I love some L&D nurses; they can be awesome, a huge help to the patient's goals, an advocate with the doctors/midwives, a doula's best friend. But I have a few pet peeves:
* Nurses who tell women they have to be in bed because they can't trace the baby otherwise. You know what happens after you get the woman in bed? You still have to mess with the monitor to trace the baby. Why didn't you try doing that when she was on the birth ball, instead of assuming the baby would be untraceable that way?
* Nurses who tell women they have to be in a specific position (ahem, on their back) because they can't trace the baby otherwise. You know what else could help? If someone was holding the monitor on where it needed to be. I've seen nurses be that "someone" - why not you? Or if you're willing, I can do it; it's not rocket science. But when I walk out and see you chatting at the nurses' station, I wonder if you could have done it after all.
* Nurses who tell women it's good to change sides in bed, and don't actually come in and encourage her to do it regularly, which an exhausted mom will probably forget to do. Or don't come in to help her at all, instead letting a mom with an epidural struggle to move herself around.
* Nurses who tell women how good it is to walk and move around, while doing all of the above.
Can you tell I'm frustrated? I promise to write a good post about good things that nurses do too!!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Giveaway - Breastfeeding with Comfort and Joy
Ooooh I want this book. I have checked out some of it via "look inside" on Amazon, which makes me want it even more! I would love to have a really beautiful breastfeeding book to show and share. (Who am I kidding - I give away my birth/breastfeeding books almost as soon as I get them because I see someone who I think needs them more than me - but I'd try to hold on to this one for a while!)
Kathy at Woman-to-Woman Childbirth Education is hosting a giveaway - check it out!
Kathy at Woman-to-Woman Childbirth Education is hosting a giveaway - check it out!
The Stupak amendment.
[Note: I posted this yesterday, then heard an NPR piece that made me think I hadn't understood the Stupak amendment's restrictions. I was heading out the door, so I didn't have time to revise; I took the post down until I had time to research and make sure I was right. This is something I feel very passionate about and I wanted to make sure I was as accurate as possible. Slightly revised version below.]
I called, on Saturday, but what more could I do? Mostly I just tracked the news and crossed my fingers. The fact that this came out of nowhere (at least for me) and was over with in a day feels so utterly unfair.
In case you are not familiar with the Stupak amendment, it is part of the recently passed House version of the health care reform bill. The amendment restricts the ability of public and private insurance plans, offered in government health exchanges, to provide coverage for abortion.
Read that again: AND PRIVATE. This is where I was unclear yesterday, but it is clarified today by this extremely helpful post from legal experts at Planned Parenthood. I'm quoting it extensively because given what I heard on NPR yesterday, I think there is still some confusion out there about the realistic effects of the Stupak amendment on abortion coverage availability in the exchanges:
(emphasis mine)
Why the Stupak amendment? The argument is, as best I can tell, that those people who can't use all their own money to buy health insurance will be eligible for a government subsidy. This will probably be me at some point very soon (like after I graduate from school in May) so let's take me as an example. I could use the subsidy to buy a health insurance plan that covered abortion. Then I could use that money (along with my OWN!) to buy a private plan. Then, if I needed an abortion and that insurance plan covered it, the government would have somehow, indirectly, kinda sorta had a hand in making it possible for me to get a legal medical procedure.
Did I say legal medical procedure? I also meant abortion. They're the same thing, so sometimes I use them interchangeably.
We have had the Hyde amendment in place since 1977, exempting abortion from Medicaid. Poor women, expendable: check. Apparently health care reform is an opportunity to go even farther: to reach into PRIVATE health insurance, paid for with PRIVATE money, and effectively take abortion coverage out of that, too. This applies not just to individuals, but to businesses; companies that buy plans through the exchange? All their employees' families will lose any abortion coverage they had. All women, expendable: check.
The fact that this amendment comes from the party that has been ranting and railing about "government taking over health care" and using scare tactics like death panels and rationing of care...well, I guess irony has been dead to the Republican party for a long, long time, so we shouldn't be too surprised.
Besides women who need abortions, who else will this hurt? How about women who have miscarriages? Is maternity care next? Keep in mind, this comes from the same party that says health insurance shouldn't cover maternity care, because men don't need it.
This just...disgusts me. Last year I went to a talk by Dr. Nick Gorton and blogged about how he predicted this very outcome - that reproductive health care would be one of the issues to suffer when government stepped into health insurance. At the time, I mused about how we could protect abortion and other political hot button issues in health care reform - but reform seemed so theoretical. I guess I haven't been paying enough attention - but that's going to change. I agree, let's not just be satisfied with keeping Stupak out of the final bill - let's go after Hyde.
