Environmentally friendly hotels not only save money for the owner, but also resources for the world, while at the same time letting their guests continue doing good things for the environment. For some people, like us, this is super important.

In the lodging and hotel industry, green is the new black.

In hotel business, initiatives that are environment sustainable are becoming widespread. Environmentally-friendly initiatives help hotels to save money and resources without compromising on quality. In some cases these programs improve the stay.

Many guests will be attracted to the green hotel just because it is taking environmentally friendly steps. Whether it’s water or energy conservation, recycling, or reducing the consumption of natural resources through bulk amenities and newspaper programs, a positive impact can be made through simple steps.

Green hotels follow strict green guidelines to ensure that their guests are staying in a safe, non-toxic and energy-efficient accommodation according to local guidelines, customs and laws.

Below, the Princess Royale provides a list of actions properties of any size can take to stake their claim as an eco-friendly establishment. This is how they do it and what they advise managers to do:

1. Monitor your hotel’s electric, gas, and water usage.
2. Implement a towel and linen reuse program. (guests can tell housekeeping to leave these slightly used items to reduce water consumption)
3. Start a newspaper-recycling program.
4. Do staff training on implementing green practices.
5. Provide information for guests on green practices.
6. Install energy efficient interior light bulbs.
7. Form an environmental committee to develop a green plan for energy/water/solid waste use.
8. Install digital thermostats in guestrooms and throughout the hotel.
9. Install 2.5-gallons per minute showerheads or less in all guestroom baths and any employee shower areas.
10. Install 1.6-gallon toilets in all guestrooms.
11. Start  a recycling program for hazardous materials found in fluorescent bulbs, batteries, and lighting ballasts through licensed service providers.
12. Purchase Energy Star labeled appliances and equipment.
13. All office paper products should have 20% or more post-consumer recycled content.
14. Housekeeping should use non-toxic cleaning agents and laundry detergent.
15. Supply 100% organic cotton sheets, towels and mattresses.
16. Make your hotel a non-smoking environment.
17.  Utilize renewable energy sources like solar or wind energy when available.
18. Purchase bulk organic soap and amenities instead of individual packages to reduce waste. Explain to guests why their soaps look this way.
19. Provide guest room and hotel lobby recycling bins.
20. Provide on-site transportation with green vehicles.
21. Serve organic and local-grown food.
22. Use non-disposable dishes.
23. Offer a fresh-air exchange system.
24. Implement grey-water recycling, which is the reuse of kitchen, bath and laundry water for garden and landscaping.

So, how are hotels going green right now? One way is by prioritizing energy efficient awareness in their staff training programs. Housekeepers play a vital role in helping hotel businesses stay green because they have access to thermostats, lamps, and other electrical devices even before guests check in.

Opening curtains on sunny days during colder months helps heat rooms on the cheap. Even shutting off a light or dripping faucet really adds up over time. And those controversial thermostat temperatures that no one seems to agree on? Most hotels default to 68 degrees Fahrenheit as a comfortable temp for conservation-minded properties. Once training and education are provided it is amazing how hotels can creatively implement eco-friendly practices. Here are a few real life examples:

1. Meeting and banquet facilities are using pourers for sugar, pitchers for cream and small serving dishes for butter and jellies.
2. A Toronto hotel is recycling stained tablecloths into napkins, chef’s aprons and neckties.
3. Bicycles are being loaned or rented to guests.
4. Coins or chips are being used for car parking and coat checking instead of paper tickets.
5. Hotels are making cloth laundry bags from retired sheets.
6. Mowed landscaping is being replaced by ground cover. Lawnmowers are used less, so air pollution and noise are reduced.
7. A Florida hotel bought a mulcher to chop up their garden clippings and create their own mulch. The mulcher paid for itself in three months.
8.  A Wisconsin B&B has installed beautiful blue floor tile made from recycled automobile windshields.
9.  Chief engineers have found that toilet tank fill diverters in older toilets save about ¾ of a gallon of water per flush.
10. A Pennsylvania property has a 400’ garden and produces organically grown vegetables for its restaurant.
11. Restaurants and bars in hotels are using daylight exclusively for as much of each day as possible.
12. Solar energy is lighting signage and heating water for hotels in tropical areas.

