like my own. I have a special feeling for them. They are babies in a disaster."

~~~~

Baby Formula DHA Linked with Diarrhea, Dehydration, Seizures

This is interesting because we have long known that naturally occuring omega-3 fatty acids are essential for optimal brain and tissue development, circulatory function, and heart health, as well as a host of other things. They are prominent in human breastmilk, giving babies a normal (healthy) start in life. However, in their additive form - or synthetically derived - they do not act within the body in the same manner.

DHA Algae Oil

A common ingredient in infant formula was found to be linked to diarrhea, severe dehydration and seizures in babies, according to complaints submitted to the FDA.

A shocking report has been released on the adverse health effects of fatty acid supplements found in infant formulas. The Cornucopia Institute, a US-based corporate watchdog group, presented their findings on the fatty acids DHA and ARA, which are now commonly added to formula.

The report is based on a Freedom of Information Act request that the Cornucopia Institute filed with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the result of which was the uncovering of 98 reports filed by parents and physicians detailing incidences when babies had reacted adversely to formula containing DHA/ARA. The reported incidences range from cases of vomiting and diarrhea that stopped when babies switched to non-DHA/ARA formula to babies being treated in intensive care units for severe dehydration and seizures.

The FDA has never been convinced of the safety of DHA/ARA additives, according to the report. In its initial analysis of the additives, the FDA stated it had reached no determination on their safety status. The administration also noted that some studies had reported unexpected deaths among infants who had been fed with DHA/ARA formula. Despite its reservations, inexplicably the FDA did not withhold approval for the additives.

INFACT Canada has long questioned the use of DHA and ARA (also marketed as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids) in infant formula. All major formula companies have added the fatty acids to their products in recent years, claiming that they aid in brain and eye development. However, most test results have found the additives have negligible effects on infant development. But because DHA and ARA are found in their natural form within breastmilk, formula companies market DHA/ARA additive formula as "closer to breastmilk."

Martek Biosciences Corporation, the company that supplies almost all formula companies with DHA/ARA, has admitted that the purpose of the additives is not to encourage healthy development, but to be used as a marketing tool. In its promotional material to encourage investment, Martek stated:

"Infant formula is currently a commodity market, with all products being almost identical and marketers competing intensely to differentiate their product. Even if [DHA/ARA] has no benefit, we think it would be widely incorporated into formulas, as a marketing tool and to allow companies to promote their formula as 'closer to human milk.'"

While DHA and ARA are found naturally in breast milk, the idea that Martek's manufactured acids make formula closer to breast milk is ridiculous. Martek produces DHA and ARA from fermented algae and fungus, and uses hexane (a neurotoxin) in the manufacturing process. Simply adding these synthetic substances to formula cannot make artificial baby milk behave like breast milk, which is a complex, living substance that provides babies with the best possible nutrition and immunological protection and development.

Regular infant formula puts babies' health at risk, but now infants are being harmed for the sake of a marketing tool. This is an egregious case of formula companies putting profit margins above infant health. In light of this report, it is imperative that all parents be made aware of the potential risks of feeding their babies formula with DHA/ARA. The products should be pulled from the market until their safety can be properly assessed by independent investigations.

Babies should not have to get sick just because companies want to raise their sales figures.

For the full report, see: http://cornucopia.org/DHA/DHA_FullReport.pdf

Why Does The Baby Cry?

All the 21st century technological safety mechanisms in the world aren't baby's natural habitat... that alone is skin to skin on Momma's chest. Sharing her breath. Taking in her scent. Soothed by her heartbeat. Eating her nourishment. It truly is a perfect design.

Reality

Why does the baby cry?
(Dressed in his brand-new, powder blue, flame-retardant pajamas)

Why does the baby cry?
(Freshly laundered, recently fed, newly changed, just burped, and provided with a night-light)

Why does the baby cry?
(In his safety-sealed crib
All smoke detectors in working order
Temperature medically adjusted by thermostat
Baby monitor on
Emergency numbers in the speed-dial
Loving parents at the ready)

Why, oh WHY does the baby cry?

The baby cries
In the jungle or on the savannah
The baby cries
As the marauding beasts edge forward
The baby cries
For protection
The baby cries
To signal his tribe
The baby cries
(Hearing no heartbeat
Touching no warm skin
Mouthing no soft breast
Breathing no shared breath)
The baby cries
Alone in the wilderness

~ Elsa Haas

shirts available here

Elsa Haas won the opportunity to perform the show "Wearing My Baby: A Stone Age Mommy on Staten Island" and a $1000 grant for this poem and others that she submitted to a local literary competition. The baby- and child-friendly show will be held at the St. George Theater on Staten Island on June 14. For information, you can email Elsa at ElsaHaas@si.rr.com.