If you'd like to take further action now, this is a great place to start: While there's a wall of shame for Dems who voted for Stupak and against reform, there are some bright spots. Those are Democrats who voted AGAINST Stupak and FOR health care reform - despite being in highly vulnerable races next year. Click here to donate to those reps, reward their courage, help keep them in Congress, and send a message to the party: Do NOT allow the Stupak amendment into the final bill.
I called, on Saturday, but what more could I do? Mostly I just tracked the news and crossed my fingers. The fact that this came out of nowhere (at least for me) and was over with in a day feels so utterly unfair.
In case you are not familiar with the Stupak amendment, it is part of the recently passed House version of the health care reform bill. The amendment restricts the ability of public and private insurance plans, offered in government health exchanges, to provide coverage for abortion.
Read that again: AND PRIVATE. This is where I was unclear yesterday, but it is clarified today by this extremely helpful post from legal experts at Planned Parenthood. I'm quoting it extensively because given what I heard on NPR yesterday, I think there is still some confusion out there about the realistic effects of the Stupak amendment on abortion coverage availability in the exchanges:
The Stupak-Pitts amendment prohibits any coverage of abortion in the public option and prohibits anyone receiving a federal subsidy from purchasing a health insurance plan that includes abortion. It also prohibits private health insurance plans from offering through the exchange a plan that includes abortion coverage to both subsidized and unsubsidized individuals.
Thus, if a plan wants to offer coverage in the exchange to both groups of individuals, it would have to offer two different plans: one with abortion coverage for women without subsidies and one without abortion coverage for women with subsidies. These private insurance plans would need to be identified as either providing or not providing coverage for abortion.
Health insurance plans are highly unlikely to operate in this manner, and it is not even clear that this is feasible under the administration of the exchange and affordability credits. As one alternative, the Stupak amendment purports to allow women to purchase a separate, single-service “abortion rider,” but abortion riders don’t exist. In the five states that only allow abortion coverage through a separate rider, there is no evidence that they are available.
Furthermore, women are unlikely to think ahead to choose a plan that includes abortion coverage, since they do not plan for unplanned pregnancy. In addition, it is not clear that health plans would even be allowed to offer two separate plans under other provisions of the act, such as the anti-discrimination and guaranteed-issue provisions. Those elements of the bill, which are very important to consumers, may make it impossible for plans to provide two separate plans, one that includes abortion and another that does not.
Realistically, the actual effect of the Stupak-Pitts amendment is to ban abortion coverage across the entire exchange, for women with both subsidized and unsubsidized coverage.
(emphasis mine)
Why the Stupak amendment? The argument is, as best I can tell, that those people who can't use all their own money to buy health insurance will be eligible for a government subsidy. This will probably be me at some point very soon (like after I graduate from school in May) so let's take me as an example. I could use the subsidy to buy a health insurance plan that covered abortion. Then I could use that money (along with my OWN!) to buy a private plan. Then, if I needed an abortion and that insurance plan covered it, the government would have somehow, indirectly, kinda sorta had a hand in making it possible for me to get a legal medical procedure.
Did I say legal medical procedure? I also meant abortion. They're the same thing, so sometimes I use them interchangeably.
We have had the Hyde amendment in place since 1977, exempting abortion from Medicaid. Poor women, expendable: check. Apparently health care reform is an opportunity to go even farther: to reach into PRIVATE health insurance, paid for with PRIVATE money, and effectively take abortion coverage out of that, too. This applies not just to individuals, but to businesses; companies that buy plans through the exchange? All their employees' families will lose any abortion coverage they had. All women, expendable: check.
The fact that this amendment comes from the party that has been ranting and railing about "government taking over health care" and using scare tactics like death panels and rationing of care...well, I guess irony has been dead to the Republican party for a long, long time, so we shouldn't be too surprised.
Besides women who need abortions, who else will this hurt? How about women who have miscarriages? Is maternity care next? Keep in mind, this comes from the same party that says health insurance shouldn't cover maternity care, because men don't need it.
This just...disgusts me. Last year I went to a talk by Dr. Nick Gorton and blogged about how he predicted this very outcome - that reproductive health care would be one of the issues to suffer when government stepped into health insurance. At the time, I mused about how we could protect abortion and other political hot button issues in health care reform - but reform seemed so theoretical. I guess I haven't been paying enough attention - but that's going to change. I agree, let's not just be satisfied with keeping Stupak out of the final bill - let's go after Hyde.
