Liz Baldwin's recent post about the mom being
possibly terminated from a new job (related to
breastfeeding issues) got me thinking...
     We can promote maternal employment and continued
breastfeeding by keeping women informed of their
rights, as well as by encouraging them examine how
their jobs fit into their new lives as mothers.  Many
of us here have "been there, done that", and have a
lot of wisdom to share with new moms.  In the US, it
has become the norm for women to head back to work
after a short maternity leave, and then experience
massive stress/guilt/regret as they scramble to
maintain their former standard of living AND raise a
child.  What are we doing?  Is this benefitting us,
REALLY?  Are we collectively happier, more satisfied
mothers and women...or are we driving ourselves slowly
insane in our attempts to "have it all", all at once?
   ***I am NOT addressing women who have real
financial need, who have to go back to work to meet
basic living expenses.***  There, for the grace of
God, go I!
    There is a need to change the assumption that
pumping/breastfeeding in the workplace is going to be
a problem.  Perhaps we women need to stop asking
permission from our employers to do what is best for
us, for our babies, for our families, and follow our
hearts.  Employers, in their turn, need to abandon the
assumption that infants will be AIM-fed.
     Fun and true story: had a phone call from a mom a
couple months back, about 6 weeks away from going back
to work, worried that she had "zero time" to pump at
work, but did not want to wean her 3-month old.  Asked
what kind of work she does and turns out she is a LAW
CLERK here in California!  I barely managed to
suppress a gleeful cackle as I told her there was a
law in place that would help her; of course her boss
had not bothered to mention this in their
conversations about her return to work...

Stepping down off the soapbox and preparing for
flames.
Carole Jernigan
IBCLC hopeful
"There is more to life than simply increasing its
speed." ---Ghandi


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