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By Lisa Lactivist, on July 24th, 2008
http://technology.newscientist.com/channel/tech/robots/dn12980-androids-in-pain-and-breastfeeding-baby-bots.html
15:48 29 November 2007
NewScientist.com news service
New Scientist staff and Reuters
Japan’s premier robot event offers visitors the chance to find a high-tech ping-pong opponent, see an android dental patient twitch in pain, and to nurse baby robots in the same afternoon.
Showcasing around 1000 industrial and service robots, the International Robot Exhibition in Tokyo confirmed Japan’s enthusiasm for robots, many of which manufacturers hope to adapt to the needs of an ageing population.
Employees of Yamazaki Educational Systems, for example, were busy nursing four baby robots who cried and burped enthusiastically. The $620 robots are meant to help teach soon-to-be parents how to care for infants.
“Opportunities to see kids in society are decreasing,” says company representative Kaoru Nukui, referring to the sharp fall-off in births in Japan that means many families have only one child.
“The way students would touch a baby would be completely different once they have looked, touched, and experienced this ‘baby’,” he adds, before demonstrating a nipple-like sensor that can be used to “breast feed” each baby.
Programmed pain
Nearby, a female android on a dentist’s chair also drew the crowds. Simroid, a $635,000 android, was developed by Japanese company Kokoro as a dummy patient for dental students. See a video of Simroid in action here.
“That’s painful!” Simroid says, twitching and blinking when a student pressed her teeth too hard with a tool. Her chest also rose and fell as if she was breathing.
“Previous dummies … looked obviously different from humans, so the students may have been a little careless,” says Satoshi Uzuka of the Nippon Dental University Hospital, which co-developed the android. “They are now as tense as when treating a real patient.”
By Ruth, on July 23rd, 2008
In those early days with a new baby, the help you need is not “let me take the baby off you while you have a rest get on with the housework” but is rather “let me do some housework for you while you get on with nursing and bonding with your baby”. It’s difficult to ask for help though so the wonderful Diane Wiessinger, lactation consultant and LLL Leader, has come up with this:
http://www.normalfed.com/Starting/refrig.pdf
Print it off, fill it out, stick it to your fridge or other prominent position, and people will – hopefully – get the hint!
By Lisa Lactivist, on July 22nd, 2008
Fit to Bust – Alison Blenkinsop IBCLC – a unique celebration of motherhood and breastfeeding.
ISBN 978-1-906206-89-5 £9.99
Release date 1 August 08
.JPG) Fit to Bust is a comic treasure chest of songs, stories, jokes, cartoons and fascinating titbits of information about breastfeeding and related subjects. Its aim is to raise awareness of the value of mother’s milk and financial support for Baby Milk Action, which works to protect both breastfeeding and formula-fed babies and is a member of IBFAN. It will appeal to expectant parents and nursing mothers, older parents, health professionals, breastfeeding support workers, and anyone with an interest in ensuring that parents receive unbiased information on infant feeding.
Alison Blenkinsop is a musician, songwriter, and member of Lactation Consultants of Great Britain.
Here is a snippet from the book:
There’s no place like home (tune: taken from ‘Consider yourself‘ from Oliver!)
Deliver yourself at home!
Deliver yourself, surrounded by family;
contractions will be so strong
we’re sure your labour will not be long.
No need to pack your bags and trundle off to hospital,
meeting people you don’t know;
with all the lights and noise and strangers coming in and out,
labour’s likely to be slow.
If factors of risk are small
and you’re in the best of health,
with confidence and privacy and midwife’s skill,
deliver your babe by yourself!
www.linkable.biz/page7.htm
By Lisa Lactivist, on July 22nd, 2008
 This really is the present for the breastfeeding mum who has everything.
A beautiful hand crafted fairy made from silk flowers boasts an impressive chest and holds a new baby in her arms.
Her legs bend so you can get her to sit down (much more comfortable for feeding!).
She is approx 250mm tall and suspended from a thread from the top of her head.
Not a toy! Not for under 3 yr olds.
By Mandi, on July 19th, 2008
by Cathy Cardall
I know I look so big to you,
Maybe I seem too big for the needs I have.
But no matter how big we get,
We still have needs that are important to us.
I know that our relationship is growing and changing,
But I still need you. I need your warmth and closeness,
Especially at the end of the day
When we snuggle up in bed.