~~~~

Orgasmic Birth

Orgasmic Birth brings to the screen the ultimate challenge to our cultural myths by inviting viewers to see first-hand the glorious emotional, spiritual, and physical heights attainable through birth.

Natural Births of Twins & Triplets

Most at home...
All gentle births...
Everything US obstetrics likes to say mother's "can't" do...mothers do just fine every day!

(Heather - one of the homebirthing VBAC-twins women pictured has her blog here: http://itstwinsanity.blogspot.com/)

Circumcision Primer For Christians

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

The Cruelest Cut : Circumcision : Fox News Report

This report briefly mentions why Americans started circumcising -- learn more at:
http://www. noharmm. org/docswords. htm

The report also briefly mentions the implications circumcision has on adult men's sexuality. "The doctors said that Viagra is the medical profession's apology for circumcision..."

The U.S. is the only country that circumcises for no medical or religious reason. "As soon as all insurance companies in the U.S. stop paying for this harmful procedure, doctor's will stop doing it."

The Middle Wife

as told by an anonymous 2nd grade teacher


I've been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two kids myself, but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own second grade classroom a few years back.

When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually, show-and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that. And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug it in to school and talk about it, they're welcome.

Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid, takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater.

She holds up a snapshot of an infant. "This is Luke, my baby brother, and I'm going to tell you about his birth day."

"First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put a seed in my Mom's stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord."

She's standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I'm trying not to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her in amazement.

"Then, two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying, 'Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh!' Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. "She walked around the house for, like an hour, 'Oh, oh, oh!' (Now Erica is doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.)

"My Dad called the Middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn't have a sign on the car like the Domino's man. They got my Mom to sit down in bed like this." (Erica lies down with her back against the wall.)

"And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like psshhheew!" (Erica has her legs spread with her little hands miming water flowing away.)

"Then the Middle wife starts talking to Mom and helping her breath. Then, all of a sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky stuff that they said was from Mom's play-center, so there must be a lot of toys inside there."

Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat. I'm sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it's show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another "Middle Wife" comes along.

DID YOU KNOW?? Midwives & Homebirth Statistics (2000)

DID YOU KNOW??

Midwives are the most common birth attendants in the world...

There are over 1400 Certified Professional Midwives practicing in the United States...

In the year 2000, the outcomes of Planned Homebirths with a CPM were:


98.4% of all mothers were in good health after birth


98.3% of all babies were in good health after birth


99% initiated breastfeeding and 95.8% were still breastfeeding at 2 months


2.1% episiotomy rate compared to the national 33% hospital rate


3.7% C-section rate compared to the national 32% hospital rate


Infant mortality rate of 1.7/1000 live births (same as hospital outcomes for low risk moms)


No maternal deaths

World Health Organization Recommendations on Feeding Babies (Birth-24 months)

Up to what age can a baby stay well nourished by just being breastfed?

Q: Up to what age can a baby stay well nourished by just being breastfed?

A: Infants should be exclusively breastfed – i.e. receive only breast milk – for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health. "Exclusive breastfeeding" is defined as giving no other food or drink – not even water – except breast milk. It does, however, allow the infant to receive drops and syrups (vitamins, minerals and medicines). Breast milk is the ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; breastfeeding is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers.

WHO recommends that infants start receiving complementary foods at six months (180 days) of age in addition to breast milk. Complementary foods should be given 2–3 times a day between 6–8 months, increasing to three times a day between 9–11 months with one nutritious snack. Between 12–24 months of age, three meals should be given and two additional nutritious snacks can be offered between meals, as desired. These foods should be adequate, meaning that they provide sufficient energy, protein and micronutrients to meet a growing child's nutritional needs. Foods should be prepared and given in a safe manner to minimize the risk of contamination. Feeding young infants requires active care and stimulation to encourage the child to eat.