If you'd like to take further action now, this is a great place to start: While there's a wall of shame for Dems who voted for Stupak and against reform, there are some bright spots. Those are Democrats who voted AGAINST Stupak and FOR health care reform - despite being in highly vulnerable races next year. Click here to donate to those reps, reward their courage, help keep them in Congress, and send a message to the party: Do NOT allow the Stupak amendment into the final bill.
Monday, November 2, 2009
If you have a problem when you breastfeed, then you have a breastfeeding problem!
Recently I went to visit with former doula clients. (It was so nice to see them. They are such wonderful people and have such a cute baby. And I got to hold the baby for a long time! I know not all doulas/midwives/other birth professionals are baby fans, but I am definitely a huge sucker for an itty bitty baby. But I digress.) Their baby breastfed beautifully all through the hospital stay - frequently, happily, no concerns whatsoever.
Apparently when they got home the baby went in for a check-up. Due to weight concerns, the pediatrician told them to supplement with 1 oz of formula after each feeding, and they did, reluctantly. Fortunately baby soon became more wakeful and interested in eating (my guess is, the baby just got a few days older and grew out of the sleepiest phase). They weaned off the supplementation rapidly and are back to exclusive breastfeeding.
But ack! That was the first line of a tale too often told...weight problems, doctor recommends supplementation, leads to supply problems, leads to more supplementation, more supply problems, and now we're in the downward spiral.
I say to all my clients at our immediate postpartum visit, "Just call me if you have any problems or questions about breastfeeding." But this has happened more than once: I find out weeks or months later that the doctor recommended supplementation, and I don't hear about it until long after the fact. Mulling it over, I decided that maybe not everyone perceives the need to supplement as a breastfeeding problem. And I think it reveals the norm in our culture of: "It's good to breastfeed, but when it's not working supplementation is the answer". When instead, the norm should be "Women make enough milk and babies transfer it effectively, and if this does not happen there is a problem that needs to be solved".
If I had talked to them when they got that recommendation, I would have recommended they make an appointment with an LC to make sure baby was transferring milk effectively and that mom's supply was OK and being maintained. I would also have talked to them about ways to avoid confusion while supplementing with the bottle, and/or alternative supplementation methods to prevent nipple confusion. Am I glad that they didn't need this help? Yes, but it's that dodged-a-bullet feeling.
I asked one of the LCs about how she gets people to call when they get the order to supplement, and she said she tells parents, "If the doctor tells you to supplement, please call me so I can show you how to supplement without using a bottle." I think that's a good way to 1) avoid nipple/flow confusion and 2) get in to assess what other problems are contributing to the situation. I'm going to try that line in the future.
And pediatricians: Hello. You have a mother in front of you who wants to exclusively breastfeed. Her baby is not gaining enough weight on exclusive breastfeeding. Obviously, the first thing to do is always "FEED THE BABY" (as a page in my breastfeeding educator manual says in huge bolded letters). So now you have fixed ONE problem by ensuring the baby is eating enough. Take another step to get to problem number TWO: what is going on with breastfeeding and how can it be fixed? Yes, this is your responsibility, particularly since your fix to problem one is likely to make problem two even worse. It is so discouraging when pediatricians talk a great line on breastfeeding but don't do much to support it.
I'm not hating on all peds; there are great, supportive, knowledgeable pediatricians out there, and they can and do give excellent advice and refer to lactation consultants when needed. It just sucks when you run into the ones who do NOT.
Apparently when they got home the baby went in for a check-up. Due to weight concerns, the pediatrician told them to supplement with 1 oz of formula after each feeding, and they did, reluctantly. Fortunately baby soon became more wakeful and interested in eating (my guess is, the baby just got a few days older and grew out of the sleepiest phase). They weaned off the supplementation rapidly and are back to exclusive breastfeeding.
But ack! That was the first line of a tale too often told...weight problems, doctor recommends supplementation, leads to supply problems, leads to more supplementation, more supply problems, and now we're in the downward spiral.
I say to all my clients at our immediate postpartum visit, "Just call me if you have any problems or questions about breastfeeding." But this has happened more than once: I find out weeks or months later that the doctor recommended supplementation, and I don't hear about it until long after the fact. Mulling it over, I decided that maybe not everyone perceives the need to supplement as a breastfeeding problem. And I think it reveals the norm in our culture of: "It's good to breastfeed, but when it's not working supplementation is the answer". When instead, the norm should be "Women make enough milk and babies transfer it effectively, and if this does not happen there is a problem that needs to be solved".
