Here is the latest update from Gail Ravnitzki, Senior Legislative Assistant
to Rep. Carolyn Maloney, May 8, 1998.  The stories at the end make this
long, but I thought they would be interested to some.

Francine

This is an update on H.R. 3531, the New Mothers' Breastfeeding Promotion
and Protection Act, which was introduced by Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney,
Democrat from New York, on March 24, 1998.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
We are currently planning a press event for New York City, where we will
be asking a few new mothers who have faced discrimination or harassment
to tell their stories.  If you know of such a person, please ask them to
contact me.  More details will be coming soon.

We are also specifically looking for specific examples of federal
agencies (fed govt, post office, etc.) that either have lactation
programs, or have given federal employees a difficult time when they
have attempted to express milk at work.  Please ask such people to
contact me as well.

COSPONSORS
The bill currently has the following House cosponsors:   AL: Earl
Hilliard, CA: Tom Lantos, Zoe Lofgren, Lynn Woolsey, CT: Sam Gejdenson,
DC: Eleanor Holmes Norton, FL: Karen Thurman, GA: Cynthia McKinney, GU:
Bob Underwood, IL: Bobby Rush, Sid Yates, Luis Gutierrez, Danny Davis,
Lane Evans, MI: Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, MS: Bennie Thompson, NC: Eva
Clayton, NJ: Donald Payne, NY: Jerrold Nadler, OH: Marcy Kaptur, OR:
Elizabeth Furse, RI: Patrick Kennedy, TX: Martin Frost, WA: Jim
McDermott, WI: Tom Barrett, VI: Donna Christian-Green, VT: Bernie
Sanders.  The best way to keep up with who has signed on is on the web
at:  http://thomas.loc.gov/

CLARIFICATION RE: COSPONSORS
Any Member of the House may cosponsor this legislation.  Generally, they
are persuaded by their own constituents.  Therefore, although we are
interested in hearing of your support for the bill, we recommend that
you contact your own Representative to express your views on this bill.
I am interested in knowing the response you've received from your
Representatives.  If a Congressional office would like further
information about the bill, please ask them to contact me.

SENATE
Senator Ted Stevens, a Republican from Alaska, is still working on a
companion bill in the Senate, and I'll let you know as soon as I know
about any plans for a bill introduction.

ENDORSEMENTS
H.R.3531 has already been endorsed by the American Academy of
Pediatrics, the American Public Health Association, the Association of
Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses, the Academy of
Breastfeeding Medicine, La Leche League, Intl., the International
Lactation Consultant Association, the National Association for
Breastfeeding Advocacy, the National Association of WIC Directors, the
American College of Nurse Midwives, the Women's International Public
Health Network, and Lamaze International.  We are hopeful that
additional organizations will decide to endorse this bill.

STORIES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY
We've been hearing from new mothers from all over the country, with
various but eerily similar stories of being harassed, discriminated
against, or fired for attempting to express milk after returning to
work.  Here are a few of the "testimonials" which I believe really
justify this legislation.  Please keep the stories coming.

"I just went back to work full time this week.  I had met with my
supervisor on Monday and it was understood that I needed two twenty
minute breaks during the work day to pump.  I was called into my
supervisors office on Thursday morning and was informed that they would
have to think about letting me take twenty minute breaks since the
company policy is for two fifteen minute breaks.  I told him that I
needed the extra five minutes to be able to pump and that I had no
problem making the extra ten minutes up at the end of the work day.  He
asked if it was medically necessary to breastfeed my child or if I was
just doing it because I could.  He also told me to give him a timeline
of when I planned to wean my son and that pumping at work could not go
on indefinitely. He said that if they were to grant me the extra ten
minutes that it would be on a month by month basis... I feel like I am
being harassed and discriminated against because I want to make sure my
son is healthy by breastfeeding him."

"I had a boss call me into his office wanting to know why it took me 20
minutes in the bathroom to set up the pump, pump milk, clean the pump
and then reassemble it.  It is very hard to provide enough milk anyway,
without your boss outside the bathroom door with a stopwatch....Of
course, smokers and others can take breaks without a stopwatch involved.
...I want to have more children, but I dread going through the
explaining and the negotiation again."

"When I gave birth to my daughter in January of this year, I was given a
Gerber mini-electric pump.  It was practically useless.  I could only
express around 2 ounces after 30 minutes of pumping.  My daughter takes
at least five ounces per feeding.  Had I relied on that pump, I would
have been forced to supplement with formula."

"I have had two different breastpumps that were highly ineffective,
granted I did not spend a lot of money; but I also did not get the
cheapest one.  I also believe that the price for these devices should be
better.  Have you seen the prices?  They rang from about $15 to $120.  I
bought something middle of the line and I never got more and an ounce
out at a time.  It was painful and not very effective so I discontinued
the use of it.  It's not that I didn't try for long either I had a
manual pump for  3 months , used it everyday, still nothing.  So I
bought an electric and still had trouble; even doing it three times a
day. Finally I just gave up on breastpumping and gave my child formula
when she had to be away from me."

"When I returned to work, I used a room that had an email machine in it
to express my milk three times a day.  When expressing my milk I would
read and respond to all my email.  It worked out great for me.  But
there was a couple of problems.  When I was in the room, co-workers
would call me or send me emails saying "moo moo, moo"  In the hallway, I
would hear people mooing at me.  Managers heard this mooing and did
nothing to stop it."

"My grandson is five months old and has had a rough start in life, with
stomach problems and colic. [My daughter] decided to continue
breastfeeding and purchased an expensive pump to carry back and forth to
work.  She is able to visit her son on her one-hour lunch break at the
baby-sitters, at which time he is breast-fed his lunch.  After three
full days back to work this week, her division administrator called her
into his office for an update on her job responsibilities.  Instead, it
turned into a question and answer period over how long she expected to
breast feed her son, if it was medically necessary,...and when was she
going to stop breastfeeding?...My daughter was pretty much told to wean
her son, that the office could not make an exception for her.  My
daughter offered to make up the 10-15 minutes needed each day to
accomplish pumping and [the] Personnel Department says her administrator
has a right to refuse permission for the extra time needed to pump."

"...[my employer asked me] how soon I was going to be weaning the
baby..."

"I had planned on breastfeeding my daughter for one year...Once I
returned to work, my milk supply dropped greatly.  I wish that I would
have had support and laws to support my decision to breastfeed."


Unfortunately, this is just a portion of the kinds of stories we've
received.  But do not be discouraged.  We're making progress and
gathering cosponsors every day.  Please keep these stories coming, and
keep spreading the word about the bill.