The transition from exclusive breastfeeding to full use of family foods is a very vulnerable period. It is the time when many infants become malnourished, contributing significantly to the high prevalence of malnutrition in children under five years of age worldwide. It is essential therefore that infants receive appropriate, adequate and safe complementary foods to ensure the right transition from the breastfeeding period to the full use of family foods.

Amounts of foods to offer

Age	Texture	Frequency	Amount at each meal
From 6 months	Soft porridge, well mashed vegetables, meat, fruit	2 times per day plus frequent breastfeeds	2-3 tablespoonfuls
7-8 months	Mashed foods	3 times per day plus frequent breastfeeds	Increasing gradually to 2/3 of a 250 ml cup at each meal
9-11 months	Finely chopped or mashed foods, and foods that baby can pick up	3 meals plus 1 snack between meals plus breastfeeds	3/4 of a 250 ml cup/bowl
12-24 months	Family foods, chopped or mashed if necessary	3 meals plus 2 snacks between meals plus breastfeeds	A full 250 ml cup/bowl

EARTH HOUR: 2008 (March 29)

Earth Hour 2008 - A Global Movement

Created to take a stand against the great threat our planet is now facing, Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off the lights for one hour to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming.

Earth Hour first started in Sydney, Australia. On 31 March 2007, 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney businesses turned off their lights for one hour, producing the world's first Earth Hour. If the greenhouse reduction achieved during that one hour in Sydney was sustained for a year, it would be equivalent to taking 48,616 cars off the road for a year.

This simple act has captured the hearts and minds of people all over the world. As a result, at 8pm March 29, 2008 millions of people in some of the world's major capital cities will unite and turn their lights off for one hour to join together in a global Earth Hour.

What can you do?

1. Sign up for Earth Hour 2008
2. Get involved and create a bigger and better Earth Hour
3. Reduce your impact on climate change
4. Organize Earth Hour in your own community
5. Create your own Earth Hour event

Early, Exclusive Breastfeeding Reduces Newborn Death

Early breast-feeding reduces newborn deaths

CHENNAI, India (Reuters Health) - Initiation of breast-feeding within the first hour after birth or during the first day of life reduces the risk of death for the newborn, according to results of a study from Nepal.

Dr. Luke Mullany and colleagues from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore and a team with the Nepal Nutrition Intervention Project, Katmandu, analyzed data on measures to reduce newborn deaths.

As a part of the study, reported in the Journal of Nutrition, 22,838 newborns were seen by health visitors at their homes soon after birth, then on multiple occasions till the 28th day of life.

Information on feeding practices and illness was collected, height and weight measurements were carried out, and causes of death after 48 hours up to 28 days were determined using a structured questionnaire.

Breast-feeding was initiated in 3.4 percent of babies within the first hour of birth, in 56.6 percent by 24 hours and in 97.2 percent by 72 hours, Mullany's team reports. Others received formula and animal milk, they add.

Two hundred and ninety seven infant deaths were recorded between day 2 and day 28 of life in their group, they note.

The investigators also noted a trend toward higher mortality that correlated with increasing delays in the state of breast-feeding. For instance, babies who were not breast-fed until after the third day were four times more likely to die than those fed within one hour.

The death risk was also 77 percent higher among partially breast-fed infants compared with those who were exclusively breast-fed, they note.

"Approximately 7.7 percent and 19.1 percent of all neonatal deaths may be avoided with universal initiation of breast-feeding within the first day or hour of life, respectively," Mullany and colleagues estimate.

"Infants breast-fed in the first hours of life receive milk with the highest level of protective factors including (antibodies) and protein," Mullany told Reuters Health. Early breast-feeding may also help establish successful breast-feeding patterns throughout infancy.

Improving breast-feeding practices in low-resource regions with high infant mortality rates "may substantially improve survival," he believes.

"Our challenge is to improve culturally appropriate messages that promote this behavior change, and provide the necessary home and community support to enable mothers to provide early breast-feeding," Mullany concluded.

SOURCE: Journal of Nutrition, March 2008.