Please don’t get too busy for us to nurse.
I know you think I can be patient,
Or find something to take the place of a nursing;
A book, a glass of something,
But nothing can take your place when I need you.
Sometimes just cuddling with you,
Having you near me is enough.
I guess I am growing and becoming independent,
But please be there.
This bond we have is so strong and so important to me,
Please don’t break it abruptly.
Wean me gently,
Because I am your mother,
And my heart is tender.
By Lisa Lactivist, on July 17th, 2008
Here is a poster of the Moo breastfeeding a few of years ago when he was tiny. Click on this link to open it as a poster in pdf format, it is free to download and distribute and has tear offs with all the breastfeeding helpline numbers.
“Are you a yummy mummy? Sometimes it’s not easy to do the natural thing so these organisations offer free help and advice from specially trainsed breastfeeding counsellors. Only 3% of mums cannot breastfeed for medical reasons.”
By Lisa Lactivist, on July 15th, 2008
Excerpted with permission by McGraw-Hill Publishing from Gently Baby Care (McGraw-Hill 2003).
Help! I’m getting so frustrated with the endless stream of advice I get from my mother-in-law and brother! No matter what I do, I’m doing it wrong. I love them both, but how do I get them to stop dispensing all this unwanted advice?
Just as your baby is an important part of your life, he is also important to others. People who care about your baby are bonded to you and your child in a special way that invites their counsel. Knowing this may give you a reason to handle the interference gently, in a way that leaves everyone’s feelings intact.
Regardless of the advice, it is your baby, and in the end, you will raise your child the way that you think best. So it’s rarely worth creating a war over a well-meaning person’s comments. You can respond to unwanted advice in a variety of ways:
Listen first
It’s natural to be defensive if you feel that someone is judging you; but chances are you are not being criticized; rather, the other person is sharing what they feel to be valuable insight. Try to listen – you may just learn something valuable.
Disregard
If you know that there is no convincing the other person to change her mind, simply smile, nod, and make a non-committal response, such as, “Interesting!” Then go about your own business…your way.
Agree
You might find one part of the advice that you agree with. If you can, provide wholehearted agreement on that topic.
Pick your battles
If your mother-in-law insists that Baby wear a hat on your walk to the park, go ahead and pop one on his head. This won’t have any long-term effects except that of placating her. However, don’t capitulate on issues that are important to you or the health or well-being of your child.
Steer clear of the topic
If your brother is pressuring you to let your baby cry to sleep, but you would never do that, then don’t complain to him about your baby getting you up five times the night before. If he brings up the topic, then distraction is definitely in order, such as, “Would you like a cup of coffee?”
Educate yourself
Knowledge is power; protect yourself and your sanity by reading up on your parenting choices. Rely on the confidence that you are doing your best for your baby.
Educate the other person
If your “teacher” is imparting information that you know to be outdated or wrong, share what you’ve learned on the topic. You may be able to open the other person’s mind. Refer to a study, book, or report that you have read.
Quote a doctor
Many people accept a point of view if a professional has validated it. If your own pediatrician agrees with your position, say, “My doctor said to wait until she’s at least six months before starting solids.” If your own doctor doesn’t back your view on that issue, then refer to another doctor – perhaps the author of a baby care book.
Be vague
You can avoid confrontation with an elusive response. For example, if your sister asks if you’ve started potty training yet (but you are many months away from even starting the process), you can answer with, “We’re moving in that direction.”
Ask for advice!
Your friendly counselor is possibly an expert on a few issues that you can agree on. Search out these points and invite guidance. She’ll be happy that she is helping you, and you’ll be happy you have a way to avoid a showdown about topics that you don’t agree on.
Memorize a standard response
Here’s a comment that can be said in response to almost any piece of advice: “This may not be the right way for you, but it’s the right way for me.”
Be honest
Try being honest about your feelings. Pick a time free of distractions and choose your words carefully, such as, “I know how much you love Harry, and I’m glad you spend so much time with him. I know you think you’re helping me when you give me advice about this, but I’m comfortable with my own approach, and I’d really appreciate if you’d understand that.”
Find a mediator
If the situation is putting a strain on your relationship with the advice-giver, you may want to ask another person to step in for you.
