Got Milk? by Linda Sharp

To nurse or not to nurse, that is a question every new mother faces. Unfortunately, while we are making our decision, we are also faced with pamphlets, books, doctors, leagues, groups, and friends trying to push us in one direction or another. There is a ton of propaganda out there for both sides. Personally, I say to heck with everyone else. It is ultimately between you, your boobs and your baby and you should do what feels and works best for you. I chose to nurse mine. A decision I have never regretted, except every night when I get out of the bathtub and stand in front of the mirror, pushing them back up where they used to live near my neck and then watching them fall back down to their new home near my navel... I'm rambling again. I do apologize.

What gets me about nursing though, is OTHER people's reactions. Generationally, my mother didn't understand why I would want to. She bottle fed me and I turned out fine, right? (This is from the same lady whose generation snuck whiskey into baby bottles for teething. Sure, it made the pain go away! A little Jack and Pablum could make rheumatism feel better!) Single friends were visibly curious, then disgusted as they watched let down stains slowly spread across my chest while waiting for the baby to wake up. Even my husband occasionally flinched when I would nurse. Oh wait. That's probably because I would squirt him from across the room with the unoccupied breast. Never mind.

Inevitably, at some point during your nursing . . . many points if you plan on having any semblance of a life . . . you will face the controversy of NURSING IN PUBLIC! There you are, walking calmly through the mall, enjoying being out in the real world, and the tiny bundle in the stroller erupts like Vesuvius. You recognize the cry as one of hunger. Your breasts recognize the cry (yes, your breasts have ears) and immediately begin to flow. I defy anyone to try to tell a hungry infant OR a pair of milk happy orbs, to be patient. So, I would pull out the blanket, cover up the proceedings and sit quietly on a bench. The looks I would receive ranged from understanding smiles (other moms) to curiosity (teenage boys) to downright disapproval (Reverend Falwell. I mean what was I hiding under that flannel cabana? Tinky Winky, I feel your pain.). One person was so intrigued, they sat down next to me and stared. I asked if I could see their ticket. What? Well, surely if you are going to watch the show, you paid admission at the door, didn't you? They quickly departed.

Yes, I suppose it is possible to run around and find a bathroom, fitting room, or rack of clothes to hide in, but I guess I will never understand the "boob phobia" that is out there. Honestly, have those people who think there is something sexual about the nursing breast, ever SEEN one? I can think of nothing farther from a turn-on! (And I am including Reverend Falwell!) And if a person is so offended by it being done, WHY ARE THEY WATCHING?

Whether you follow the bible or subscribe to Darwin, one thing is the same, breasts were put here for this purpose. A woman gives birth and they fill up with milk, thus enabling her to feed her offspring, if this is the method she so chooses. So, if nursing is a choice you make, be tolerant, remember it is a natural, beautiful thing, and that "Beauty IS in the eye of the beholder." But if that person ever sits down next to you in the mall to watch? You have my permission to change it to "MILK is in the eye of the beholder." Ready, aim, fire!

Last week's CrocTalk: Companies Who Are Making A Difference

Continuing with last week's theme of constructive consumerism here are a few of the companies that Crocodile has chosen to support. These companies, Bholu and Under the Nile, not only create their hand crafted merchandise with organic and sustainable materials but they also incorporate philosophies of fair trade manufacturing giving back to communities around the world to improve the lives and education of their workers.



Bholu

The Bubalahs by Bholu are the work of Australian designer Jodie Fried. Designed in Australia, the Bubalahs are brought to life by the hands of traditional Indian artisans. Each piece is hand made using ancient techniques, giving each product its own unique and original personality.



The philosophy behind Bholu is about creating products that we love and live with, while benefiting communities we work with along the way. By using their traditional skills, the artisans gain an income hence independence and opportunity.Bholu, is a Fair Trade and Climate Neutral Company and part of proceeds go back to the women and their communities, along with funding educational facilities and other programs for underprivileged children. In 2008 Bholu won the NSW Telstra Business Award for Social Responsibility for demonstrated leadership by a business for the environment, people, education, and the community.



Under The Nile

Under the Nile Organic Teethers come in fun fruit and veggie designs. Through these teethers Under the Nile is doing more than just helping kids make a positive association with healthy foods. They are also proud participants of the 13-Villages-Project an initiative to fight against poverty and its causes in rural Egypt.



