Gonneke, Sue and Janice,
Thank you for putting in words what was spinning around in my head.

What will life be like for mothers and children if our vice president
thinks that returning to work after three days is ok, I"m  hoping
women in the US don't have to find out. "Executive women" in the US
generally have a much better/less challenged time with breastfeeding
and working as well, for instance apparently Starbucks in their
corporate setting has lactation support, whereas, women in the
storefronts don't even have a storage closet to pump in.

A baby does have an intense need to for his mother's presence, for
more than just nursing. Young children and older children as well have
an intense for their parents active presence in their lives.

This is not for me the example of mothering and breastfeeding, or
balancing work and family that I want held up as an example. We (in
the US)  do an awful job of valuing family, parenting, even time for
our partnered relationships, and for worse (not better) in my opinion
we define who we are, what our value is, and how we are valued in
society by the job we do (and often how much it pays) and not much
else. Many people work 50+ hour weeks and then spend absurd amounts of
time getting too and from work, there is NO time for too many people
to be a partner, a parent, a member of the greater community, to
contribute very meaningfully to much more than our employer's bottom
line.

There is a time for everything, what do you put first? your personal
ambitions for a job that I cannot imagine being compatible with a
balanced family and work life or the first years of your child's life,
that can never be retrieved or done over. There will be another
election in 4 years.

Do I lose my feminist cred for saying this out loud?

Ruth, LLLL who will spend some volunteer time tomorrow staffing the
Nursing Mothers Rest Stop at our county fair (a booth/livingroom)
where pregant women and nursing moms can take a break in the shade,
put their feet up, have some water, nurse their babies...

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Dear friends,
>
> I wonder how life will be like for mothers and children in a country were the vice president thinks that returning to work within half a week of giving birth is a good idea ...
>
> Warmly,
> Gonneke,
> IBCLC, LLLL in southern Netherlands
----------------------------
> Date:    Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:07:27 -0400
> From:    "Sue Jacoby, IBCLC" <[log in to unmask]>
>
> I believe a baby's need for his mother's presence is as intense as his need for food.  I can see no situation where this baby can get his needs for his mother's presence and frequent nursing met, as she hits the campaign trail and then, for the next four years of his little life, she attempts to carryour the affairs of state.
>
> I'm sorry to say that this is NOT the example of mothering and breastfeeding that I want to have held up as an example.=20=20
>
From Janice
> Glad some people on this list, are naming the feeling I got, when I heard she was back to work at three days.  I just knew that this is the kind of  example that is used against me, (where being a SAHM mom is not thought to  be good enough or ambitious enough).
> However, I am also torn, if there ever was a circumstance where I think, for society, a mom SHOULD try to combine motherhood and work, it would be politics.  Otherwise we are saying that a mother with young children will never have a voice in society (politics).
> Janice Reynolds
> Saskatchewan, Canada
>
From Sue
> This seems to me to be a situation where "There is a Time for Everything." would have been good advice, or better, a good personal philosophy.
>
> Sue

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