Search out like-minded friends
Join a support group or on-line club with people who share your parenting philosophies. Talking with others who are raising their babies in a way that is similar to your own can give you the strength to face people who don’t understand your viewpoints.
By Antonia Chitty, on July 15th, 2008
I’m Antonia, Mum to D, 6 and J, 2. Over the next few months I’m going to share my experiences of breastfeeding while pregnant, and, if J continues to feed, tandem nursing.
I’m 38 and live in Sussex. I combine writing books with running my own PR business where I specialise in eco baby product PR.
By Mandy, on July 15th, 2008
Lait D’Amour – making breastfeeding fashionable
Mandy Lelliott has a passion for making breastfeeding easier for mums. The mother of two from Surrey runs Lait d’Amour, with the aim of spreading the message that “breast is best”. She has created some handy products that are attractive and fun, and help mums deal with the practicalities of giving their baby a great start in life. Mandy explains, “Lait d’Amour is making breastfeeding fashionable and promoting breastfeeding awareness with the help of my products including Nursing Necklaces and Booby Reminder® bracelets.”
Mandy created Booby Reminder® bracelets to help mums remember which breast to feed from next. Alternating breasts ensures that baby gets a full feed, with both the thirst quenching fore milk and the creamy hind milk which is packed full of goodness and growth hormones. The attractive bracelets carry the text, ‘This Boob Next’, and can be personalised with your baby’s name. Simply swap the bracelet to the other side after you’ve fed, and you’ll know where to start for the next feed. Mandy says, “I created the Booby Reminder® bracelet and founded Lait d’Amour in 2005, to provide mums with great information about breastfeeding. Breastfeeding mums don’t get enough support and encouragement, and so I became an advocate.”
Lait d’Amour is run from Mandy’s home. She sells through her own online store and via eBay. Mandy comments, “It started as a hobby. Now my team and I spend many hours a week making up the products. I aim to send products out the next day, even if it means I’m up until 1am some nights.” As well as the Booby Reminder® bracelets, Mandy has created another best seller. She says, “Jingle Boobs necklaces are the most popular item on my site. Choose from a range of colours to match your outfits or appeal to a little one. Wear the necklace when you feed and the brightly coloured beads can entertain your little one. Choose black, white and red beads to stimulate their visual development, or chunky animals and jingly bells for fun. The hemp strung nursing necklaces have passed safety testing to BSEN 71-1:2OO5 clause 5.1 (toy standards) and reached 185N tension without breaking.”
Mandy has selected some excellent products like the Lilypadz breast pads to complement her own creations, making Lait d’Amour the place to shop for every mum who wants to breastfeed. Mandy says, “Breastfeeding has brought so much to my life and to my children’s lives and future health. I was never very confident but watching my children grow on my milk has brought out the best in me. As a result I want to share my ‘breast is best’ campaign with the world.” Visit Mandy’s eBay store, simply called Lait d’Amour, or check out her own website, http://www.laitdamour.eu/
Related Links
By Lisa Lactivist, on July 11th, 2008
Great for breakfast, for a rainy day, for a picnic on a sunny day, sod it, who needs an excuse!
Here is the recipe-[don't be afraid to add extras-I iike them with chopped eating apple added,or dried apricots-]You need-
225g[8oz]self-raisingflour
225g[8oz]vegetable marg
100g[4oz] raw cane sugar
2tspns.vanilla essence
2 medium-sized ripe bananas.
Mix together the marg.,sugar and vanilla.-[I use the blender] then add the bananas,then flour.
Fill muffin cases well-[This makes about 8]and bake at gas mark 4 for 20-30 minutes until well risen and golden coloured
Enjoy !
We added food colouring to ours and iced them to stop them being so healthy!
By Lisa Lactivist, on July 10th, 2008
Idea by Ruth Moss, can you win by getting all the comments on the postcard? Bingo!
For sale at www.lactivist.co.uk on glossy postcards with plain backs or you can print them off yourself.
By Lisa Lactivist, on July 9th, 2008
 
 Possibly the best thing I have bought this year – The Reusable Sandwich Wrap is a wrapper for sandwiches that unfolds into a plate – no more plastic bags needed!
Fab and brill, and if you know me you may well be getting one for your birthday! Mooboy has the pirate one and all the kids at school are jealous.