The 13 Villages Project is a campaign co-conducted by Under the Nile and its Farm in Egypt (Sekem). It takes place in 13 rural villages in Sharkeya, Egypt. Through vocational training and infrastructural development, the project is improving the health, skills and overall well being of the village inhabitants. They provide excellent health care as well as education on dental and over all physical health. They begin by educating the villagers on how to make our fruit and vegetable toys. Each village receives an advance for their work and the materials needed to produce that toy. Upon completion, Under the Nile pick up the finished goods and pay them fair wages for their work.

E-mail us at croctalk@crocodilebaby.com to sign up!

Constructive Consumerism

I recently ran across this article in a lovely magazine called Birth of a Mother and though I'd share it with you for this week's CrocTalk. Birth of a Mother's February/March issue was dedicated to what they call Constructive Consumerism, that is, the importance of making your shopping choices matter. The editor-in-chief Leah Chevalier writes about the importance of buying local and supporting businesses that support your personal ideologies rather than running to the closest mass-made-in-China retailer. We think this is an important initiative since rarely do people stop and think about where they shop, not just what they buy.

"I try to make purchasing decisions based on our family needs as opposed to wants. When weighing decision, I try and look at the amount of packaging things come with and yes, whether it is recyclable or not. Tough to do at Christmas time when it seems every toy comes super glued to shrink wrapped plastic and kryptonite twist ties. Yes, sometimes we buy individually wrapped treats or bars but we try to buy most food items in bulk and skip by the fast-food single size servings. My kids are sent to school with stainless steel water bottles, (I wish they would make the effort to get them back to the kitchen sink so I can avoid rummaging in the abyss of their scary backpacks), and we are trying to even reduce our paper towel use by using old cotton clothing recycled into rags. We try to eat local first, then organic and sustainable, and we are eating less meat (hard sell to a European, French husband!). Obviously there are evenings where a drive-by, fast food infraction is mandatory due to piano, guitar and drum lessons all being at the same time. But overall, living in Calgary means that most people live within a 5-9 minute drive from a mini or maxi-power retail center. This makes it ultra easy to support local business and reduce mileage between you and your shopping. As a consumer, I try and look beyond the comfort and ecological radius. I look at WHO I am supporting with my hard earned dollars. Does your favourite store give back to the community? Do they support local causes like Children's Hospitals, Shelters, Food Programs? What are they doing to ensure that they reduce their commercial, carbon footprint? Are they recycling their mountain of cardboard or filling landfills with waste? Are they at least trying to make a difference? It may not seem like much, but every little detail makes a huge impact. If 100,000 people in every large city stopped supporting mass-made-in-Cina retailers and supported local, eco-responsible, Canadian business. Imagine how that would impact the community; that city, the entire country. It would mean potentially saving hundreds of local jobs, a larger budget for local philanthropic work; larger donations to local charities; extra funds for homeless and shelter programs, and better waste reduction and eco-advancements. In the end, you chose where your money goes and who deserves to have it. By keeping your spending local, it just might bring a better selection and improved business practices to you favourite store all the while supporting the ever important eco-initiatives for our planet! So shop wisely!"

Leah Chevalier -Birth of a Mother
FEB/MAR 2008

Why Bamboo?

As I opened my inbox this morning it was to find 2 more companies advertising bamboo products. Its seems that only a year ago, relatively few people even knew that bamboo could be used in the creation of soft fabric products, let alone furniture. But now it seems that bamboo products keep sprouting every which way I look. Beba Bean, Bamboobino, Tulip, Momo-Baby, and David Fussenegger are only a few of the companies capitalizing on the growing popularity of Bamboo products. But why the sudden global interest in bamboo?

As people are growing more and more concerned about the damage our consumerism is inflicting on our environment, Bamboo is presenting itself as a sustainable and eco-friendly solution. Bamboo is a regenerative grass, that is, it can be harvested continually over its lifespan. A bamboo forest can yield up to 25 times the biomass of an equivalently sized forest of trees. In the regions of Asia in which the bamboo grows, the harvests are typically taken from dedicated plantations and are cut down by hand using traditional implements, thus reducing pollution. Also, unlike cotton, bamboo needs no pesticides to grow and is the fastest growing plant (grass) on earth. Due to its intricate root system, once harvested, the plant will sprout a new shoot, which can be the re-harvested in 3-5 years! Few trees grow that fast. This regenerative property of bamboo makes it a very sustainable resource.