I am THAT Mom

A friend posted the following... I found it smart and funny - combating ignorance with a little laced humor.


I am THAT Mom

Anyone ever feel that way?

I had my first get together with parents of my daughter's classmates. 4 "normal" moms -- and me.

They’re talking formula and I’m just sitting there quietly. Yes I can sit quietly. I figure I have to be around these moms for several years to come so I just best sit quietly.

One woman said something that sparked me to say (defiance, darn you defiance!) "Livie nursed to 4 years (gasps and shrieks all around), Levi til 3 and...," nodding to Lucy.

"THAT’S GROSS! If they can walk to the fridge and get themselves milk then they are too old! If they can ask for it, they are too old! Anything past 6 months is gross and unnecessary." All from one woman.

One of the other moms said, "Now ladies, we’re all different," or something to that effect. I said "Yes, I am biting my tongue, trust me." I finally got the ranter to quiet down by saying, "I was told that by breastfeeding my daughters they would be lesbians." That got a good laugh.

Ranter got up to go and says to me, "I apologize if I offended you." I tried to tell her that, oh, I understand. I tend to offend people when I spout breastfeeding facts which is why I was keeping my mouth shut. "Oh just take the apology for what it is," she said and flounced out. blinkblink.

I was thinking and so badly wanted to say, "I’m not offended because I know your opinions are based on ignorance."

So now I am THAT mom.

I think I’ll save the homebirthing info our next birthday party.

CIRCUMCISION... and Christianity

One of our midwives recently sent out a study that was performed to determine the degree to which nerve endings are impacted/not impacted as a result of circumcision. I read this study originally in graduate school, as it is actually about a decade old, and has since been repeated numerous times. Before these studies were done, there were some people who said "circumcision doesn't impact penile/clitoral sensitivity" or that men function just the same with/without a foreskin - and this study (repeated in several countries and health organizations) proved that to be very inaccurate. In fact, the significant loss of sensitivity and nerve endings due to circumcision is more than if we cut off ALL the finger tips of ALL of a man's fingers. That is what is robbed of boys, among other things. Similar studies have been done with girls/women who have been circumcised and similar (actually more significant) results are found among female populations.

Among those receiving our midwife's emails are those who I found were surprised at the results, or unknowing that any type of study had been done on this topic. One person replied with a response that highlighted some of her lack of knowledge on the topic, saying, "My husband is circumcised and he is fine..." I typically ignore topical arguments like this, finding that those individuals who choose not to research/learn/investigate truth and empirical data are those who are not going to ever care enough to do so in the future (no matter how deeply it may impact their own beloved children). But this one, I just couldn't ignore. It is too much of a passion. I believe too strongly in it, and have invested too much of my time/energy in digesting all the surrounding literature on the topic at hand.

And so, I responded...



I was going to try and ignore the previous message sent out in response to this topic...however, as a result of spending 5 years in graduate school earning degrees in both Religion & Christian Culture and Health & Human Sexuality and having recently completed my dissertation on the subject, I simply cannot let it go without responding. 

Every parent is certainly entitled to his/her own beliefs/opinions/practices - however, these should be based on accurate, reliable, statistically sound information.

While I did not care one way or another about circumcision years ago, the more I learned on this topic from solidly performed research and peer-reviewed medical studies, hospital statistics, and procedure observation, the more I have come to see that this is certainly sexual abuse and genital mutilation for boys or girls no matter how it may be sugar coated in some parts of the United States today.



SO...

First - by saying, "my husband functions just fine being circumcised" is like saying a blind person functions just fine without sight. Yes, they probably are functioning as well as can be expected. Does this mean that life may not be just a bit sweeter for them if they had that particular sense all along? Does it mean that just because those who are blind function just fine that we should negate or ignore the function, purpose, and quality of life that is given to us through our eyes? Loss of senses in other aspects - sight, hearing, speech, taste, etc. are frequently those losses that are out of our control. And we do all we can to SAVE them and repair them! Yet genital mutilation - and the LOSS of a male human beings' GOD GIVEN sexual sensation -- as well as that of his PARTNER (because it does impact his wife's future sexual experience/sensation as well) -- is the one sense that we rob, cut away, and destroy from our boys/men without their consent.

