> Annelies Bon

> In The Netherlands this is paid. A woman has the right to pump or
> breastfeed during paid worktime, up to 25% of the whole worktime during
> the day. This as long as the baby is younger than 9 months.

And in most European countries, women have some type of paid maternity
leave both antepartum and postpartum and have all of their care paid for.
Though I'm usually quite a patriot for the US and very much in support of
this bill, I think this stinks!

This entire issue is like an iceberg, we're only addressing what's very
visible, what's in the workplace and avoiding the many issues that face
women like myself and many others in our country.  Our IBCLC at our
hospital was just telling me about a mother with a two week old baby who is
already back to work as a waitress.  Baby is formula fed and the baby's
grandmother, who has a toddler herself, is caring for the baby while her
mother works.  She's working 4 hours a day.  Just one of many examples I
see in my neck of the woods.  We even had a young wowan who had to go back
to work at 2 weeks in the radiology department at our hospital.  She had
little postpartum leave saved up due to antepartal complications and was in
that category of where her family made too much money to receive any type
of public assistance.

I went back to work at 6 weeks with my first because I was in the Army.  I
did the same with the second but it was a little easier as my husband was
unemployed and he stayed with our son until he was 2 1/2 months old.  What
will I do with the third (due 9/16)?  If I had it my way, I'd be at home
with all three of them.  We'll see how it goes (I'm having to convince my
DH that we can "afford"it).  Oh...and try finding high quality daycare,
especially for an infant!  It's next to impossible in my area.

Thanks for the vent.

Maurenne Griese, RNC, BSN, CCE, CBE
Birth and Breastfeeding Resources  http://www.childbirth.org/bbfr
Manhattan, KS  USA
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