In addition to its green component, bamboo has incredible tensile strength, superior water resistance and unlike wood it does not need to be impregnated with oils. This makes it a practical building material for furniture and floors. Bamboo is also lightweight, anti-microbial, and more absorbent than cotton. It is hypoallergenic and grows softer with every wash making it ideal as clothing and bedding for babies as well as those with allergies or sensitive skin.

So, if the e-mails in my inbox are any indication, I think we can expect to see many more companies jumping at a chance to benefit from bamboo's fast growing popularity. It's a great cause to support and here at Crocodile we look forward to featuring new and innovative bamboo creations.

Dishes Made From Corn?

At Crocodile Baby we're always looking for new and innovative sustainable solutions for baby. Recently we came across this lovely company, Dandelion Earth-Friendly Goods. Dandelion creates, among other things, feeding dishes and utensils made from corn! Corn you say? Why Corn?

Corn made products are Reusable. They reduce our dependency on both petroleum-based plastics and disposable ware in general as an essential step toward a healthier future for our families and our environment. Dandelion uses a unique corn (PLA) formula. Unlike conventional plastic, which is largely made from petroleum, this bioplastic is primarily made from corn! Polylactic acid (PLA) requires significantly less fossil resources, and generates far fewer green house gases than conventional plastic. And corn is a renewable and sustainable resource.

So, is corn the solution to our sustainable baby feeding campaign? Unfortunately no. Its a great step don't get me wrong, but even as a renewable resource corn is not ideal. Let's consider for a moment the amount of land required to grow enough corn to replace all current petroleum-based plastics? Now how many trees would have to be cut down to allow this kind of mass-agriculture?

While corn does have its drawbacks as a plastic alternative, it is definitely a step in the right direction. What we need is more companies thinking like Dandelion about new ways to reduce our carbon footprint while creating fun practical products moms and dads will love to use and that Crocodile loves to sell!

Also check out Dandelion's beautiful Organic Cotton Toys.

10 Years of Crocodile Babies! Our Founding Principles

On March 3rd 1999, a small boutique with a quirky name and a unique approach to baby merchandise was born on 4th Avenue. Crocodile was founded on the basic principles of organic parenting, ecological awareness, longevity, and simple quality. Ideas that have now entered local media and are known to most as green living and sustainability. For us there was no such terminology, it was simply the proper way to do business.

Ten years ago, there was no such thing as an organic baby store, sustainable baby furniture or "green" products. Big box stores ruled the baby industry with their plastic strollers, bottles, teethers, and toys. These cheap commodities were meant to be used and tossed. Crocodile saw things differently. We saw this method of cheap consumerism as wasteful and damaging to the environment and even potentially dangerous for babies. So we invested in only the best, products that would last, grow with your child, and be safe and clean for the environment. It started with some clothing and one stroller, a Peg Perego, renowned for its durability and longevity. We turned to European products to get glass bottles, wooden toys, and reusable children's furniture. We challenged the infant car seat on stroller syndrome, encouraging our customers to seek the longer lasting convertible seats and carried only the top rated car seat brands.

We encouraged parents to carry their babies, to pick up and cuddle their babies, and to talk to their babies. When these steps are followed, there is no need for the hundreds of plastic toys to distract and teach baby. You can encourage your child's development just by talking and holding your baby. It seems so simple and instinctive yet we are continuously surprised by the rarity of this behaviour. Parents seem to take the easy way out, place their child in front of the Baby Einstein DVDs and let the TV educate and motivate their children. We truly disagree with this trend.

We seek to reinstate instinctive methods of parenting. The baby expert is not us, its not big box stores, the parenting magazines, or even the DVD that guarantees a higher IQ for your child.The parenting expert is you, your instincts, and the teachings of the parents who raised you. This is organic parenting.

The Future of Infant Car Seats

"Keeping a premature or a newborn baby in the upright position may decrease oxygen saturation level in the baby that may cause brain abnormalities or respiratory problems which may lead to certain diseases in his or her development."
Merchant et al., An American medical joural, Pediatrics, Vol 108 No3, September 2001 P647-P652. Bass et al., An Amercan medical journal, Pediatrics Vol 114, September 2004 P805-P816.

The quote above is from Aprica, a Japanese company, who for years has been making and distributing the Euro Turn car seat. This revolutionary seat has a "fully reclining backrest that guarantees newborns a completely flat resting surface". It features a rotating and reclining seat, adaptable front or rear facing options, innovative head and neck protection, optimum temperature control, and is suitable from newborn to 18kg (40lbs). In addition, "crash tests results show that in the event of a collision, the new flat car seat gives babies greater protection than conventional (upright) seats" (see video).

