Great Pro-Breastfeeding article in today's NYT

[newbelly2002]

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/21/international/europe/21NORW.html?ex=1067736254&ei=1&en=a27d56fcd2e3184d

It's pretty amazing to see what one woman was able to do. Of course with 10 months paid maternity leave, we might see some changes in the U.S. too....

Paula
Mama to Dante, 8/1/02

[peanut4us]

Great article Paula. I know when I was got back full-time frm my maternity leave, Sara was a little over 5 months old. I have many colleagues in Germany that were stunned to see me back so soon! And even more shocked to hear that I had an exceptionally long leave!

[MartiesMom2B]

Thanks for sharing the article. I agree about the maternity leave. It stinks in the U.S. At more former job there was no maternity leave anyway and they don't even offer short term disability so I'd quit. I don't pump very well, so if I was working I don't think that I'd be able to breastfeed.

Sonia
Proud Mommy to Martie 4/6/03

[houseof3boys]

Great article Paula. It sickens me how ridiculous things are in the States with maternity leave when I read how fab things are in other countries. Gotta love the full year at 80% pay though!

[newbelly2002]

Glad you enjoyed it. I found the numbers fascinating. Although I'd like to have seen what the numbers are as the months go by (i.e. by country at 3 months pp, 6 mths pp, etc). Rachel, have any good links?

Then again, all income is taxed at over 50% and higher in much of Scandanavia so I guess it's a question of allocation of resources...
Paula
Mama to Dante, 8/1/02

[sntm]

Interesting article! Who pays maternity leave there, the government or the companies?

The sad thing is, even if laws like that were passed here, our run-run culture is so ingrained that I wonder how many would take advantage of it. My schedule is pretty flexible right now, but it takes at least 45 minutes to go to daycare to nurse and come back, and I always feel guilty about not being productive enough. Even checking the boards I do during pumping or while eating lunch! I think we are expected to do more work than can fit in a day anyway, and I doubt the expectations would change with 2 hours off.


shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[stillplayswithbarbies]

what a hero that woman is. I'm hoping that the new ads by the Ad Council promoting breastfeeding will make a difference in this country.

As for the maternity leave . . . I don't think we will ever see it in this country. I think we have the best we can hope for, with the Family Leave Act, although that is unpaid leave.

And we are going in the right direction, with laws in many states now that say an employer must provide a place for women to pump (that is not a bathroom) and time to do it.

Now if we could get quality affordable daycare, that would make a big impact too. There is a daycare in my office complex, but it is priced out of my range. I can't imagine who works in my office that can afford it. We should get bigger breaks on child care costs.

And the other thing we need is support by the pediatricians. But I hope this new ad campaign will help with that. If the patients are more educated than the doctors, they will have to come up to speed, yes?

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[calebsmama03]

Which ad campaign are you referring to? I hadn't heard of one!
Lynne
Mommy to Caleb 3/3/03

[barbarhow]

What an awesome article. Karen your points are so on. I think the health care profession needs to get out there even more. Looking back, I had pretty poor support by the LC's in the hospital. She stopped by once, very casually, long before I had any realization of how difficult breastfeeding was.
As for FMLA-wow. Wouldn't I love to be able to be home with DS. Without the financial worries. That would be so wonderful.
Barbara-mom to Jack 3/27/03

[stillplayswithbarbies]

I have been reading that the Ad Council is supposed to be doing a campaign to promote breastfeeding. Sort of like how Smokey the Bear taught us how to prevent forest fires. I have heard the ads are supposed to be out "this fall", but it is fall and I haven't seen anything yet.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03