Breastfeeding: Stay-At-Home
September 26, 2007 by Amy Spangler | 2 questions or comments
credits: iStockphoto
Jennifer Garner thought it was special enough to make her boobs off-limits during the filming of her most recent movie, because she was breastfeeding her daughter, Violet.
Sophie Currier thought it was special enough to appeal to the Medical Licensing Board for special accommodation so that she could have sufficient break time during her nine-hour exam to pump her breasts since she was breastfeeding her daughter, Lia.
You’re thinking, these seem like reasonable requests, so what’s the big deal? The big deal is the fact that Currier was denied accommodation by the licensing board as well as a Federal Judge. Garner fortunately fared better–hats off to Hollywood.
Is Robert Drago right? Is breastfeeding the latest refuge of scoundrels–the newest weapon in the war to keep women at home? Are men and employers more than happy to accommodate breastfeeding by sending women home? Are fathers willing to work longer hours to support stay-at-home moms? Are employers willing to take moms back once the children are a bit older?
The ‘stay at home and breastfeed’ message comes through loud and clear–we value what you do and when you’re finished doing it, you can return to work, school, and life.
What about the women for whom staying at home is not an option financially? What about poor, single moms who are required to have a job in order to qualify for welfare benefits? What about the women with no paid parental leave and no job security?
It’s the same old story, we claim to value women and children just like apple pie, homemade ice cream, and the 4th of July, but no one wants to accommodate the things about women that make them women–unique from men–pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Here’s a news flash for all those listening–women can do it all–they just can’t do it all at once.
I for one am weary of waiting for society to acknowledge that accommodation is needed. I naively believed that given the right information, employers would do the right thing, and some employers have, but far too few.
It’s time to support federal legislation like that proposed by Rep. Carolyn Maloney. The Breastfeeding Promotion Act would prohibit discrimination against breastfeeding employees, and would partially fund worksite lactation programs. It’s a step in the right direction, so please lend your support and sign the MomsRising petition.
If we truly believe that breastfeeding is the best choice for every baby, then we need to make it the right choice for every mother.
Shame on her for using the system in this way. Hundreds of nursing mothers takes exams every year. They manage to store milk ahead of time so they do not have to actually breast feed that day and then use break time if they need to express. She is a whiner beyond belief. I have breast feed 2 children through school, work, ballgames, trips etc. She is full of it. And it amazes me as the mother of an ADD child the accommodations she has received at school. Her disability is SO amazing and more difficult then anyone else’s it astounds me! I hope MY child is accomodated when he heads to college in a year to the extant she has been.
She should be a lawyer not a doctor she is so good at using the system in way no one else has ever thought of. But wait, I married a lawyer and he is not a whiner so that is an insult to him. She has a good deal going and is going to milk it to the end so to speak. But shame shame shame.
And pity the company that hires her because how can she POSSIBLY do research or work if she cannot concentrate, cannot read, cannot organize, needs extra time, cannot remember things, has babies to breast feed etc. She has given out interviews everywhere about her ADHD and other disabilities and I don’t know how she even gets through the day! Good luck with that.
Appeals Court Judge Gary Katzmann has overturned the Superior Court ruling and will allow Sophie Currier to have an additional 60 minutes of break time.
The medical examining board plans to appeal the decision, but will give Currier the additional time if Judge Katzmann's order is still in effect when she takes the exam, scheduled for next week. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/27/education/27exam.html?ref=us
I understand the argument on both sides, but I must admit, I am amazed that this issue has generated so much controversy–both for and against Currier.
I can’t help but believe that if Currier lived in a society where breastfeeding was perceived as NORMAL, there would be no discussion of the need for ‘accommodation’–after all, babies need to be fed and/or breasts need to be expressed–it’s pretty simple.