The Euro Turn has gained popularity throughout Europe (where numerous companies are now making fully reclined infant car seats) and the United States. Heath Canada however, refuses to acknowledge the car seat due to its unconventional design. This begs the questions, is Canada falling behind in child safety regulations? We believe it is high time the Canadian government acknowledges this growing body of research and encourages the development of safer Canadian-made infant car seats. Seats that allow newborn babies to ride safely in a fully reclined position.

For 10 years, Crocodile has been saying that you should leave your car seat in the car and pick up your baby. Now there is medical evidence to suggest that we are unfortunately on the right track (see article below) . To every customer who comes into the store we ask them to consider using an Infant/Toddler seat such as the Britax Marathon, Boulevard or Diplomat. These seats cannot be easily put on a stroller, or carried around and therefore you have to pick up your baby whenever you get out of the car. Yes, this is inconvenient but can anyone imagine the rueful anguish of the poor mother who lost her baby because she left him in a car seat?

"Car Seats Can Kill Sleeping Babies, Coronor Warns

Advice follows investigation into death by asphyxiation of two-month-old Quebec boy

LES PERREAUX
From Thursday's Globe and Mail
February 5, 2009 at 4:45 AM EST

MONTREAL - For many parents, the baby's car seat has long been a magical spot where even the fussiest infant would finally drift off to a peaceful slumber.

But a Quebec coroner who examined the sudden death of a two-month-old boy has issued a stark warning: Parents who leave their newborns semi-reclined in car seats for hours on end are putting them at higher risk of sudden death by asphyxiation.

Coroner Jacques Robinson published the warning yesterday in his report on a baby's death in a car seat one year ago at a family home in the Montreal suburb of Pointe-Claire.

The colicky baby's mother found the car seat was an effective way to get the boy to drift off, so she left him in it overnight, with the seat and baby placed in his bassinette. The mother rose at 3 a.m. to feed the baby and again at 6 a.m. when he started to cry.

When the boy did not wake at his usual 7 a.m. time, the mother discovered he wasn't breathing and had white, waxy skin. The boy's parents and emergency responders tried to resuscitate him without success.

"Car seats are named that for a reason. They're not for the house, they're not meant to replace a crib, and they're not meant to be left in a bassinette," Dr. Robinson said in an interview.

Properly installed infant car seats are set at a precise angle, usually 45 degrees, to balance head support against safety in a collision.

But more than a couple of hours sitting at any angle is too much for a newborn, Dr. Robinson said.

"A baby sitting, or semi-sitting, even at an angle of 30 degrees, does not have the strength to keep his head straight, and it's easy for his airway to be blocked."

Dr. Robinson emphasized that a car seat is still vital for transporting babies in vehicles but he said long trips should be broken up every couple of hours. Even babies need a break to stretch and change positions, he said.

"A couple hours is fine. Overnight is not fine," Dr. Robinson said.

Researchers at the coroner's office went back 15 years analyzing babies who died from sudden infant death syndrome and found 15 to 20 deaths might have been triggered by sleeping sitting or semi-reclined.

Separate studies by Quebec and New Zealand researchers in 2006 analyzed deaths among babies under 12 months and found an increased likelihood of death in car seats.

The Quebec study examined unexplained deaths from 1991 to 2000. Ten of 409 unexplained deaths among children under 12 months occurred while the tots were in "sitting positions." But the rate rose dramatically to five out of 49 among babies under one month old. Dr. Robinson acknowledged the numbers are small but he argued the deaths are easily preventable.

The warning about car seats adds to a growing list of warnings about potential causes of sudden infant death syndrome. Parents are now advised to avoid letting infants sleep on their stomachs, or in cribs crowded with soft objects. Sleeping in the same bed as adults or other children is another no-no.

"It's always best for babies to sleep in a crib that meets Canadian safety standards," said Lisa Lipkin, a spokeswoman with Safe Kids Canada.

Dr. Robinson offered more detailed instructions: "A baby sleeps on his back, on a firm mattress, in his own bed, with no objects in the bed with him, not even covers, if it's possible."

The frequency of sudden infant deaths has fallen by 50 per cent as parents have increasingly heeded the updated advice, Dr. Robinson said.

But common practice and expert opinion are not completely in sync. Unfortunately several online baby-advice sites refer to the car seat as a great tool to put babies to sleep for extended naps."