Sometimes, making a difference can be as practical as providing environmental knowledge to staff, switching to greener energy measures, and considering small changes for large scale benefits. Hotels can succeed in ‘Driving business to its properties’ by being environmentally friendly and also offer healthy and sustainable options.

The most important factor why hotels are being environmentally friendly is the social responsibility that has reached a tipping point in the hospitality industry and is spreading awareness significantly.

The post 28 ideas for hotel management to upgrade as eco, without huge costs appeared first on Green Prophet.

Take the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen as an example. Despite its noble mission to decrease the effects of climate change and promote sustainability, according to estimates gathered by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the conference actually generated a larger carbon footprint than any previous climate summit: 42,000 tons of carbon mostly due to air travel.

The event had to also provide several units of temporary housing, which wasted energy due to poor insulation and the use of oil heaters. Furthermore, most of the conference’s power was derived from coal, one of the world’s least sustainable energy sources.

Overcoming these environmental challenges is not easy, but can demonstrate a conference’s commitment to responsible action (and save on several key costs).

Irene Rompa, a sustainability consultant for ROI Community, suggests six ways for organizations and event-organizers to “green” their conferences:

1. Make sustainability a priority from day one. If you plan an event as a “green” event from the outset, you’ll have maximum flexibility in terms of materials and cost to make your event sustainable. If you neglect to make an event “green” from its conception, efforts to make it sustainable will often be cosmetic, low-impact, and high-cost.

2. Take the “reductionist” approach and always ask: what can be reduced, re-used, recycled? Don’t waste money on goodie bags whose contents have little value to attendees. Consider spending these resources on a sustainable project, such as planting trees, or conserving them by handing out “green” gifts or organizing a gift exchange at the event.

3. Reduce your plastic waste. Replace single-use plastic water bottles with reusable cups or bottles with your event’s logo on it. As plastic waste decreases, so too will your conference’s costs. Furthermore, reusable bottles provide free advertising for your organization and demonstrate its commitment to environmental sustainability.

4. Make your event’s food sustainable. Food is a key element of a conference to make sustainable. Consider having food provided in bulk to avoid wasted material from individually-wrapped meals, and using food waste productively by giving it to a local farm for compost. Providing mostly (or only) vegetables, and local/seasonal options makes the food “greener,” healthier and cheaper.

5. Look at each factor in the logistics of the event to make environmentally friendly changes. When printing banners, posters or materials with the organization’s logo on it, consider leaving off the exact dates of the conference or printing them separately. These changes will ensure that those materials can be re-used later. Picking a venue where attendees can stay that is close to public transportation makes additional means of transportation unnecessary, reducing costs and Carbon emissions.

6. Communicate what you’re doing with your attendees. Explaining to your attendees what you are doing to achieve your sustainable goals is very helpful. Because, let’s not forget, gathering many people in one place creates unique opportunities for setting examples, sharing knowledge and inspiring guests to think and act more “sustainably” in their daily lives.

One recent conference that implemented several of these ideas was the ROI Community Global Summit for Young Jewish Innovators, held last month in Jerusalem.

I and other conference organizers decided to focus especially on ways to reduce and neutralize the carbon emissions from attendees’ flights – by far the biggest polluter.

So to offset the emissions, we donated solar panels for water heating to 51 poor Israeli families in order to replace their diesel boilers, cut down their carbon emissions by 95 percent and lower their energy bills. In the end, over ten years, this donation will balance out the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by attendees’ transportation and automatically meant ROI Summit left a ‘green legacy’ by giving back to the community.

The thousands of individuals attending conferences every year provide organizations with an extraordinary opportunity. Sustainable technology has improved to the point where organizers can make a significant impact by implementing “green” strategies at their events to reduce monetary and environmental costs and assume leadership in the international community.

This guest post is by Beto Maya, the Director of Gatherings and Recruitment for ROI Community, an international network of over 800 Jewish social entrepreneurs and innovators in more than 40 countries. Beto is responsible for ROI’s summit selection, programming, and regional gatherings.