If I had talked to them when they got that recommendation, I would have recommended they make an appointment with an LC to make sure baby was transferring milk effectively and that mom's supply was OK and being maintained. I would also have talked to them about ways to avoid confusion while supplementing with the bottle, and/or alternative supplementation methods to prevent nipple confusion. Am I glad that they didn't need this help? Yes, but it's that dodged-a-bullet feeling.
I asked one of the LCs about how she gets people to call when they get the order to supplement, and she said she tells parents, "If the doctor tells you to supplement, please call me so I can show you how to supplement without using a bottle." I think that's a good way to 1) avoid nipple/flow confusion and 2) get in to assess what other problems are contributing to the situation. I'm going to try that line in the future.
And pediatricians: Hello. You have a mother in front of you who wants to exclusively breastfeed. Her baby is not gaining enough weight on exclusive breastfeeding. Obviously, the first thing to do is always "FEED THE BABY" (as a page in my breastfeeding educator manual says in huge bolded letters). So now you have fixed ONE problem by ensuring the baby is eating enough. Take another step to get to problem number TWO: what is going on with breastfeeding and how can it be fixed? Yes, this is your responsibility, particularly since your fix to problem one is likely to make problem two even worse. It is so discouraging when pediatricians talk a great line on breastfeeding but don't do much to support it.
I'm not hating on all peds; there are great, supportive, knowledgeable pediatricians out there, and they can and do give excellent advice and refer to lactation consultants when needed. It just sucks when you run into the ones who do NOT.
IBCLC training update
Last week one of the LCs at the hospital was out sick, and I ended up not really being able to shadow and going home early. It reinforced to me how much I enjoy my LC shadowing and miss it when I don't get to do it!
But I did spend some time, while waiting around, thinking about how I want to structure my LC training. Our course gives us a basic framework, but as it's the first year of the course and there has been some instructor upheaval, a fair amount is on us to organize. And I do feel the need to make sure I am exposed to a the whole range of LC practice; we get to see interesting cases at the hospital, but it's a little catch-as-catch-can and I feel it's important to seek out exposure to problems I might not encounter there. In addition, going once a week I miss the continuity and follow-up process. One of the LCs at the hospital (who, like us, came from a non-nursing background) showed us a "blueprint" notebook she used to organize and document her learning and training. It seemed so useful for making sure all the pertinent issues are covered; I'm thinking about getting one myself. Anyone have thoughts/other suggestions on helpful ways to make sure you're covering what you need to in IBCLC observation?
So far I haven't been putting in the suggested extra hours each week outside the hospital, at LLL meetings or other venues. I started the semester overwhelmed by my class load, assistantship, and extracurricular commitments, but now that things have stabilized a little it would be good to get the outside observation going. I am also laying big plans for next semester, when I will only be taking my LC course, one online course, and writing my master's paper (additional info on master's paper to come, but hopefully I will be working with a local Centering Pregnancy program!) That's when I really want to set up a schedule shadowing outside (non-hospital-based) LCs, attending breastfeeding support groups, and generally maximizing my exposure to lots of different breastfeeding concerns/situations. Once graduation rolls around (May) I will have two months left until the certification exam, and I am hoping to pack more observation and experience into that time...along with studying. Lots and lots of studying.
The week before last I had my first "hands on" experience. The LC had me go in and do the assessment and assistance with the mom, while she observed. Fortunately it was a sweet mom who was so excited about her new baby and about breastfeeding, and just needed a little reassurance and teaching. I forgot a couple of teaching items (I need a checklist), but fortunately the LC was right there to fill in those gaps. I corrected a couple things about the latch (lower lip tucked in, jaw not down well) and the LC agreed with me and we got the baby latched on and eating great.
I was feeling good until we went to the next room. The LC stepped out to get something while I helped the mom latch on one side. She seemed to feel OK and baby seemed to be sucking fine. When the LC came back, she helped the baby latch on very deeply to the other side. "Oh, wow, this latch feels so much better!" the mom said. So I think I missed seeing a shallow latch on the first side, and it felt discouraging to have missed something that simple, something I generally feel very confident about assessing in my doula role. Looking back, I think I was not assertive enough about getting in there and checking. The women I'm working with know I'm a student, and it makes me nervous about being too hands-on and taking over the LC role too early, especially if my preceptor isn't right there. I need to either step back until I get that confidence, or call up some of that confidence and use it! Anyway, hoping for more hands-on experience this week... and a confidence boost.
