Sad News, Indeed

I kept hoping that all the suspicions and the news that leaked was wrong. Surely the American Academy of Pediatrics couldn't be bought. Surely they couldn't support circumcision right when so many countries are making the opposite decision. Not when even the American Cancer Society denounced circumcision as a preventative.

And so I waited, with bated breath... for the news to come. And so it did.

My naked, whole son & I, protesting the AAP's Circumcision stance.

There is an awful lot of money to be had by the medical industry from circumcisions. So many mothers have had to battle their families to do what is right for their sons. Now they don't have the AAP to back them up. Shame on you, AAP!

Tonight while chatting with my fellow Natural Parents Network volunteers about the AAP’s abhorrent policy change on circumcision, Amanda of Let’s Take the Metro spouted off a witty retort:

If you are confused by the issues, if you want more information or need help, please check out my Circumcision Link List. Educate yourself and be an informed parent.

Top 10 Reasons to Leave Your Son Intact

Please welcome Mandy of Living Peacefully with Children. Read to the bottom for her bio. Today I share with you Mandy's Top 10 list of reasons to leave our sons intact. This post was originally published on her own blog.

10. 80% of the world's male population is intact.
    
    

    Photo by Beth

9. It is easier to clean an intact infant's penis than to deal with open wounds in a diaper which is routinely filled with urine and feces.
   
   
8. Foreskins are functional, protecting the glans while containing sensitive nerve endings and blood vessels.
   
   
7. It is a parent's duty to protect his/her child. Circumcision is painful.
   
   
6. Pain and shock from circumcision disrupt bonding, breastfeeding, and sleep patterns in newborn infants.
   
   
5. Complications include infection, abnormal bleeding, removal of excessive amounts of skin, loss of part or all of the glans, urinary issues, and death.
   
   
4. It is illegal in the United States to circumcise a female against her will or who has not reached an age of majority. Circumcising infant males is discriminatory.
   
   
3. There is NO medical benefit to routine circumcision. Removal of the foreskin does not prevent STDS. It does not lessen the chance of developing penile cancer.
   
   
2. Once done, it cannot be undone.
   
   
1. If it isn't your body, it's not your decision to make.
   

Circumcision is a deeply personal decision. Let's leave the decision to the person who owns the penis. Say NO! to routine infant circumcision.

Mandy is married to her best friend and is a stay-at-home-mom to their four wonderful children. She holds multiple degrees in the sciences and music and is a self-proclaimed research fanatic. Her love of learning plays a large role in her unschooling journey with her family and her volunteer involvement with various homeschooling and parenting groups. You can find her at Living Peacefully with Children, where this post was originally published.

Sunday Surf: Happy Giftmas!

I considered skipping this week's Sunday Surf altogether, thinking no one will be online. But I'll be online, I'm sure! And I'm sure not everyone checks this out on Sunday anyway. Perhaps you're clicking around to unwind. And so...

Obstetric Lie #94: We Care About Your Birth Plan

I have been saving this one for months! I meant to include it with my own Birth Plan post, but forgot. I have been terribly unfocused lately. Anyway, there is some good information in here as far as what to expect from your birth plan.

Man Builds Fairy Tale Home for His Family – For Only £3,000

This one made me think of Monday Minimalist, but I don't think it is quite precisely minimalism. Still, this home is very cool and gorgeous! This guy is not an architect, either. He just figured out what he wanted and made it happen!

Mamatography 2012 – Are You Interested?

This looks like a fun challenge. Especially with a new baby in the house, I think it will be a perfect focus for my Wordless Wednesday posts in 2012. I will continue to participate in the Natural Parents Network WW as well, but will no longer match their themes once we get a week into the new year. (Much like the Mamatography founder, I'll take the extra days to get my photos together and posted.) Check out the challenge and see if you think it might be right up your alley as well!

The Care and Feeding of the Natural Male Penis

I love the amusing title of this article! It takes a very simple approach to the care of your son's intact penis, but offers some important warnings as well.

Why having fewer toys may bring more happiness to the family

This post could definitely fit for my Monday Minimalist series. However, it is SO perfect for the holiday, I wanted to share it right away! (And my Monday Minimalist post for tomorrow is already scheduled.)

I hope you had / are having a great holiday, whichever Winter holidays you chose to celebrate!

Sunday Surf

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you're all enjoying relaxed (or busy, as you may choose) Sundays with your families. I have a To Do list, but haven't really started on much of it yet. Perhaps when I finish this post... How about a few links??

• One common reason I hear about breastfeeding relationships failing early on is newborn weight loss. Well there is a new study that explains a lot of that newborn weight loss and will hopefully arm some more parents against unnecessary supplementing. Check out Newborn Weight Loss and IV Fluids in Labor.
  