Image of green roundtable from Shutterstock

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Summertime can be stressful with vacation from school, children around, not to mention the incredible heat we have been having here in the Middle East. When it comes to meal times, often we find ourselves lacking the time and energy to create a full, healthy meal. Still, the benefits of home-cooking means you know exactly what you are eating, so you can control the amount of salt or sugar in your food. There are a few time saving tricks that can help you out on those chaotic days.

1. Clear the way
Nobody likes working surrounded by clutter, so try to keep space clear on the counter tops and in the fridge. When you have space for your kitchen tools, you will feel more organised; after all, making meals is hectic enough without having to tidy up first.

2. Location, location, location
You will not use something unless you actually see it. This refers to food, utensils and containers. Have your drawers organised so the items you use most often are most accessible. Try the same for your fridge and pantry; keep the condiments, spices and other food items organised according to which you find most useful in your cooking.

3. Always have a plan
So now that your kitchen is neat and organised, you may find yourself standing and staring at the pantry, trying to decide what you really want to make this time. Even when I am really hungry, if I don’t know what I want to eat, I can spend ages just thinking about a menu. So save your time and think about a menu in advance.

4. Keep it clean
Once you have started cooking, the mess easily accumulates and soon enough you find yourself with piles of mess and scraps of food all around. It is relatively easy to keep the kitchen clean if you clean after each step of cooking, throwing away food scraps as you go and washing up utensils as you use them. Cleaning up an entire kitchen is a daunting task, so to save yourself the time and the headache, clean as you go.

5. Double batches is half the trouble
There are a lot of foods which will keep perfectly well in the freezer, whether it is soup, casseroles, meat dishes or cakes. If you know that your family loves a certain meal, go ahead and make a double batch and freeze half. It is just as easy to make one batch as two and this will save you time later on. Just make sure that you label it clearly before you put it in the freezer, otherwise you will forget what it is.

There are many time saving tips that will help you out in the kitchen (featured on Grist), so start with these and see how you go. Once your time in the kitchen is cut down, you will feel more inclined to go back and start again, knowing that you can use your time effectively.

More on summer foods:
Ten Tips for Keeping Your Food Safe This Summer
Recipe: Flan, A Sophisticated “Slow” Summertime Dessert
5 Good Reasons to Eat Watermelon This Summer

Above image via K.I.T.

The post 5 Tips to Save You Time and Energy in the Kitchen appeared first on Green Prophet.

You’ve heard of aloe vera gel, aloe vera cream, but have you ever head of aloe vera ice cream? Well maybe the Italians have got it right with this uniquely flavoured gelato, since the health benefits and general uses of this plant go beyond what you might think. It may seem like a strange addition to your diet, but like all natural supplements it is important to make it a part of your daily routine in order to feel the benefits. Once you do you will be able to notice that the aloe acts as a natural cleanser for your digestive tract, improving your bowel regularity.

Aloe vera which grows like a weed in hot climates like the Middle East makes it an ideal aid in helping with various digestive disorders including heartburn, hyper-acidity and constipation. Just to give you that extra boost, aloe vera also has supplementing vitamins which the body cant store but needs, such as vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C and E.

One of the advantages of cleaning out your digestive system, is that this allows the body to rid itself of any unwanted substances which might be causing you to feel under the weather. Besides regulating your energy levels, it will do the same for your weight, which is always better than any fad diet or strange diet pill.

If actually eating aloe seems a bit more than what you can handle, it is still a handy thing to have around the house given its multiple external uses. Aloe Vera can be used on cuts open wounds, rashes and insect bites since it helps in the healing process as well as prevents infection. Just make sure you clean the area thoroughly first.

Another area where aloe is extremely useful is on burns, meaning anything from cooking mishaps to a sun tan gone wrong. Here in the Middle East the sun can be cruel and applying aloe to the affected area sooths the pain while healing the skin.

