Very Crafty

Mama is... via Bliss

Of Pumping and Paid Leave

My sweet father-in-law, who lives in Iowa, emailed me this article from the Des Moines Register. It's the first I had heard of the breastfeeding language in the Health Care Reform Bill:

‘‘An employer shall provide a reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk; and a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from co-workers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk."

Surely a start. And great that the pumping conversation is happening across America, although Iowa is increasingly (and surprisingly and impressively) progressive, having recently legalized gay marriage.

But what about the paid family leave, people? MOST developed and developing countries provide paid family leave. And by most I mean all but Lesotho, Papua New Guinea, Swaziland, and -- you guessed it -- the United States. Not even federal employees received paid maternity leave! Yes there is the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which provides for 12 weeks of leave unpaid. But who can afford to use that for anything than the most serious of emergencies? I know that when I had my son, my husband didn't use a day of it for paternity leave, but instead used all of his paid vacation and sick time. We just couldn't afford the loss of income, especially since, as a freelancer, I didn't get paid maternity leave myself.

There is a whole host of reasons to support universal, paid maternity leave. There is no arguing that it's good for families and it's good for breastfeeding. And working mothers who are given paid maternity leave are more loyal employees, and more likely to return to work. Since it costs an employer an average of 75% of an employee's wage to fill a vacated position, it's clear that it's good for business, too. Several states like California and New Jersey have already figured this out. But there is no good reason why it's not on the national agenda.

For more info on paid family leave, read this Forbes article from last year or visit the National Partnership for Women and Families website.

Oh, back to the original point. Read this thought-provoking article by Jill Lepore on pumping, in the New Yorker last year.

NY Times: Baby Fat May Not Be So Cute Afterall

I'm always pleased to see articles in the mainstream press touting the benefits of breastfeeding. This recent NY Times article, about childhood obesity is no exception, as it clearly states that "breastfeeding is recommended to lower the obesity risk."

I'm concerned, however, with the last paragraph:

Experts say change may require abandoning some cherished cultural attitudes. “The idea that a big baby is a healthy baby, and a crying baby is probably a hungry baby who should be fed, are things we really need to rethink,” Dr. Birch said.

As I understand it, breastfeeding works best on-demand, which is especially important in the first few months. Now this isn't always practical, for working mothers especially, but it worked great for me and my son. My son would cry, I would offer my breast and he would feed as long or as short has he needed. He was able to determine for himself how much he needed, and what he needed - for a summer baby that was particularly important, as a short drink would give him watery foremilk, perfect for rehydrating a sweaty baby, or if he was hungry he could nurse for a longer period, to get more fat and nutrition. When he was having a growth spurt, he would cry to nurse more and more, which would stimulate my milk supply. It's part of what makes breastfeeding such a perfect system.

"Rethinking" that a crying baby is hungry baby may be a good idea for formula-fed babies, but may not be so great for breastfeeding.