Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

You've likely seen people, cars, and websites sporting pink ribbons and advertising fundraisers.  Maybe you've sent pink foil yogurt lids in the mail.  If you're on facebook you've probably noticed mysterious status updates about where women like to keep their purses.  Oops, did I spoil the mystery?  Last year it was about the colors of our bras.

While it may be cute and garner attention, are we really raising the right issues about breast cancer?

Rather than focusing on raising awareness, perhaps we should be spreading positive information about prevention?

"Breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk (a whopping 59%!!) of breast cancer in women who have a family history of the disease and at least a 28% reduction for those without one (me). And it lowers your breastfed baby girl’s lifetime risk getting breast cancer by 25%!"

My Breast Cancer: Why I Won't Race for the Cure

"It seems it's about time there was a focus on breast cancer prevention rather than just breast cancer awareness."

Should Breast Cancer Awareness Turn to Prevention?

For information about promoting breast cancer prevention and THRIVING rather than just SURVIVING, please check out the Best for Babies organization.

Their mission is "To help moms beat the “Booby Traps”–the cultural & institutional barriers that prevent moms from achieving their personal breastfeeding goals. To inspire, prepare & empower™ moms. To give breastfeeding a makeover and give moms the solutions they need to make it work!"

That's a cause I can get behind!

Another thing I found interesting, is where the money from certain fundraising groups is actually going.

For instance, of the money raised for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, only 25% goes to the Susan G. Komen organization.  Up to 75% goes to fund Planned Parenthood clinics, whose primary function is to perform abortions.  Whether or not you support abortion, I think you would agree that money raise in the name of breast cancer diagnosis should go to just that.

For a list of breast cancer fundraising groups that don't fund abortion clinics, click here.

I think it's important when we're spreading awareness and information to strive to make that information relevant, supportive, and positive.  It's also a good idea to do your homework and know which groups you're lending support to and where that support is actually going.

Influenza, the Vaccine, and Vitamin D

It's flu season!

You've likely noticed the propaganda.  Signs everywhere I go, at pharmacies, grocery stores, supermarkets, warehouse stores, and more!  I see signs on the side of the road, and I hear news stories about how everyone should go get their flu shot!  Some places even offer incentives, such as memberships, gift cards and the like, all for getting a flu shot!  Our pediatrician's office has a sign with a caricature of a man with an ice pack on his head, a red nose, tissue in his hand, covered with a blanket, and a fizzling drink nearby.  It says "Don't let this happen to you!  Get your flu shot today!"  They'll even bill your insurance for you!  No hassle!

One thing all this media coverage makes me question is why?  Where are the funds coming from to pay for all of this?  The advertisements and the incentives?  The pay for the registered nurses who sit at the tables and booths with their syringes ready?  It makes me think that, just maybe, the flu shot is pushed more for monetary reasons than for health.  Just think about that for a minute.

If you live in a place where it gets very cold in the winter, like I do, then the propaganda is likely more prevalent than in warmer climates.  Flu season here can be quite ugly, particularly for infants and babies who can develop potentially deadly RSV, which affects a baby's ability to breathe and get adequate oxygen.  Indeed, parents are cautioned to keep their infants home and avoid public places for fear of contracting the feared flu bug.  When I gave birth to my third baby in October we kept him home for months to avoid any exposure.  We sacrificed holiday parties and family get-togethers out of fear our precious baby might get sick.  He was healthy all season, and I can't say whether or not staying home really made a difference.

I used to get the flu shot, and I even had some of my kids get it more than once.  Our family doesn't get the flu shot anymore.  The decision was simple for me.  I didn't notice our family getting sick less often when we got the vaccine.  The years that we skipped the vaccine we didn't get sick any more often or worse than the years we got it.  I saw no point in subjecting myself and my children to an annoying stick in the shoulder (or thigh) when I never noticed any benefits.

In the years since I stopped getting the flu shot I've done more research on the subject.  This year in particular I've found a lot of resources about the flu vaccine, and they're not favorable.  I didn't intentionally seek out anti-vaccine blog posts and articles, but the research I've found supports my decision to stop getting the annual shot.

Why is flu season during the winter months?  It's quite simple.  The colder weather forces us to stay indoors more.  We exercise less.  We eat more food, and more fatty and sugary foods, particularly during the various holidays that take place during the winter.  Our health overall suffers, and we're more prone to illness.  Flu isn't the only illness that goes around during these times, but it seems to be the one that gets the most attention.  Perhaps it's because of money.  There's a vaccine for that, and lots of companies make money when vaccines are sold and administered.