 
By Lisa Lactivist, on July 9th, 2008
How very refreshing and what hope for the future these dolls bring!
“I wanted to give something back to breastfeeding as It has given us so much over the years, and alter the way some people perceive breastfeeding, to help the future generations learn, through role playing with my doll sets that there is an alternative to bottles, that there is another way to feed babies & toddlers. Naturally! Role playing with my dolls will open up discussion and learning in a fun way, whilst still getting that all important message about breastfeeding across.
After much research I found that dolls = bottles, whilst watching Our youngest son pushing his toys up his top to nurse them I decided I did not want to offer a bottle with a doll, as it did not fit in with our family ethics, so I designed and registered my “Boobie Buddies Educational Magnetic Breastfeeding Doll sets”. Boobie Buddies was born !”
Pip Wheelwright – designer of Boobie Buddies breastfeeding dolls.
By Lisa Lactivist, on July 9th, 2008
www.lactivist.co.uk is the home of Lactivist t-shirts for babies and toddlers that promote breastfeeding and gentle parenting with witty slogans.
If you don’t fancy a t-shirt there is a range of accessories, badges, keyrings, stickers and postcards all with positive breastfeeding messages.
 
By Lisa Lactivist, on July 9th, 2008
I have a theory that the contents of cupboards bubble and seethe, spreading out tentacles of tat to their brother cupboards. Their master plan is to engulf the entire house so that no carpet is left uncovered, and no doors can be opened without the contents bursting out. I was at this stage when I counted my trousers. I had 71 pairs. My wardrobe at the time extended to bin bags and boxes so it took me some time to get them all in one place. Eventually there they all were, a CV in cloth, a history of boyfriends, nights out, jobs, holidays, jumble sales and misguided bargain buys I had never worn. Thirty pairs were too small, 20 pairs plain hideous, 4 pairs too big, 5 pairs too good to wear hence they never got worn. Twelve pairs fitted me and 6 of these were regularly worn.
It was fairly easy coming to terms with the fact that I would never be a size 10 again and I reckoned that if I ever got to size 12 I would be out buying new clothes with all the money I had saved by not eating. The ugly trousers were no problem to say goodbye to, along with embarrassing memories of wearing them. The big trousers went, as I didn’t know I was going to be pregnant in a few years, damn. The smart trousers were tricky, they represented a lifestyle I aspired to, where cats didn’t wee in hallways, houses didn’t need radical renovations and dishes got washed by someone else. They were the sort of trousers I would never get a chance to wear unless it was to an interview and even then I’d be worried about spilling something down them. I kept them for another year before admitting to myself that I was not the sort of person that needed that many smart clothes.
The great trouser cull got me started and I spent months systematically sorting and getting rid of stuff I’d hoarded for years. I piled clothes on the bed and invited friends around to take what they wanted on the strict instructions they were not to show me what they had taken nor utter the phrase ‘Are you sure you want to get rid of this?’ My paperwork was pruned to one small box from a 4 drawer filing cabinet and I completely empted two rooms in my two bedroom house. Admittedly I got a bit carried away and threw away my birth certificate and a savings book by accident but on the whole I wasn’t missing stuff at all. It was great to be able to find things again.
Around the time I had reached a minimalistic plateau my boyfriend moved in with his collection of empty and clean takeaway containers, several computers and boxes of computer innards, more books, clothes, bedding…….stuff that was way out of my jurisdiction.
And then later came the baby with his boxes of toys, piles of nappies, clothes to be washed, hung out, brought in, put away, put on…. It’s a loosing battle. I still try to keep the clutter down. I only let myself by things if they are useful, but this rule is pretty bendy. I hand on baby clothes regularly and try to throw away empty takeaway containers without being detected, but I know I’m doomed to failure. I know that soon I will have a messy pile of my child’s artistic creations, it will be impossible to throw out his first shoes and we will need a bigger house. I am now the owner of 10 pairs of trousers and most of them get worn sometimes. I have not counted my jumpers.
copyright Lisa Cole www.lactivist.co.uk 2005
By Lisa Lactivist, on July 9th, 2008
It’s weird how relaxing it can be to lie there while someone waves your leg in the air. Some years ago I started having Shiatsu sessions to compensate myself for the particularly awful job I was in, it was the usual kind of thing, too much responsibility and not enough money. I’d shuffle in to my session on a Friday afternoon, with a brain full of bitchiness and bickering and an hour later I’d float out, completely empty headed. Fabulous!
