In this newsletter: A quick update on my six kids, a recipe for mini cherry crisps, a list of 9 things women couldn't do before 1971, some recent press mentions I received, an article about how researchers are finding more information about the cause of babies dying from SIDs, and lots more.
Yes! Coming here to say the same thing - Emily Oster had a great breakdown of this in her newsletter, and stressed that it's still really important to follow the anti-SIDS protocols.
Came here to say the same thing--as the bottom of the linked article notes, "BioSpace would like to clarify that despite this breakthrough, it is still abundantly important that anyone caring for a baby should follow safe sleeping practices. Ie: laying them on their backs, not letting them overheat and keeping all toys and blankets out of the crib." The research showed a biological marker that may be one piece of the SIDS puzzle, but it's still super important for parents to follow safe sleep practices!
Echoing these comments! Wonderful newsletter and writing all the time, especially your take on abortion god bless you. And congrats on your wonderful kids. I can’t believe I’ve been a Design Mom fan since before Flora June was born! But the SIDS research is just an early indicator of a potential marker and the press did a really bad and dangerous job covering the findings. Safe sleep practices stand!
The list of things that women couldn't do before the 70's was enlightening. As I was cleaning out my parents' home I found old credit cards all with my father's name (Mrs. John Roudier actually) even though my mother was financially independent and was making more money than my father. Just 10 years later, I would apply for my first card. It kind of shocked me to find out that my mother couldn't apply under her own name until she was over 40.
Such an enjoyable and informative newsletter, as always! Thank you in particular for the article on the anti-abortion movement origins. I, too, had been reading a lot about how it was the segregationist politicians wanting a new boogieman. The WaPo article definitely got into the fine points. I also love hearing about what your children are up to - they are all so unique and creative, and it's fun to watch them blossom!
I was very interested in the clarification too, although I admit the segregationist theories I read also rang true to me — because we know the vast majority of the problems we're facing are rooted in our country history of racism and misogyny.
Gabrielle, while I do think that the wapo article is interesting, I don’t gather the conclusion after reading it that the links to racism & tax breaks are a myth. it gives me pause to have one article written by two white men that doesn’t thoroughly discuss the context of white supremacy automatically over-rule the work of many other scholars on the history of the anti-abortion movement. I guess my take on segregationist tax breaks for evangelical leaders vs Catholic organizing is-- why not both? https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/05/religious-right-real-origins-107133
I felt so seen reading the graphic story about the cost of breastfeeding. My youngest is almost 9 so it's been a while for me but it did bring back a lot of memories of the immense amount of TIME I spent breastfeeding, especially in those early months, along with the toll it took on my sleep and overall health. The extra food, the supplies, the mastitis. It really was the equivalent of a full-time job for a few months after I had each of my children. I wish I had read something like this when I first became a mother - I'm glad new moms today that choose to/are able to breastfeed perhaps feel more validated than I did about all the various costs of breastfeeding. On the flip side, I used formula for my third child after experiencing health issues that drastically decreased my milk supply and my heart breaks for all the moms out there trying to find formula for their babies right now.
Yes to this info on breastfeeding! I am on month 22 of breastfeeding my daughter and I (most of the time) love it AND it is also hard and when she was little and nursing exclusively took a lot of time. Absolutely no one should feel bad about not being able to breastfeed or for simply not wanting to. Your baby will be fine no matter how you feed them.
It is a physiological occurrence caused (they think) by an intense drop in dopamine at let down (dopamine drops somewhat during the 'normal' letdown process as part of the flow of oxytocin, but with DMER is a more intense drop). Feelings usually last for 30 seconds or a minute or two just around let down and can range from mild sadness or irritation to intense self-loathing, anger, and even suicidal thoughts. So for anyone reading this who has experienced this, or who knows someone who mentions 'feeling weird' when breastfeeding--this is a real thing, you aren't crazy, and it is completely ok to prioritize your own mental health and stop nursing if you want to! I also found that just knowing what was happening to me helped me to manage it--so hopefully this info helps others.
I absolutely experienced this, and NEVER had a clue this was something that could be going on. I was always told I had PPD but it immediately went away when I stopped breastfeeding.
Yup, no one--not my OB, not the two lactation consultants I saw in the hospital before discharge, not my (wonderful!) lactation consultant I saw later, not our pediatrician who knew about nursing--said anything about this. I only knew about it because I had read something while pregnant from a blogger, and so when it happened to me I immediately realized what was going on. But is such a strong, visceral bad feeling (that happens so many times a day at each let down when you are breastfeeding) that I imagine it could be really scary if you didn't know what it was. I'm guessing it's probably more common than we realize, but no one talks about it, so women just feel alone, which is why I now talk about it whenever I have the chance. :)
I had this also. The pushback was confusing ‘nursing releases endorphins, this feeling you’re feeling is not correct’. But for me the sadness was, while fleeting, intense and overwhelming so many times a day I had to stop breastfeeding.
