Judy wrote,

> Interesting that when most of us were teenagers and wanted something
> our parents wouldn't pay for, we were told to find a way to pay for it
> ourself, by babysitting, getting a parttime job, saving our allowance,
> etc.  This manner of self-reliance seems to be lost once we're adults
> paying for some immediate aspects of health care coverage.
>
Wanda wrote,

> This is an issue I
> never read/hear about when maternity leave or family leave is discussed:
> how the current USA policies allow for family planning freedom only for
> those better off financially, at least with respect to obtaining paid
> maternity leave and child spacing.
>
I think it is interesting that policies on women's health, family
welfare and children's rights never seem to be designed with the
stay-at-home mother in a low-income family in mind. Is it because these
women are never in a position to have input into policy, or because a
baby's right to be breastfed is just not taken seriously, despite the
lip-service paid to the 0-6 age group in research and political
rhetoric?
I have made some of these hard choices too... not going on social
assistance because it would mean not being able to own our own house
(our only asset) or accept contract work in my field, not going to work
full-time outside the home despite the government's offer of subsidized
daycare, etc. I have always put that kind of decision under the
microscope of my upbringing, which sounds like Judy's, and my
radicalism, which I hope is situated somewhere near Kathy D's and Judy's
attitude that no one should let insurance companies (or other person who
is not raising *my* children) have the last say about how I can best
meet their needs. I have no regrets about my choices, but admit I am a
tad bitter that a lot of policy-makers don't recognize the value of my
"chosen life-style", as they would say. This said, I acknowledge that
medicare and year-long maternity leaves (for those who qualify... not
sahm) along with LLL's constant reminders of family first are not
insignificant supports for my own kind of motherwork.
BTW, I will never again complain of only getting "ward coverage" from
medicare... meeting and encouraging a couple of mothers who gave birth
within a day of me turned out to be an impetus for my future "career".
Jo-Anne

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