Jeanette wrote about hearing OTHER people at a meeting speak strongly in
favor of breastfeeding.  YESSSSSS, it is gratifying.

In December I attended a workshop in Washington DC given by the National
Partnership for Women and Families.  The topic was family leave income, a
very important subject for breastfeeding advocates in the USA because of our
pitiful situation with maternity leave---we have no national maternity leave
and are unlikely to get any in the future.  Childbearing women ARE covered
under family leave, which, since it is gender-neutral, is politically
acceptable to many more US policy-makers.

So....our final session of the day was a brainstorming, in which we split
into three groups to brainstorm lists of the social benefits of family leave
income for the different stakeholders---families, employers, government.  And
better breastfeeding outcomes made in onto the lists in all three groups!  As
the only overtly identified breastfeeding advocate there, I felt most
welcome, not marginalized, and my issue was accepted as important.

It hasn't always been this way.  I think we ARE making progress.

Lactnetters can learn more about family leave income at
www.nationalpartnership.org

Chris Mulford, RN, IBCLC
WABA Women and Work Task Force
Swarthmore  PA  (eastern USA)

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html