In considering whether or not the vaccine is a good choice for you or your family, you should consider the following:

• The latest flu shot has been linked to seizures:  "Australia, just coming out of its flu season, had to suspend flu shots for kids — because little ones were suffering febrile seizures at 10 times the normal rate."  This is the 2010 flu shot.  The one that's being currently promoted.  My kids won't be getting it.
• Six reasons to say NO to vaccination: At first glance I thought this blog post was all about scare tactics, but when I took the time to read past the bold print I realized there's a lot of truth to it.  It's about vaccinations in general, but as you read it think about how it applies to the flu shot in particular.  
• Flu is vitamin D deficiency disease: This post really resonates with me.  It makes sense that during the darkest months of the year we would suffer from vitamin D deficiency, when vitamin D is most available through exposure to sunlight.  Taking a regular dose of cod liver oil or another vitamin D supplement could potentially prevent the flu altogether.  I'm willing to give it a try!
• Vitamin D proven far better than vaccines in preventing influenza infections:  If you're one of those people who needs scientific proof of a theory, here's some evidence to back up the vitamin D link to the flu.
• Food sources for Vitamin D: This site has a list of foods that contain Vitamin D.  The major foods listed are: fish (like salmon and tuna), milk, cheese, and egg yolks, but check the list for more.  It's a good idea to eat as many Vitamin D rich foods as possible through flu season.  An adult should have about 1200 IU's of D3 daily, and a child should have about 400.  You can also get D3 supplements from your local grocery store or health food store.
• Sunlight is the best source of Vitamin D: However, in many very sunny places it's still possible to be deficient because it's dependent on the type of sunlight.  Dietary changes and/or supplementation may still be needed.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist.  I support families making informed choices about their care.  That means knowing what it is you're choosing.  If you choose to get a vaccine, understand the potential risks involved.  If you choose not to vaccinate, understand what you can do to support your family's health more effectively.  Make the choice that makes sense and feels right for you.

I make decisions for myself and my family based on a combination of personal intuition and research.  I go with what feels right, but I also search for evidence and pray about my decision.  This is one vaccine I feel confident about missing.

UPDATE: (10/29/10) Since writing this post, I discovered more information about the 2010 Influenza Vaccine.

Thoughts on Preterm Labor & Birth

This is a topic I've thought a lot about over the past few months. A friend of mine was experiencing contractions at 34 weeks gestation. She went into the hospital and underwent some tests. It was confirmed that she was actually in labor. It was also discovered that she had a urinary tract infection that triggered her body to start contracting. She was given antibiotics to resolve the UTI and was told that her labor would subside as a result.

I wonder how often an underlying infection is the cause for preterm labor?

When there's an infection, the pregnant woman's body has a defense mechanism to protect the baby from the infection: start labor to try and get the baby out.

It doesn't matter if it's 40 weeks into the pregnancy, or 20. The woman's body is designed to protect the baby.

Infections can be tricky things. A woman can have a UTI and not realize it because the symptoms can be subtle. I think many women in our culture are so busy that they're not tuned in to their body's signals. If we slow down, take care of ourselves and pay attention to how we feel, we can often sense when there is a problem and catch it before it becomes serious.

There are ways to prevent preterm labor, and scientists are feverishly trying to pinpoint them, particularly because preterm labor is becoming more common in this country. The United States recently received a "D" on the March of Dimes 2009 Premature Birth Report Card, and it's important that we do something to change the trend of preterm labor and birth. One study found that a woman's DNA can predispose her to preterm labor, but there are other factors as well.

For one thing, you can do your best to stay healthy and low-risk through proper nutrition and exercise. This can help you avoid an infection that could trigger early labor. Proper nutrition can also help avoid preeclampsia and toximia, which are often culprits for prompting early induction resulting in possible preterm babies.

One thing I personally believe would make a big difference is for women to tune in with their bodies. Take some time each day to check in with yourself. How are you feeling? Do you have energy, or are you struggling to get things done? What did you eat, and how did that affect how you were feeling? Did you drink plenty of clear fluids? Did you do something for you today? Are you happy? Do you have an overall feeling of well-being, or does it feel like something may be out of balance? Often, how you feel emotionally can be a signal of how things are going in your body, and a woman's intuition can really clue her in to some possible problems. I'm a true believer in intuition, and I've personally been working on listening more closely to my intuition and acting on even the smallest promptings I feel. I'm finding my life goes a little smoother and I'm better able to handle things when I pay attention to what my body and my feelings are trying to tell me.

This process of checking in with yourself can take as little or as much time as you have. It can be 2 minutes, or 2 hours. It can involve deep, focused breathing and meditation, or just a quick mental checklist. Find what works for you, and try it.

What do you think? Does any of this seem to fit together, or am I way out there?

The Fight Against Iatrogenic Prematurity

November is Prematurity Awareness Month

"Iatrogenic prematurity refers to the birth of a physiologically immature and/or low-weight infant who is delivered prematurely as a result of medical intervention."

The United States recently received a "D" on the March of Dimes 2009 Premature Birth Report Card. This is alarming, and raises some serious concerns. Much needed research is being done on the causes and possible prevention of preterm labor.

March of Dimes: Fight for Preemies

The Unnecesarean.com: The March of Dimes Fights Iatrogenic Prematurity