But I did spend some time, while waiting around, thinking about how I want to structure my LC training. Our course gives us a basic framework, but as it's the first year of the course and there has been some instructor upheaval, a fair amount is on us to organize. And I do feel the need to make sure I am exposed to a the whole range of LC practice; we get to see interesting cases at the hospital, but it's a little catch-as-catch-can and I feel it's important to seek out exposure to problems I might not encounter there. In addition, going once a week I miss the continuity and follow-up process. One of the LCs at the hospital (who, like us, came from a non-nursing background) showed us a "blueprint" notebook she used to organize and document her learning and training. It seemed so useful for making sure all the pertinent issues are covered; I'm thinking about getting one myself. Anyone have thoughts/other suggestions on helpful ways to make sure you're covering what you need to in IBCLC observation?
So far I haven't been putting in the suggested extra hours each week outside the hospital, at LLL meetings or other venues. I started the semester overwhelmed by my class load, assistantship, and extracurricular commitments, but now that things have stabilized a little it would be good to get the outside observation going. I am also laying big plans for next semester, when I will only be taking my LC course, one online course, and writing my master's paper (additional info on master's paper to come, but hopefully I will be working with a local Centering Pregnancy program!) That's when I really want to set up a schedule shadowing outside (non-hospital-based) LCs, attending breastfeeding support groups, and generally maximizing my exposure to lots of different breastfeeding concerns/situations. Once graduation rolls around (May) I will have two months left until the certification exam, and I am hoping to pack more observation and experience into that time...along with studying. Lots and lots of studying.
The week before last I had my first "hands on" experience. The LC had me go in and do the assessment and assistance with the mom, while she observed. Fortunately it was a sweet mom who was so excited about her new baby and about breastfeeding, and just needed a little reassurance and teaching. I forgot a couple of teaching items (I need a checklist), but fortunately the LC was right there to fill in those gaps. I corrected a couple things about the latch (lower lip tucked in, jaw not down well) and the LC agreed with me and we got the baby latched on and eating great.
I was feeling good until we went to the next room. The LC stepped out to get something while I helped the mom latch on one side. She seemed to feel OK and baby seemed to be sucking fine. When the LC came back, she helped the baby latch on very deeply to the other side. "Oh, wow, this latch feels so much better!" the mom said. So I think I missed seeing a shallow latch on the first side, and it felt discouraging to have missed something that simple, something I generally feel very confident about assessing in my doula role. Looking back, I think I was not assertive enough about getting in there and checking. The women I'm working with know I'm a student, and it makes me nervous about being too hands-on and taking over the LC role too early, especially if my preceptor isn't right there. I need to either step back until I get that confidence, or call up some of that confidence and use it! Anyway, hoping for more hands-on experience this week... and a confidence boost.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Getting the flu vaccine
I've gotten the flu vaccine every year for a while now (my mother calls me every fall to make sure.) I've already gotten the seasonal flu vaccine this year, and as a health student with direct patient contact I'm being offered the H1N1 vaccine as well. (I'm glad that as a research assistant at my school, I'm considered a university employee and am offered both vaccines through Employee Health, because H1N1 vaccine is tough to find right now.)
I know that there are questions about vaccine safety, particularly for children, and I know that some health care workers are refusing the H1N1 vaccine. Personally, I get the flu vaccine for 3 reasons:
1) I don't want to get the flu. It sucks. I've only had it once as an adult, and it was so much worse than I remembered. I had a fever, was very achy, could barely sleep because I couldn't breathe through my nose, was coughing terribly, missed days of work, and could only lie on the couch and stare at the TV. (I watched the same episode of "The Ashlee Simpson Show" three times. 'Nuff said.)
2) Whatever risks the vaccine has, I believe them to be very small for me. Whatever else one's feelings about vaccines for children, I feel comfortable getting vaccines as an adult. I've never had an allergic reaction to a vaccine, and I've done all my growing and developing. Beyond that, it's just an achy arm.
3) Since I think any risks are small, I'm willing to take them on, both to protect myself and also to reduce my chances of passing on the flu to the pregnant/postpartum women and infants I work with. If I can't get the flu, then I can't transmit it either.
To me, vaccines for parents/caretakers/health care workers are a no-brainer. One thing I learned this summer is that new parents are now recommended to update their whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine, as immunity can fade over time and whooping cough is back on the rise. Re-upping this vaccine helps "cocoon" infants until they can be fully vaccinated, and I think it's all the more important if you're not planning to vaccinate, or use an adjusted schedule. I get the concerns of parents who resist vaccinating their children, but it can't hurt to at least vaccinate yourself and offer them protection through your immunity. Why pass it on if you don't have to?