However you need to be aware of which gel you use. While most people are aware of the availability of Aloe Vera gels, what you might not know is that the plant itself, while green on the outside, is actually filled with clear pulp. This means that any green aloe product you buy, has been artificially coloured.

A simple potted plant can be a welcome addition to your natural medicine collection. Image via carrotmadman6

Your best bet is to plant some in your garden. Being a part of the cactus family it needs very little care and likes semi tropical climates, perfect for the arid Middle Eastern environment.

Of course if you don’t have a garden, or your area is too cold, it makes a very convenient pot plant as long as it is given enough sunlight. While it may not be aesthetically pleasing, this is one plant you will benefit from having around.

And if you’ve read my post on a simple summer ice-cream recipe, why not try adding in some aloe vera, to taste. If you dare!

Read more about natural ways to enhance your skin:
RECIPE: Soothing, Sensual Rosewater
The Healing Powers of Honey

Top image by Naomi Ben-David

The post Aloe Vera – A Prickly Plant with Pizzazz appeared first on Green Prophet.

• Firstly you’re reducing the need for new products to be manufactured.
• Secondly you’re reusing things that have been through lord knows what.
• And lastly, by putting things that you don’t want or need any more back into the cycle of reusing you’re recycling.

Vintage shopping is a big buzz word of our times, suddenly we’re realising not only the green aspect of all of these clothes that are hanging around.

We’re also realising the style value of not only wearing something that’s a little bit worn, but of the fact that no one else owns an identical garment, and even if they do it’s rare!

I run a blog about vintage shopping in Tel-Aviv and thought I’d share a few tips on first of all where to go shopping, and secondly what to look for when shopping.

Wizo Bigdia

There’s one of these shops in every town, in the Tel-Aviv area there’s quite a few. And not only are you recycling, you’re helping a good cause. All of the money raised from sales goes to helping women and children in danger of abuse. The prices are really good, NIS 150 is the highest I’ve seen for a leather coat.

Ahava LeShnia – Rechov Rashi/King George

This shop is my favourite vintage shop that I’ve found so far. The owner and shop assistants are all so friendly and kind, and they all love vintage too. They have a good range of menswear, woman’s wear and home wares for sale, from all periods. The prices are decent and you can be sure you’re getting something of very good quality when shopping there.

Once Upon A Time – Ben Yehuda

The first vintage/second hand shop I found in Israel and it’s stuck with me ever since. It’s a small shop that’s stocked to the brim with every possible thing you can think of: crockery, clothing, jewellery, accessories and random other things. They are all beautiful and I can’t wait to finally get enough time to go rummaging through to see what I can find.

Tips for buying vintage clothes

1)When trying on expect to be at least one or two sizes bigger than you expect.

2)    Check all of the seams and hardware – a broken seam might just cost you to fix it, unless you can do it yourself.

3)    Make sure that if it does need tailoring that it’s not going to cost the earth, or potentially damage the material.

4)    Make sure it suits your style

5)    Make sure it’s not costumey – The whole point of vintage now is to take something old and make it look modern.

This guest post is written by Angel Cutsforth. She blogs at Vintage Angel. 

More on clothing:
Green Prophets Tackle the Wardrobe
Strategic Stickies For Stained Clothing
A Global Warming Skirt That Can Save Your Life

The post Shop Vintage in Tel Aviv Because Vintage Is Green and Stylish appeared first on Green Prophet.

A great tool for enabling more company transparency, companies are helping boost their bottom lines by using it is as a public forum to interact with customers, share exciting news about the company and create relationships for business development. Anyone from journalists and bloggers to CEOs of major companies are using it for business purposes. The classic examples of major companies using Twitter successfully are Dell, JetBlue and Zappos.

What about cleantech companies?

Here are ten tips that I along with fellow Twestival Jerusalem co-organizers and Social Media consultants, Charlie Kalech (@CharlieKalech) and Debra Askanase (@askdebra) suggest for companies to consider when planning their Twitter strategy and for ensuring maximizing its use.

1. Make a plan. Know what you want to accomplish (do you want to find customers? Raise awareness? Or connect to investor and analysts? Or something else?), and based on that determine what type of presence you want to have on Twitter. This includes whether you want your account to be under your own name (like Alltop’s @guykawasaki) or the brand name (like @mashable) or both.