We first started performing circumcisions in the United States between the 1920s-1950s because we believed that it would curtail masturbation. That was our sole purpose in doing them. It didn't work. (Ironically, research on this shows that circumcised boys actually masturbate more often, and longer, than their non-circ peers). However, our reasoning for starting our circ obsession in the U.S. was in no way linked with the Jewish or Muslim rituals or Abrahamian practices in antiquity, and it was not followed in 80% of the rest of the developed world where a Christian base was also predominant.

To say that circ is a "commanded procedure" in the Hebrew scriptures and that is why one chooses to do so is not understanding the Hebrew, Jewish, (and latter Muslim) cultures in the day -- and WHY this was a procedure that was done (to separate the ones following the God of Abraham and Moses from those who did not). It is the same reason that other laws existed commanding people to not mix fibers -- i.e. not wearing clothing that was made from synthetic blends as we all do today -- or not eating of particular foods - animals without cloven hooves, or the mixing of flesh and sugars, or eating flesh with any blood drops... there were many Old Testament laws that Jesus and his disciples (most specifically John and Paul) preached were not important -- it was a person's INTENTION - their HEART - that mattered - not the ritualistic legalism of antiquity. Jesus provided a new life, a new way, thee one path to connecting with God (the same God of Abraham) without the old sacrifice, food, and purity laws. And he taught that it did not matter if a person was circumcised or not, if a person ate flesh and honey in the same bite, or ate meat from the temples, or wore fibers that were mixed in threads. So this argument cannot be made as justification for genital mutilation unless a person is choosing to obey ALL the antiquity Hebrew laws. And in that case - very little faith and trust and belief is being placed in Jesus Christ himself and his teachings.

Finally -- there are MANY MANY MANY studies from around the world that show significant loss of function and pleasure for men and their partners who were uncircumcised and then circumcised (for various reasons) AS ADULTS. So the men know what both feel like. And their wives know what both feel like. There is a REASON that God designed the foreskin in the same way that He designed the clitoral hood. This organ (the prepuce) is the SAME tissue and SAME function for men and women - it is an organ present in ALL human and non-human primates. (Think of how absurd and barbaric it would be if we all started cutting off the clitoral hood on our baby girls - the exact SAME tissues that we chop off our boys!)

The foreskin on the penis, and the clitoral hood on girls:

-is a specialized, double-layered sheath that covers the glans (head) and is unique in that NO other body organ contains the same number of nerves, purpose, and function as this one does.

-Although the penis and clitoris themselves are not made up of any muscle fibers, the foreskin/hood is highly elastic, intricately webbed with blood vessels, and is lined with smooth muscle that contracts and relaxes in response to touch, temperature, and emotions (it is NOT "just skin")

-contains approximately 250 feet of nerve fibers and tens of thousands of specialized erotogenic nerve endings of various types, which sense the slightest pressure, the lightest touch, the smallest motion, the subtlest changes in temperature, and the finest gradations in texture

-protects the glans (head) of the penis/clitoris from urine, feces, bacteria, viruses, and other irritations from diapers/clothes/etc - (several recent studies show that STIs - sexually transmitted infections - are in higher concentration among circumcised men than intact men, no matter their sexual orientation, sexual practices, religion, purpose for being circumcised, or number of sexual partners).

-protects against infection and scarring of the urethra opening

-the end of the foreskin/hood has a sphincter - or "lips" - that ensures optimal protection of the urinary tract in men and the clitoris in girls.

-protects the sensitivity of the highest concentration of nerve endings in the entire body -- without the foreskin/clitoral hood these delicate organs (clitoral and penile glans) become dry, calloused, and desensitized from exposure and chaffing - the skin on the glans of an adult circumcised man not only LOOKS different than an intact-covered glans does, but it is also made up of a much thicker, calloused skin with thousands less nerve endings (the body's attempt to make up for the loss of needed foreskin to protect the glans).

-releases natural lubrication to assist in sexual practices that is also highly concentrated with antibodies -- I have heard some health and human sexuality doctors state that the "problem" for many older women is not that they themselves are "too dry" or not producing enough lubrication - it is that their male partner has been robbed of his own lubrication that was MEANT to be a part of lifelong effective/pleasurable sexual intercourse for both people involved.

