Sensitivity Training

How many working Moms do you know?

How many of them had a job when they first got pregnant?

How many of them of them came back to work after maternity leave and still breast-fed their infants?

Why did those that stopped breast-feeding, stop?

Were those that continued to breast-feed, allowed to pump at work?

Through Pandagon (Pam Spaulding), we find that the NY Times has an article that details the difference from low-income moms and medium to high income moms.

Apparently, the less money you make, the more likely you're working in an environment NOT condusive to breast-pumping. Why am I not surprised that male managers tend to make lives hard for these women thus ensuring the cycle of obesity among low income workers continues?

Yes, you heard that right. Breast milk, the wonder drug that is produced by most mothers, will prevent obesity. It will also provide much needed antibodies, and god knows what else, all to the benefit of the infant.

Why do I care so much? My sister received breast milk. Unfortunately, my mother had a tumor growing inside her when she gave birth to me, and she hemorraghed during my birth. Every year, on my birthday, my mother tells me about this time when she nearly died (I'm not sure if it's to convince herself of her resilience or to make me beholden to her but I can tell you the story in English, Cantonese AND Shanghainese). Because of her near death experience during my popping out of her womb, she had no milk to give me. (Milk ducts close up if they don't release milk every few hours; HENCE THE IMPORTANCE OF PUMPING BREAST MILK).

My sister has never been really sick a day in her life (this past hospital stay doesn't really count, since it was an infected ovary that burst). I've been sick probably about 1/6th of my life.

Managers need to get some sensitivity training and start allowing women to pump milk at work. It's for the future.