2. Use Twhirl and TweetDeck. Twitter has an open API that has encouraged a slew of third-party applications. Two of them, Twhirl and TweetDeck are dynamic desktop clients that are considered to have the best interface for companies and to easily use for brand or topic monitoring and for keeping track of multiple conversations (though not multiple accounts yet). Use either for of them to keep better track of your posts (called tweets), people you follow tweets, tweets from others about your company and more.

3. Use search tools. You can find relevant people to follow [like Al Gore or David Suzuki] or be found by them by using tools such as Mr. Tweet (for information on your twitter statistics and recommendations of thought leaders to follow), Just Tweet It, (a search directory) and Twellow (also a search directory).

4. Become a thought leader with your tweets. Step into your expertise space [solar energy, carbon offsetting?] with knowledgeable tweets about clean tech and your specific industry from the latest news, blogs or conversations.

5. Be Human. Build relationships with key decision makers and others by not just including important information about your company but by also showing your human side by tweeting about things such as that you’re waiting at the gate for a flight somewhere, or have to pick up the kids or that you’re making dinner.

6. Gather and share information. Adding to the previous tip, much success in social media comes from becoming a resource and giving value to the community. In the case of your company and the industry, most of your tweets should include links to cleantech topics, industry news you hear, resources you discover and people you find interesting in cleantech. Don’t be afraid to retweet other tweets you found valuable, but always give people credit by starting the tweet with RT@____:

7. Respond to and retweet others comments. Taking the importance of retweeting further, responding to others’ tweets and retweeting them shows those people as well as others that you are listening and are actively interested in what they have to say.

8. Shorten links using tools such as TinyURL and bit.ly. Shortening links will give you more room to tweet and tools such as bit.ly also give you the ability to track the amount of hits the link gets, from where, and other Twitter mentions. These tools are built into third-party applications such as, Twhirl or Tweetdeck, or can be accessed on their own websites (i.e, http://bit.ly/).

9. Make your username as short as possible. Limiting it to the name of the company is good. The shorter it is, the easier it will be for people to remember it. It also makes it easier for others to retweet your information.

10. Include photos. Personal photos or photos of business activities, such as company meetings, can help make your company more real to your followers and enable them to understand it better. You can upload pictures and tweet about them using TwitPic.com or again, Twhirl, TweetDeck and other third-party applications.

This Green Prophet guest post is written by Lisa Damast, a co-organizer of the Jerusalem Twestival, which this year raised money for charity: water.

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So what are the essentials, and what aren’t? A lactation specialist offers you this guide to making breastfeeding truly green. Products you don’t buy, won’t have to be manufactured, packaged, transported, cleaned, or disposed:

1. No Formula. Parents are often advised to keep formula on hand “just in case.” But they are more likely to offer formula to a newborn when they have it in the house, which is why formula companies give out free samples. The first time baby won’t settle down, usually in the middle of the night, parents worry (understandably) that he is hungry and offer him a bottle.

But babies cry for many reasons, and parents need to know the signs that the baby is getting enough milk. Giving a bottle in the early weeks exposes the baby to infection and can interfere with the baby’s natural immune system.

If a supplement is truly needed, the first choice is the mother’s own milk.  And once babies are eating a variety of nutritious solid foods, formula (made from cow’s milk) doesn’t offer anything extra. It’s expensive, highly processed and overly sweet.

2. No Bottles. The cultural association of babies with bottles is deeply ingrained. In some cultures, dolls come with a breast tied on a string (but children who grow up with breastfed siblings simply put the doll to their chest). Babies can drink from a cup from about six months of age.

Mothers who plan to be separated from a young baby will want the convenience of bottles, although a cup or spoon will do in a pinch. Water bottles are not necessary for breastfed babies on even the hottest days. Instead, nurse baby a little more often and check that urine is clear and plentiful.

3. Avoid nipple creams. The breast’s surface is  perfectly suited for baby, and need be washed only with water. Lanolin creams only soothe and don’t cure pain caused by a bad latch, and some creams can cause an allergic reaction.