I know that there are questions about vaccine safety, particularly for children, and I know that some health care workers are refusing the H1N1 vaccine. Personally, I get the flu vaccine for 3 reasons:
1) I don't want to get the flu. It sucks. I've only had it once as an adult, and it was so much worse than I remembered. I had a fever, was very achy, could barely sleep because I couldn't breathe through my nose, was coughing terribly, missed days of work, and could only lie on the couch and stare at the TV. (I watched the same episode of "The Ashlee Simpson Show" three times. 'Nuff said.)
2) Whatever risks the vaccine has, I believe them to be very small for me. Whatever else one's feelings about vaccines for children, I feel comfortable getting vaccines as an adult. I've never had an allergic reaction to a vaccine, and I've done all my growing and developing. Beyond that, it's just an achy arm.
3) Since I think any risks are small, I'm willing to take them on, both to protect myself and also to reduce my chances of passing on the flu to the pregnant/postpartum women and infants I work with. If I can't get the flu, then I can't transmit it either.
To me, vaccines for parents/caretakers/health care workers are a no-brainer. One thing I learned this summer is that new parents are now recommended to update their whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine, as immunity can fade over time and whooping cough is back on the rise. Re-upping this vaccine helps "cocoon" infants until they can be fully vaccinated, and I think it's all the more important if you're not planning to vaccinate, or use an adjusted schedule. I get the concerns of parents who resist vaccinating their children, but it can't hurt to at least vaccinate yourself and offer them protection through your immunity. Why pass it on if you don't have to?
Nestle-free week, Oct 26-Nov 1
Angela at Breastfeeding 1-2-3 posts about how you can join the Nestle boycott this Halloween season. She has some excellent links including why you should consider boycotting Nestle, and what products are Nestle products (short answer: a lot).
Even if you're not able or prepared to boycott Nestle 52 weeks a year, consider joining the boycott for this week...especially when considering candy purchases. Which can't be that hard, because they don't sell Snickers or Milky Way or 3 Musketeers or Almond Joy or...mmm, I'm getting distracted just thinking about Halloween!
(Side note: Speaking of Halloween, my department is doing group costumes again this year. Last year we were all different forms of contraception (I went as the Pill). This year we are flu-related costumes - Spanish flu, swine flu, etc. I'm going as the flu vaccine, which could be scary depending on your take on vaccines and/or giant syringes. Is anyone else out there doing a health-related costume/theme?)
I haven't been great about avoiding Nestle products in the past, but looking at Crunchy Domestic Goddess' list, I actually think it wouldn't be so hard to cut out the Nestle products I do sometimes purchase: PowerBars (I stick them in my doula bag, but there are lots of other brands), certain cosmetics (since I probably buy make-up once every two years), and bottled water (again not often, but sometimes when I'm traveling or at an outdoor event). So I think I can go all Nestle-free long-term if I keep an eye out! I'll admit shopping at Trader Joe's makes this easier because they have so many of their own store brands.
Let me know if you're boycotting Nestle this week! And enjoy all those mini-Snickers! Mmmmm...
Even if you're not able or prepared to boycott Nestle 52 weeks a year, consider joining the boycott for this week...especially when considering candy purchases. Which can't be that hard, because they don't sell Snickers or Milky Way or 3 Musketeers or Almond Joy or...mmm, I'm getting distracted just thinking about Halloween!
(Side note: Speaking of Halloween, my department is doing group costumes again this year. Last year we were all different forms of contraception (I went as the Pill). This year we are flu-related costumes - Spanish flu, swine flu, etc. I'm going as the flu vaccine, which could be scary depending on your take on vaccines and/or giant syringes. Is anyone else out there doing a health-related costume/theme?)
I haven't been great about avoiding Nestle products in the past, but looking at Crunchy Domestic Goddess' list, I actually think it wouldn't be so hard to cut out the Nestle products I do sometimes purchase: PowerBars (I stick them in my doula bag, but there are lots of other brands), certain cosmetics (since I probably buy make-up once every two years), and bottled water (again not often, but sometimes when I'm traveling or at an outdoor event). So I think I can go all Nestle-free long-term if I keep an eye out! I'll admit shopping at Trader Joe's makes this easier because they have so many of their own store brands.
Let me know if you're boycotting Nestle this week! And enjoy all those mini-Snickers! Mmmmm...
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