-the glans (head) of the penis and clitoris is designed to be an INTERNAL organ - the foreskin/hood acts as an eyelid does - opening and closing to reveal a very sensitive organ when used/needed

-is lined with a mucous membrane that is the same as the membranes found inside the mouth, inner lips, and eyelids. This membrane keeps the glans (head) of the penis or clitoris healthy, clean, shiny, warm, soft, moist, and sensitive. This foreskin/hood membrane secretes a great amount of emollients, lubricants, and protective antibodies.

-the "neck" of the foreskin - which slides over the shaft of the penis and is double-sided ranges slightly in length from man to man. However, it comprises 3/4 of the newborn penis and in adulthood is about 3 x 5 inches if it were spread out - equal to the amount of tissue on all of a man's hand/fingers or his forehead (but comprised of thousands more nerve cells than even his fingertips). This double-sidedness allows for a smooth friction motion that also enhances pleasure/sexual intercourse for both a man and his partner.

-the foreskin alone is made up of MANY different important components - the tubular tip, corona, dartos muscle sheet, frenulum, preputial orifice, smooth mucosa, ridged mucosa, and others. Once again - IT IS NOT "JUST SKIN" WE DESTROY thru genital mutilation. I would highly encourage parents to investigate these components before electing to take them away from their sons.

According to the 2006 U.S. Pediatric Advisory Board and statistics collected by the University of Michigan Health System, 1 in 400 babies circumcised in the U.S. today has his penis severely cut or scarred in a way that it is no longer able to function, is lost altogether, or the baby dies from blood infection, blood loss, or gangrene due to the procedure. Much more frequently other infections occur, not to mention significant pain, babies lapsing into coma from the horrific procedure, problems with breastfeeding, trust issues, and a drop in serotonin and oxytocin ("love hormones") in the brain affecting the child's bonding/attention/empathy levels.

There are MANY reasons that NOT ONE HEALTH ORGANIZATION IN THE WORLD recommends this procedure be done on babies.

Give your sons the option and choice of remaining intact as they are perfectly created. If they decide that is not something they desire, they can latter choose circumcision for themselves when they are able to be fully anesthetized and understand the consequences of their own decision.

Mothers Naturally website

This is a wonderful website that was passed along to me: http://mothersnaturally.org/

Spinning Babies - Fetal Positioning & Maneuver Techniques

A great website about fetal positioning and maneuver techniques:

http://www.spinningbabies.com/

U.S. Pays Out Vaccine-Autism Injury Case in GA

U.S. health officials have agreed that childhood vaccines given a young Georgia girl led to autism-like symptoms and say she should be compensated from a federal vaccine-injury fund, the Associated Press reported Thursday.

The decision is significant because, while the government has not conceded that vaccines cause autism, parents and advocates for children with the disorder see the decision as a victory that may help thousands of other families with claims that thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative widely used in vaccines, may cause autism.

The government "has not conceded that vaccines cause autism," Linda Renzi, the lawyer representing U.S. officials, told the AP. Federal health officials have consistently maintained that childhood vaccinations are safe, and several studies have discounted any link between thimerosal and autism, despite other pending claims.

According to documents obtained by the AP, five vaccines the girl received on one day in 2000 aggravated a previous condition, that led to worsening brain function "with features of autism spectrum disorder." The term "autism spectrum disorder" was created in the 1990s to encompass autism and a group of milder, related conditions.

The documents, the AP said, do not address whether it was the thimerosal -- or something else in the vaccines -- that was at fault.

The compensation fund, which is run by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, lists problems with brain function, such as the girl had, as a rare side effect of vaccines. Those problems are enough by themselves to warrant compensation, the AP reported, even without autism-like symptoms. The fund has already made many payouts in such cases.

The girl's parents have declined to comment, because the case is not final.

Pedigree Dog Adoption Commercial

i'm a huge advocate for adopting unwanted dogs -- NOT purchasing from breeders.

this commercial makes me teary each time i see it

At least you have a healthy baby...

Powerful. And very much how many new mothers feel when they survive a traumatic birth and people say to them, "Well...at least you have a healthy baby!" Birth matters.