The formula shortage is so upsetting. I breastfed my three kids for lots of reasons, and none of them were "because I'm afraid the infrastructure of the U.S. is so precarious that we won't have consistent access to formula." All the articles shaming people who dare to suggest making formula at home, or speculating that the local shortages are caused by selfish hoarding, are really missing the point. How insane is it that thousands of American parents of infants are out scouring store shelves everywhere (using $4.50/gallon gas, and spending precious irreplaceable time away from their babies), looking for an essential product to keep their baby alive? It's as bad as I would expect after a truly horrific and huge natural disaster.
But no, it's just caused by the formula monopoly and an over-zealous FDA that would rather American babies actually starve than greenlight a giant corporation to turn the machines back on. And btw, Abbott Laboratories is doing just fine through this: Q1 report: $1.73 in adjusted diluted earnings per share, which excludes specified items, reflecting 31.1% growth compared to the prior year. https://www.abbott.com/corpnewsroom/strategy-and-strength/abbott-delivers-strong-q1-performance.html
As usual, regular people take the blame and deal with the fallout while our corporate overlords control everything. But remember, if you do find formula at the store, don't buy too much, because it's somehow YOUR responsibility to ensure that there's enough to go around, even though your baby's share is not even a drop in the bucket amid the sustained 40% drop in production nationally. And even though no one else cares or will help make sure your baby gets fed tomorrow. Now why is it that Americans aren't having more babies?
I love your newsletter! However, please - the news about SIDS is not at all that clear cut.
Yes! Coming here to say the same thing - Emily Oster had a great breakdown of this in her newsletter, and stressed that it's still really important to follow the anti-SIDS protocols.
https://emilyoster.substack.com/p/new-study-on-sids-is-not-what-the?s=r
Came here to say the same thing--as the bottom of the linked article notes, "BioSpace would like to clarify that despite this breakthrough, it is still abundantly important that anyone caring for a baby should follow safe sleeping practices. Ie: laying them on their backs, not letting them overheat and keeping all toys and blankets out of the crib." The research showed a biological marker that may be one piece of the SIDS puzzle, but it's still super important for parents to follow safe sleep practices!
Echoing these comments! Wonderful newsletter and writing all the time, especially your take on abortion god bless you. And congrats on your wonderful kids. I can’t believe I’ve been a Design Mom fan since before Flora June was born! But the SIDS research is just an early indicator of a potential marker and the press did a really bad and dangerous job covering the findings. Safe sleep practices stand!
Thank you! I've updated the newsletter.
You certainly have some pretty amazing kids.
The list of things that women couldn't do before the 70's was enlightening. As I was cleaning out my parents' home I found old credit cards all with my father's name (Mrs. John Roudier actually) even though my mother was financially independent and was making more money than my father. Just 10 years later, I would apply for my first card. It kind of shocked me to find out that my mother couldn't apply under her own name until she was over 40.
Woah! What a find. To see the cards in person without your mother's name is impactful.
Such an enjoyable and informative newsletter, as always! Thank you in particular for the article on the anti-abortion movement origins. I, too, had been reading a lot about how it was the segregationist politicians wanting a new boogieman. The WaPo article definitely got into the fine points. I also love hearing about what your children are up to - they are all so unique and creative, and it's fun to watch them blossom!
I was very interested in the clarification too, although I admit the segregationist theories I read also rang true to me — because we know the vast majority of the problems we're facing are rooted in our country history of racism and misogyny.
Gabrielle, while I do think that the wapo article is interesting, I don’t gather the conclusion after reading it that the links to racism & tax breaks are a myth. it gives me pause to have one article written by two white men that doesn’t thoroughly discuss the context of white supremacy automatically over-rule the work of many other scholars on the history of the anti-abortion movement. I guess my take on segregationist tax breaks for evangelical leaders vs Catholic organizing is-- why not both? https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/05/religious-right-real-origins-107133
Also as someone who lives in the US south, this also has some interesting context: https://oxford.universitypressscholarship.com//mobile/view/10.1093/oso/9780190271718.001.0001/oso-9780190271718
Congratulations, Gabrielle. Your abortion thread deserves all this attention...it is so incisive and truthful. Best wishes.
Thank you, Deborah!