Yoga is relaxing, so is Tai Chi but they both require active participation, you actually have to move your body and concentrate on what is going on so you don’t fall over. Shiatsu, however requires you to do nothing, your job is to flop your limbs and let someone else do the work. The word Shiatsu means pressure with fingers, though in a session a practitioner can use their feet, palms, elbows, thumbs, fingers or arms to release trapped vital energy or Ki. It’s the same sort of principal as acupuncture without the spiky things. You lie fully clothed, on a futon in a dimly lit room, to be prodded, stretched and freed from tension.
Shiatsu was great throughout my pregnancy, it kept me supple and suppressed my morning sickness. A month before the birth my lovely Shiatsu lady trained my bloke to use key pressure points to help me in labour. When he said casually ‘this is supposed to open your cervix’ all my cynicism and scepticism vanished, it worked, and it worked fast. I had a relatively quick, drug free birth and instead of feeling in the way, my bloke played an active part in the great occasion. I still have regular Shiatsu sessions, now to mend a back that aches from hefting a seven month old limpet boy around, to straighten shoulders slumped from breastfeeding him and to alleviate the stress of sleep deprivation.
After Shiatsu I feel more comfortable in my body. I feel as if all my bones are in the right place and my mind is no longer a trap for useless niggles. I drift dreamily home and I am a nice person for at least 24 hours afterwards.
copyright Lisa Cole www.lactivist.co.uk 2005
By Lisa Lactivist, on July 9th, 2008
My legs get heavier with every step I take. My eyes grate around in their sockets and one eye has a regular nervous twitch. I am a husk, a dried out shell and everything aches. All I want is sleep. Friends call to ask me out; I’d rather sleep. I am argumentative, grumpy, irrational and can’t concentrate. Sleep deprivation is affecting my relationships and my parenting skills; I don’t give a moo for Old McDonald right now.
After a run of sleeping for 4 to 5 hours at a stretch, my son got a fever and last night was screaming hell. I slept in half hour chunks, woken abruptly by an inconsolable boy who yelled for what seemed like hours. I got angry and had to leave the room before I shouted at him to ‘go to sleep, please just go to sleep.’ I don’t normally shout at him and I feel terrible now because it is not his fault.
In a coffee shop, having a hard time choosing a drink, I feel I have to justify my scattiness. ‘He was up all night’ I explain. I earn sniggers and giggles and feel as if no one believes what absolute torture it is. Other mums look at me vaguely, their child has always slept through, no bother at all. I tell myself that their child is extremely dull, unlike mine who has never slept that well. I tell myself that it’s because my child is so active and so bright but in truth I know that it’s just the luck of the draw, some kids sleep, some don’t.
After a couple of nights of erratic broken sleep, insomnia sets in. I get overtired, my mind full of must do’s and my body restless. I can’t get to sleep in case I get woken up. He could sleep for 10 minutes or 4 hours, there is no way of telling. And anyway, I am a mother and surely I should be on duty 24 hours a day? No I shouldn’t! I need to look after myself so I can look after my child.
Here is a list of things that help me cope with lack of sleep:
- If I let him sleep on me I can’t rush round and do dishes/paint hallway/clean the bath/achieve world domination. Even if I don’t sleep when he is at least I am resting.
- I learnt that babies cry in their sleep sometimes and often go back to sleep again quickly, on their own. He doesn’t want to be cuddled at ever moan he makes.
- I don’t beat myself up about how little I manage to do, instead I praise myself for existing on so little sleep.
- Prioritise sleep. When you get a chance, nap!
- Get someone to look after the baby for a set time. You are more likely to rest if you know how much time you have. If they can take the baby out for a walk you will not be listening out for it all the time.
- If you get time to yourself, make sure you rest, have a long bath, read a book or watch some mindless TV. Do not do housework!
- Lavender is supposed to help you relax,
- Try to avoid coffee because it will only give you a short boost and may stop you from sleeping later in the day.
- Cut down on daily tasks. Not everything needs to be ironed, older kids and some men can be taught to tidy up and dirty dishes don’t matter.
copyright Lisa Cole www.lactivist.co.uk 2005
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