Pain should always be evaluated because a bad latch can lead to poor milk transfer and low weight gain. Medicinal creams, when prescribed to treat specific conditions like thrush or eczema, should be applied after feedings and do not need to be washed off.

4. Disposable breast pads. It’s better to use reusable cotton pads for the early weeks and months when breasts may leak.  A folded handkerchief who can later wash works too. If you have extra masks on hand from coronavirus, or COVID-19 that are unused, then stuff them with extra padding, use, wash, repeat.

5. No need for pumps. Unfortunately, pumps have made it onto the list of necessary baby items. Some babies whose mothers return to work after six months  may do fine with solid foods and a cup at the babysitter, nursing the rest of the time.

(Mothers who pump at work usually continue until age nine to twelve months.) For short outings hand expression is free and works as well as or better than a pump, with a little practice.

Some working mothers even prefer hand-expression, but it does require privacy.

Good quality pumps don’t have to be purchased new. They can be borrowed from places like Yad Sarah (an organization in Israel that distributes medical equipment) or rented from a lactation consultant. See what’s local to you.

Other types of pumps are difficult to sterilize and may not last through two babies. Try bringing baby along– in Israel, babies are welcomed almost everywhere and a lucky few moms have even managed to bring baby to work.

6. No vitamins and drops. Concoctions for increasing milk are overrated–the way to ensure enough is to nurse often and effectively. Analysis of the milk of mothers from different cultures, diets and socioeconomic levels has shown little difference in quality or quantity. Unless you are in some places where environmental toxins in breastmilk are high like in Tunisia.

A mother’s diet, unless extremely deficient over several years, has almost no effect on her milk. Mothers, like everyone else, should care for themselves by eating well and setting the stage for healthy eating as children grow.

Regarding drops for babies, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends:

In the first 6 months, water, juice, and other foods are generally unnecessary for breastfed infants. Vitamin D and iron may need to be given before 6 months of age in selected groups of infants (vitamin D for infants whose mothers are vitamin D-deficient or those infants not exposed to adequate sunlight; iron for those who have low iron stores or anemia).

7. No Powdered cereals, teething biscuits, and jarred baby foods. “Baby” foods became popular with the advent of artificial feeding, when solids were introduced before babies were developmentally ready.

But after six months of exclusive breastfeeding, as recommended by the AAP and Israel’s health ministry, babies can eat soft table foods mashed with a fork and graduate to finger foods shortly afterward.

8. No need for special nursing clothes and bras. Wear a loose t-shirt that you can pull up — the baby covers your torso. Try a button down shirt on top of a tank top, or slash holes in a t-shirt and wear a loose shirt on top. You can experiment with regular and sports bras (or none–bras don’t prevent sagging, which is caused by pregnancy), but one that is too restrictive can lead to plugged ducts and infections.

9. No need for contraceptives and feminine hygiene products. Some people believe that you can’t get pregnant while nursing, while others insist it doesn’t make a difference. The truth lies somewhere in between. Mothers can learn which factors delay the return of periods, and when and when not to rely on breastfeeding for birth control.

10. No need for breastfeeding pillows. They’re hard to transport, and it’s usually more effective for the mother to support the baby’s weight herself. In the beginning a regular pillow can support her arms and raise the baby to the height of the breast.

The one item I do recommend purchasing, second-hand if possible, is a good quality sling or baby carrier. Mothers get used to carrying babies’ weight as they grow and it’s great exercise. Carriers keep babies calm and eliminate the need for shlepping a bulky stroller to the mall (not that you need anything) or beach.

Consider carefully before buying–your baby needs your loving arms more than any accessory.

For more on breastfeeding:
Breastfeeding and Judaism: Why Moses’ Mother Didn’t Put Bottles into the Ark of Bulrushes
Why Baby’s First Gift Shouldn’t Be Formula From the Hospital
10 Common Misconceptions about Breastfeeding Your Baby

The post 10 breastfeeding products you do not need to buy appeared first on Green Prophet.