I felt so seen reading the graphic story about the cost of breastfeeding. My youngest is almost 9 so it's been a while for me but it did bring back a lot of memories of the immense amount of TIME I spent breastfeeding, especially in those early months, along with the toll it took on my sleep and overall health. The extra food, the supplies, the mastitis. It really was the equivalent of a full-time job for a few months after I had each of my children. I wish I had read something like this when I first became a mother - I'm glad new moms today that choose to/are able to breastfeed perhaps feel more validated than I did about all the various costs of breastfeeding. On the flip side, I used formula for my third child after experiencing health issues that drastically decreased my milk supply and my heart breaks for all the moms out there trying to find formula for their babies right now.
Yes. SO MUCH TIME. Time is just so dang valuable, and yet we assume women will willingly give endless amounts of it.
Thank you for the interesting links. It’s hopeful to see your abortion thread getting some much deserved attention. Xx
Thank you!
Yes to this info on breastfeeding! I am on month 22 of breastfeeding my daughter and I (most of the time) love it AND it is also hard and when she was little and nursing exclusively took a lot of time. Absolutely no one should feel bad about not being able to breastfeed or for simply not wanting to. Your baby will be fine no matter how you feed them.
I'd like to add, since it's not commonly talked about--dysphoric milk ejection reflex (https://www.healthline.com/health/breastfeeding/dysphoric-milk-ejection-reflex#definition) is a real thing and can cause some very intense negative feelings while breastfeeding.
It is a physiological occurrence caused (they think) by an intense drop in dopamine at let down (dopamine drops somewhat during the 'normal' letdown process as part of the flow of oxytocin, but with DMER is a more intense drop). Feelings usually last for 30 seconds or a minute or two just around let down and can range from mild sadness or irritation to intense self-loathing, anger, and even suicidal thoughts. So for anyone reading this who has experienced this, or who knows someone who mentions 'feeling weird' when breastfeeding--this is a real thing, you aren't crazy, and it is completely ok to prioritize your own mental health and stop nursing if you want to! I also found that just knowing what was happening to me helped me to manage it--so hopefully this info helps others.
Thank you so much for the link, Sarah. I've never heard of dysphoric milk ejection reflex and I'm glad to learn about it.
I absolutely experienced this, and NEVER had a clue this was something that could be going on. I was always told I had PPD but it immediately went away when I stopped breastfeeding.
Yup, no one--not my OB, not the two lactation consultants I saw in the hospital before discharge, not my (wonderful!) lactation consultant I saw later, not our pediatrician who knew about nursing--said anything about this. I only knew about it because I had read something while pregnant from a blogger, and so when it happened to me I immediately realized what was going on. But is such a strong, visceral bad feeling (that happens so many times a day at each let down when you are breastfeeding) that I imagine it could be really scary if you didn't know what it was. I'm guessing it's probably more common than we realize, but no one talks about it, so women just feel alone, which is why I now talk about it whenever I have the chance. :)
I had this also. The pushback was confusing ‘nursing releases endorphins, this feeling you’re feeling is not correct’. But for me the sadness was, while fleeting, intense and overwhelming so many times a day I had to stop breastfeeding.
The formula shortage is so upsetting. I breastfed my three kids for lots of reasons, and none of them were "because I'm afraid the infrastructure of the U.S. is so precarious that we won't have consistent access to formula." All the articles shaming people who dare to suggest making formula at home, or speculating that the local shortages are caused by selfish hoarding, are really missing the point. How insane is it that thousands of American parents of infants are out scouring store shelves everywhere (using $4.50/gallon gas, and spending precious irreplaceable time away from their babies), looking for an essential product to keep their baby alive? It's as bad as I would expect after a truly horrific and huge natural disaster.
But no, it's just caused by the formula monopoly and an over-zealous FDA that would rather American babies actually starve than greenlight a giant corporation to turn the machines back on. And btw, Abbott Laboratories is doing just fine through this: Q1 report: $1.73 in adjusted diluted earnings per share, which excludes specified items, reflecting 31.1% growth compared to the prior year. https://www.abbott.com/corpnewsroom/strategy-and-strength/abbott-delivers-strong-q1-performance.html
As usual, regular people take the blame and deal with the fallout while our corporate overlords control everything. But remember, if you do find formula at the store, don't buy too much, because it's somehow YOUR responsibility to ensure that there's enough to go around, even though your baby's share is not even a drop in the bucket amid the sustained 40% drop in production nationally. And even though no one else cares or will help make sure your baby gets fed tomorrow. Now why is it that Americans aren't having more babies?
I made the Teriyaki Pork Bowls and they were so good! Excellent leftovers for lunch as well!