Restaurant worker spilled guacamole on my breastfeeding baby on purpose!

[homewithtwinsmama]

Its such an unbelieveable story. Click on it to find out. You won't want to miss it. I am having a major call to action to stop this abuse of breastfeeding babies in restaurants. A baby's got to eat!


OK, so that really didn't happen, but it got you here and I need to say something to everyone here on the lactivism list.

We have over a thousand hits EACH on threads where someone described getting a baby bottle at church as as gift on Mother's Day, a good story about Trader Joe's and nearly 2000 hits on yet another bad YMCA story. But only about 200 for an urgent activism request about the Breastfeeding Promotion Act that I posted days ago.

This is a board devoted to lactivism. Lactation ACTIVISM. Are we first responders on the lactation issues or are we the rubberneckers on the accident freeway of lactation discrimination stories???? If we do not pull together as women to drag a large number our House Representatives onto this bill as original cosponsors of the bill then it will not garner enough attention and support to get a committee hearing and vote. This is how it works out there in DC. If we don't get out of committee this bill goes back in the nice idea circular file for another four years.

I challenge you to use this thread to post after you have emailed and or called your Representative about this bill and asked them to cosponsor it. Post your email so others can get ideas! If you live near DC join me on Capitol Hill at the press conference and call ahead so you can get an appt. to speak to your Rep. in person (you just call their scheduler). See my other thread about the Breastfeeding Promotion Act for press conference details.

My apologies to the restaurant, one of my favorite places to eat with their naturally raised meats and organic beans. I have nursed in their dozens of times and while guacamole has spilled on my baby it was because I was a klutz while she was sleeping in the sling.

My apologies if I offended any of you with my sneaky attention grabbing title. I feel so passionately that my four daughters and son's future wife not have to keep fighting for this when they have babies one day.

[homewithtwinsmama]

Here is my own letter to get things rolling

Rep. Sarbanes,

I have been working with Rep. Carolyn Maloney's office to get out a large activist presence for her Reintroduction of the Breastfeeding Promotion Act bill on June 3rd at 11:30am on Cannon Terrace. I have done this for her twice before in years past. I did come to your office in 2007 when you were a freshman and asked to speak to an aide about this. At the time you were not a cosponsor and the aide I spoke to led me to believe that it was unlikely you would do so, because a new Rep. must choose what to support very carefully.

I am back again, asking again you to sign on as an original cosponsor of the bill and would love to see you attend and speak at the press conference. Two years ago Rep Ellison of MN did sign on as a freshman Rep. and I met him after his wonderful remarks at the 2007 press conference about his wife nursing his five children. Since we are local to DC, you can be assured I won't be the only one from your district there in person. I would also like to meet with you that day in your office before or after the press conference. I have contacted your scheduler with my request.

The Breastfeeding Promotion Act will do four basic things to help working women across the nation. It will:

* Add workplace protections for breastfeeding mothers as a protected class under the Civil Rights Act of 1964
* Provide incentives for employers to have private lactation areas for workers
* Create a performance standard for breastpump equipment
* Create tax deductions for pumping equipment

There is no downside to helping new mothers return to the workplace and do the healthiest thing they can for themselves and their babies. It gives the Democratic Party the true claim to be the party of "family values" (Lily Ledbetter and the newly House passed Federal Paid Maternity Leave are all part of a series of positive steps for the party for middle class working families). It fits perfectly with Health Care Reform because of the immediate benefits and reduction of health care costs for the care of infants as well as the long term health benefits to mothers. Recently studies showed that mothers who breastfeed (or provide pumped breastmilk) for two years or longer reduce their premenopausal breast cancer risks 40%. Right now the duration of breastfeeding drops dramatically after 3 months. I believe it is no coincidence that this is right when women who access the Family Medical Leave Act must then return to often hostile work climates where pumping is frowned upon or outright forbidden.

In my own family I have a cousin who will be quitting her job in November after the birth of her second child, because she is not allowed to pump at work any longer. The supportive boss who helped her hide that she did pump at work with baby number 1 has left the company and a hostile male coworker has threatened to turn her in this time around. My cousin's friend will wean after 6 weeks post partum (all the leave she can afford) because her workplace is also hostile to her desire to pump.

By creating workplace protections all workers will become more open and understanding of the needs of new mothers, leading to a greater national support for breastfeeding in general. Just as sexual harrassment law led to greater understanding of women's rights in the workplace and intolerance for harassment, this bill will lead to a day when my four daughters' and my son's future wife's employers won't question their need to provide both high productivity at work AND the best infant nutrition they can to their babies.

I have worked on lactation legislation at the state and national level since my 11 year old twins were still nursing. Our new first lady speaks weekly about the need for family friendly work policies and the need for work/life balance. The nation is tuned in and ready for a bill like this. The Democratic electorate is very much driven by the working women of the country.

