The Real Costs of Breastfeeding
Hi, I’m Gabrielle Blair and this is my newsletter. It’s completely free to access and read, but if you feel so moved to support my work, please consider a paid newsletter subscription: just $5/month or save money with the $50/annual sub. You can also go way above and beyond by becoming a Founding Member at $75. Or, some of you have let me know you’d rather send money directly via Paypal and Venmo (@gabrielle-blair). Thank you! Seriously, thank you. Support from readers keeps this newsletter ad and sponsor-free.
Hey there, how are you? As usual, because of heavy news headlines, I’m having the hardest time concentrating. You too? I’ve been trying to take social media breaks and spend more time outside. Basically all I want to do is work in the garden. I think our little yard is just the right size for me to mess around in. Over the weekend, Flora June helped me plant jasmine to grow up our wall, and a bunch of summer bulbs. We’re supposed to have some rain this week and I can’t wait to see things blooming.
Some happy things happening at our house:
-Flora June (6th grader) is about to get braces. All of our kids have had braces (or Invisalign) so this feels like a milestone.
-Betty (a sophomore in high school) is in Spain with a school exchange program — we hosted a Spanish student a few weeks ago, and now it’s Betty’s turn to stay at his house. She’s speaking lots of Spanish, and we love hearing reports from her.
-Oscar (a junior in high school) has published the first 4 episodes of season two of his podcast, Existential Teenager. You can find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. I’m loving season two. The episodes are short, but packed full of info, and fun to discuss.
-Olive (in her second year of film school in Paris), is at the Cannes Film Festival this week with a Student Pass. She just picked up the pass today and we’re excited to hear what this adventure is like.
-Maude (college graduate living in North Carolina) is coming to France! She has a two week work break coming up next month and we can’t wait to see her.
-Ralph just finished his junior year at Berkeley with flying colors. Two more semesters to go! He is making summer plans and we’re trying to figure out if we’ll get to see him.
A Few Things I’ve Wanted to Share With You
-Because of the formula shortage, there’s a lot of talk happening right now about breastfeeding . Some people seem to think breastfeeding is free, but I’ve put in more breastfeeding hours than like 90% of the population and can assure you it’s not. I appreciated this illustrated guide about the costs of breastfeeding on Vox. To be clear, beyond the costs, there are very good reasons why people choose not to breastfeed, or physically can not breastfeed, and I want to make sure you know that however you manage to feed your baby, I think you’re doing a great job.
-I’ve heard the myth (and thought it was true) that the anti-abortion movement was launched by segregationists in the 1970s. This article in the Washington post, written by two historians, paints a different picture and describes how organizing against abortion was happening among Catholic and Evangelical groups for at least two decades before the 1970s.
-This is momentous. Researchers have pinpointed a potential marker of why babies die from SIDs. It’s not the parents’ fault. I hope this is some relief for so many heartbroken families.
-After seeing crypto-currencies crash a few days ago, are you still curious about Web3? I maintain that it’s here to stay, and though I have no money invested in crypto, I think it will bounce back again — if for no other reason than we have a history of rich men bailing out other rich men. This new article in Wired (that came out just before the crash) does a good job of exploring what’s happening in the Web3 world and the problems inherent in the system.
-A list of 9 things women couldn’t do before 1971, fact-checked by USA Today.
-I’ve been tweeting more frequently lately.
Recent Press
With headlines about abortion happening daily, my thread has also been making the news. Here are three recent press mentions:
-An interview with me on Today.com.
-An interview with me in The Press Democrat.
-Orlando Weekly published my thread in full.
Lately on Design Mom
-Mini Baked Cherry Crisps
I love this because you can use lots of different fruit, and because it’s a mini recipe and just makes two servings, which somehow feels more special.
-How to Etch Soap Bottles with a Monogram
Once you realize how easy etching is, you’ll be etching every piece of glassware in your house.
- Teriyaki Pulled Pork Bowls with Lime Juice Coleslaw and Coconut Rice
You can make these in the crockpot so that your kitchen doesn’t get too hot.
That’s all for now. Feel free to comment on anything I mentioned above, or whatever’s on your mind. I hope you’re having a really good week.
kisses,
Gabrielle
I love your newsletter! However, please - the news about SIDS is not at all that clear cut.
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.