This Thursday at 8 at Bialik 23 in Tel Aviv is the First Israeli Composters’ Forum.

Bring a notebook and maybe some shekels to buy worms for your indoor bins.

For more information (in Hebrew), check out the Facebook event.

More on green living:

Tel Aviv’s City Tree Hosts Eco Salons All Summer
City Tree: A Green Oasis In The Middle Of Tel Aviv
Gil Peled Creates Israel’s First Green Apartment Building

The post City Tree’s Composter Workshop in Tel Aviv appeared first on Green Prophet.

Breastfeeding is a natural and “green” way for a mother to feed her baby. Yet  misconceptions about how to breastfeed and for how long pervade our modern world. These misunderstandings can lead to frustration and distress for the whole family during a challenging period. Green Prophet gives you 10 reasons to shatter any myths and misconceptions.

Misunderstandings vary, depending on your country and culture, but in Israel, which is similar to European and North American countries, I preface my examples with a telling anecdote. Keep reading for 10 very important misunderstandings and tips about breastfeeding that can change the way your new baby is nourished.

A mother, who worked from home, had just enrolled her 14-month-old daughter in kindergarten (Hebrew: gan) in Israel. Until starting gan the toddler nursed freely throughout the day.

When the mother arrived to pick up her daughter on the first day, she found the staff quite upset. Apparently the little girl had tried to lift up the shirts of the different caretakers, as if she were asking to breastfeed.

The shocked caretakers insisted that the mother wean immediately. The mother called me to ask for suggestions. She didn’t want to wean, but couldn’t have her baby undressing the daycare workers either. She wondered whether cutting out morning nursings would be enough.

After hearing the story and empathizing with the mother’s obvious distress, I pointed out that even six-month-old babies don’t ask to nurse from anyone other than their mothers. I doubted that her daughter’s behavior had anything to do with breastfeeding. But whether or not that was true, the caretakers needed to handle it like they would any other inappropriate behavior.

That mother’s situation highlights a common difficulty. Back when breastfeeding was the norm, girls grew up seeing their mothers, aunts and neighbors nursing.  Even though breastfeeding never completely died out in Israel, a generation or more of nursing know-how has been lost, and is only gradually being retrieved. The toddler who started gan was playing “find the pupik” (navel) — a game she had recently learned. But breastfeeding — and the mother — were blamed when the toddler began acting strangely. In this case it was understandable, but breastfeeding has been blamed for all kinds of unrelated conditions and behaviors. Such misconceptions often lead to nursing difficulties and  weaning.

Below I list examples of ways in which lack of understanding about breastfeeding can lead to confused parents and a frustrated baby.

1. On-line production. We think of milk being stored in containers, but most milk consumed during a feeding is made on-line–while the baby is nursing. “Waiting for the breasts to fill up” is counter-productive, because frequent nursing signals the body to produce more milk.
2. Holding position. In the most common nursing position babies are held under the breasts, facing the mother’s torso. Breastfeeding expert Diane Wiessinger points out that bottle-fed babies must be held far from the breast in the crook of the elbow, so that the “mountain”  won’t get in the way of the bottle.
3. Where is the action? When the baby opens her mouth wide, the mother brings the baby toward her nipple, keeping the breast stable. Bottle nipples are inserted into the baby’s mouth.
4. Angling for success. Babies approach the breast at an angle, with the head back, so that the nipple points toward the roof of the mouth. This keeps the baby’s working jaw away from the sensitive nipple, preventing soreness, and allows the baby’s tongue to reach further back on the breast and express milk effectively. Bottles are pointed toward the back of the baby’s mouth.
5. For good measure. With no lines on the breast to measure how much the baby has eaten, we look at the number of wet and dirty diapers, behavior during and after nursing, and weight gain. Lines wouldn’t help, because the amount a breastfeeding baby eats varies widely from feeding to feeding. Once the baby is gaining well the mother can relax–as long as she follows the baby’s cues and not the clock, the baby will continue to get enough milk. If she has doubts she can check the baby’s weight or consult with an experienced counselor.
6. All babies have a schedule–it just might not be your schedule, at first. But by two or three weeks most breastfed babies nurse infrequently during the morning, “cluster feed” during the afternoon or evening, then sleep their longest stretch at night, for about 3-5 hours.
7. Pacifiers. Many breastfeeding mothers find pacifiers useful at times (once breastfeeding is established after a few weeks), but they are not a necessity and overuse can interfere with milk supply. Pacifiers were popularized for bottle-fed babies to continue to suck after the bottle has been emptied.
8. No pain, gain. Breastfeeding is not supposed to hurt. Pain, especially throughout the feeding, may be a sign that the baby is not latched on correctly, and often accompanies poor weight gain. Breastfeeding is meant to be enjoyable, and all pain that does not improve rapidly should be evaluated by a qualified breastfeeding counselor.
9. Weaning. Nursing is more than just food, and the breastfeeding relationship can continue for months and years after the baby eats solids and drinks from a cup. Babies who nurse on cue and begin solids gradually from the age of six months continue to get most of their calories from breast milk until about twelve months of age. They continue to receive calories, nutrients and antibodies for as long as they nurse.
10. Size doesn’t matter. Big babies, small breasts, twins–it doesn’t matter. Except in rare cases almost all mothers can produce enough milk for their babies, and there are many ways to jump-start a questionable supply.