I hope to hear from you that you will add your name to this bill dedicated to supporting the 70% of mothers in the nation who are also part of the workforce.

Sincerely,

[AngelBee]

Ok....you got my attention

[Belle]

I responded to your thread a couple weeks ago when you didn't have too much information yet. I hadn't seen your newest thread.

Okay, Rep. Brian Baird from WA will get a letter from me.

The only thing I have concerns about is that there is no part of this bill that says that employers HAVE to let moms pump at work. Only incentives for doing so. We have a similar law in WA state. It is useless. No protection at all for working mothers who want to provide milk for their babies. I work in Oregon and there is a law there that employers must accommodate mothers. My employer went above and beyond so that they could accommodate me pumping once they were made aware of the law. My past employer (When the "law" was only voluntary) was not so accommodating and suggested that I use the restroom to pump.

* Add workplace protections for breastfeeding mothers as a protected class under the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Edited to add: I re-read your post. What workplace protections are there?

[Belle]

Is there a House Bill Number that I can refer to when talking about this legislation or does it not get one until its introduced?

[homewithtwinsmama]

Originally Posted by Belle

Is there a House Bill Number that I can refer to when talking about this legislation or does it not get one until its introduced?

It will not get one until the day of the Press conference. You can refer to it by its title and refer them to Rep Carolyn Maloney of NY as the author.

[G8P4]

LOL. Great way of getting our attention.

It's true....most of us prefer to complain than to do something proactive.

[homewithtwinsmama]

Originally Posted by Belle

I responded to your thread a couple weeks ago when you didn't have too much information yet. I hadn't seen your newest thread.

Okay, Rep. Brian Baird from WA will get a letter from me.

The only thing I have concerns about is that there is no part of this bill that says that employers HAVE to let moms pump at work. Only incentives for doing so. We have a similar law in WA state. It is useless. No protection at all for working mothers who want to provide milk for their babies. I work in Oregon and there is a law there that employers must accommodate mothers. My employer went above and beyond so that they could accommodate me pumping once they were made aware of the law. My past employer (When the "law" was only voluntary) was not so accommodating and suggested that I use the restroom to pump.

Edited to add: I re-read your post. What workplace protections are there?

I refer you to Title I section 102 of the BPA for that info. I can't type it all out here.

[Belle]

Originally Posted by homewithtwinsmama

I refer you to Title I section 102 of the BPA for that info. I can't type it all out here.

Do you have a link for it?

[homewithtwinsmama]

Originally Posted by Belle

Do you have a link for it?

http://maloney.house.gov/index.php?o...=262&Itemid=35

[jeanine123]

I e-mailed and snail mailed my Rep.

[mamajake]

Originally Posted by Belle

Edited to add: I re-read your post. What workplace protections are there?

Is your question what workplace protections are there currently for breastfeeding women at the federal level? I know that one. I also know what protections there are under the Civil Rights Act for all types of discrimination but that answer is longer. Which are you asking?

[Dahlea]

I already signed it =) The first time I saw it advertised.

[snowbunny]

I think this is one of the best posts I've ever seen on this forum.

[calpurnia]

shall we all post in a flurry so we get an exciting looking red envelope to entice more people in?

i'm not in the states... but i appreciate your point, homewithtwinsmama

[Belle]

Originally Posted by mamajake

Is your question what workplace protections are there currently for breastfeeding women at the federal level? I know that one. I also know what protections there are under the Civil Rights Act for all types of discrimination but that answer is longer. Which are you asking?

No, I was asking what workplace protections there are in this bill. Not what is in place currently.

[Belle]

Originally Posted by homewithtwinsmama

http://maloney.house.gov/index.php?o...=262&Itemid=35

Looking at that link, I repeat what I said earlier. If its going to be the same bill that she introduced in 2007 it will have no teeth. It pays lip service to helping breastfeeding mothers but no requirements that employers provide any accommodation.

Now, if she's changing the wording to require employer accommodation that's one thing, but it doesn't appear to be the case.

[homewithtwinsmama]

Originally Posted by Belle

Looking at that link, I repeat what I said earlier. If its going to be the same bill that she introduced in 2007 it will have no teeth. It pays lip service to helping breastfeeding mothers but no requirements that employers provide any accommodation.

Now, if she's changing the wording to require employer accommodation that's one thing, but it doesn't appear to be the case.

She can pursue and EEOC claim against her employer.

[proudmomof4]

I don't think I'll be able to support your cause as I am not a U. S. resident let alone citizen - but, hey, great way of grabbing our attention. Do you have teenagers at home?

[AutumnAir]

Yeah, I would help, but not living in the US or being a US citizen I doubt I'd get very far!

I did read your original post too, and definitely think it's a very important issue, and kudos to you for making so much effort to make the world a more breast-feeding friendly place.