Homebirths on the rise, toxic nursing pillows, nurse-ins and more! It's the SQUAT week-in-review!

Breastfeeding mothers are a lot like exotic dancers, according to a new local law in Forest Park, Georgia. A new city ordinance makes it illegal to breastfeed a child over 2 years old in public, claiming that such an act is publicly indecent. Breastfeedind advocates have responded quickly-- there is now a petition to the Forest Park city council, and a nurse-in scheduled for next Monday in front of Forest Park City Hall.



You might want to think twice about the nursing pillow you're using. A new report this week in Environmental Science and Technology reported that 80 percent of baby products contained toxic or untested flame retardants. Many flame retardants are suspected carcinogens, and toddlers have been found to the three times the level of these chemicals in their bodies compared to adults.

Babies born using increased interventions did not fair any better after birth than those without, according a study of 30,000 births in upstate New York. The study showed no difference in birth outcomes (including whether or nota baby required ventillation,  was transferred to an intensive care hospital, or had a low agpar score) between babies born through c-section or induction, suggesting that a routine reliance on such interventions does not help the health of infants. (Yeah, we could have told ya that!)

Maryland-based midwife Karen Carr, who recently plead guilty to two felonies in Virginia to avoid jail time for her role in a breech homebirth, is now under investigation in Maryland, according to the Washington Post. Karr's case has ignited, yet again, the debate about the safety of homebirth and the rights of women and midwives. See one SQUAT Editor's story of her experience with Karen Carr on a previous blog post.

More women are choosing homebirth--A review of birth certificate information found a 20 percent increase in women choosing to birth at home between 2004 and 2008.

And women who use a licensed midwife to give birth at home in Vermont will now be covered by their insurance, thanks to a new bill signed into law this week. The law will require insurance companies to cover home births attended by licensed midwives; 3 percent of births in Vermont happen at home, the highest rate in the country.