After feeding my friend’s bottle-fed baby recently, I realized that I’m guilty of my own misperceptions.  When I tried to lay him down in his crib he continued to fuss until I picked him up again. I always thought that only breastfed babies did this, because mine did and I get calls about it all the time.

Now I know that fussiness between feedings is universal–it just takes longer for breastfeeding mothers to feel confident that their babies are eating well.

Image Credit: *superhoop*

For more great reads by this author Hannah Katsman, on breastfeeding your baby, please see the following articles:
Breastfeeding and Judaism: Why Moses’ Mother Didn’t Put Bottles into the Ark of Bulrushes
Why Baby’s First Gift Shouldn’t Be Formula From the Hospital

The post 10 Common Misconceptions About Breastfeeding Your Baby appeared first on Green Prophet.

Ever wonder why every day of Hanukkah we add another candle?

The Jewish religious source the Talmud explains that this disagreement goes back to the Jewish sages Hillel and Shamai. Hillel explains that we add another candle every day “for the days coming” and Shamai explains that we start with eight and remove a candle every day until there is one left on the last day.

We do this, he explains, “for the days gone by.”

What are the “days coming” and the “days gone by?”

These philosophies are connected with perspectives on life. The “days gone by” is the perspective of the people who say, “in the old days things were better.” In medieval times this was a powerful feeling permeating the culture. Many technologies from the ancients had been lost, and people felt that that had been the height of humanity and we are only growing away from greatness as each generation goes by. In Jewish Historical terms, the receiving of the Torah was our pinnacle and since then we have been growing farther from those heights.

The perspective of the “days coming” is the perspective that humanity is always growing and moving towards a perfection. Judaism holds a messianic philosophy that one day man will reach a level of perfection and the world along with him.

In today’s modern world with the ever quickening pace of technological developments it is certainly easier to identify with the approach of Hillel. Computers are getting faster, as well as transportation. We can plow more ground in a day then could be done in a week and plants are being engineered to fight of disease and unwanted pests. It is wonderful to see this development in the green-sphere.

This approach can also be taken with knowledge and personal development. And I would like to share it from an environmental perspective.

There are more and more tips and tricks coming out every day telling you how to “green” your life. But it can all be overwhelming. Let’s take a page out Hillel’s book and his advice.

Take the Hanukkah challenge. Take on one thing at a time. Every day incorporate one more thing into your life that will help heal our planet. Whether it’s switching over light bulbs, reducing the size of your lawn, or educating yourself, each day add one thing for each of the eight days.

You’ll see that things that you didn’t think that you could do seem easy when you build up. Let’s do this “for the days coming” and ensure that there will be days coming to look forward to for many generations to come!

The post Eco Rabbi takes the Hanukkah Challenge! appeared first on Green Prophet.