  
• Code Name: Mama published a great article on the body autonomy of children specifically as it pertains to tickle games.I feel it is so important to respect our children's limits and boundaries. It is important to let them have some control and also let them learn that "no means no." Check out Tickle Me Not.
  
  
• Have you heard of the site End Routine Infant Circumcision (4ERIC.org)? Holy crap, this organization will send a card to your chosen physician or hospital - for free! You should click over and see the card (and send one yourself)! It is really cute and you can have it sent using your own return address or ERIC's return address.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and keep on sharing those links on FB or in my comments! Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Sunday Surf: Banana, Anyone?

After driving 5½ hours home on Monday, we've had a very busy week! Monday night: toured hospital. Tuesday: OB appointment where we agreed I should actually deliver at a different hospital (with a higher level of nursery available). I also went to the Buddy Walk kick off event to drop of cash donations and pick up t-shirts! Wednesday: WIC appointment and meeting with Tyler's new teacher. Thursday: drove sister to an appointment. Friday: a lengthy appointment with the Healthy Start woman - which is actually a nice visit. Saturday: Tyler's Manga AI club meeting! and today? The BUDDY WALK!! Monday I actually have clear... so far. But we're moving next weekend so we have LOTS to do!!

All that... would you like some links?

• Hobo Mama's husband, Crackerdog Sam, guest posted for her carnival post this past Summer. He wrote about starting their 3yo son on an allowance. This month he guest posted for the carnival again and provided us with an update on the program. I loved the first post and really enjoyed the follow-up as well! It can be nice to have friends with kids slightly older than your own, so you can get ideas on how you want to handle different topics. Check it out at New lessons from an allowance.
  
  
• I re-posted an image on my blog about how words hurt. My friend Luschka shared her post with me and it is a good one. Check out Sticks And Stones May Break My Bones…
  
  
• I love to read funny tales that show just how silly some opinions can sound. In this example, read about Penis Reduction Surgery: Does Size Not Matter? Maybe a funny approach can help you convince someone in your life. I know they helped me!
  
  
• I know I already posted my own article about the Natural Parents Network Meet-up, complete with a link list of other volunteers. However, there is a post about it on the actual site and I thought I'd share. The First Annual Natural Parents Network Cross-Country Get Together!
  

I hope you found something here worth your while. What interesting things have you learned online lately?

Sunday Surf: With Crafts!

I bought Sasha some finger paint a few weeks ago and finally let her use it this week! She paints using a brush with her sister, so I let her use a brush, too. She covered the paper with orange, then I gave her red, then blue. She had a great time. The next day she kept asking for "red" (with sign and word) and it took me another day to figure out she meant paint!

That was just a tidbit from our week. Here are some links!

• Wow, just wow! Several news stories about Whooping Cough outbreaks where everyone involved was vaccinated but still got sick!
  
  
• Did you know that TLC Tugger offers a free Your-Skin Cone to dads-to-be?? (This is a tool used to reverse some of the effects of circumcision.) Not only do you get the product for free, they include waterproof ankle bands with the words "DO NOT circumcise or retract" for your infant to wear while in the hospital! I've been trying to sell my husband on reversing his circumcision, but also really want those ankle bands for our son!
  
  
  
  
  
• In my recent search for the right / affordable Cloth Diaper solution for my family, I came upon this link. The post offers a handful of ways to get started with cloth diapering for under $100. The links within are all for EverythingBirth.com... I already have a friend that does Everything Birth, so if I order anything it'll be through her. I'll be doing a virtual consultation with her soon, but have been hoping to get enough stuff as gifts before Spencer is born.
  
  
• Next weekend I'll be doing a crafting project with a group. We're going to be doing Freezer Paper Stencils. I don't think I'm great with an x-acto blade, but we'll see how it goes. We got some nice thick onesies, so now we just need to decide on a design or two.
  
  
• Here is one idea I found that would go well with our upcoming Buddy Walk. This woman didn't use Freezer Paper, but still... this could make for a cute template.
  
  
• I'm waiting for the right opportunity to sit and watch some of the 30 Natural Birth Videos and Slideshows to Prepare Children for Labor and Birth provided in a recent Code Name: Mama post.

I hope you enjoyed some of my links. What have you been reading this week?

Sunday Surf: Circumcision Edition

As promised, I've been collecting intactivist links for my discussion with my husband and I'm sharing them all together here! They are in no particular order (except maybe the order in which I found them), but I'll try to include some sort of information about each one. I didn't actually dig through all of these sites, so some of this is just a first-glance review. Some sites just didn't interest me further than that (and so I would suggest a serious redesign!).

I did put a lot of work into compiling the list (and another list you'll find at the bottom). I also marked a few favorite links with bold, red asterisks. **