Breastfeeding Promotion Act questions

[krystyn33]

I've read through the text of the act & I'd love any legal-minded mamas on here to clarify for me whether or not passing this act will affect protections/enforcements for our right to NIP in any way. Sounds to me like it is directed toward supporting nursing mothers in the workplace--important, certainly, but how does this act support moms who aren't pumping or working outside the home?

[homewithtwinsmama]

Specifically it will not protect NIP at all. What it will do, and this was what I spoke about at the reintroduction in 2007, is to create workplace education about the rights of breastfeeding mothers and like sexual harassment law bring it to the consciousness of all workers. So then bfing becomes more commonly accepted in the wider society. At least that is my take.

[Lil'M]

Yeah, I was surprised that it doesn't contain any protection for NIP. I wrote to my senators and representatives asking them to co-sponsor the legislation, but also to add amendments that protect NIP. I just worry that when this gets passed, it will be difficult to push through more bf legislation, as in people will say, "You already got bf legislation. What are you asking for now?"

[krystyn33]

I confess I'm not as psyched up about this bill as I was the last time. I'll write to urge support from my legislators because I know there is need for this protection for working moms. But it doesn't go nearly far enough to promote breastfeeding, IMO. Mothers should have the option to nurse on demand--at the very least through the first six months--very least. We need paid maternity leave in this country & I hope passing this act will not give the opposition an argument to say moms with newborns don't need time off work (they can just pump).

[mamajake]

Originally Posted by krystyn33

I confess I'm not as psyched up about this bill as I was the last time. I'll write to urge support from my legislators because I know there is need for this protection for working moms. But it doesn't go nearly far enough to promote breastfeeding, IMO. Mothers should have the option to nurse on demand--at the very least through the first six months--very least. We need paid maternity leave in this country & I hope passing this act will not give the opposition an argument to say moms with newborns don't need time off work (they can just pump).

Agreed that this isn't a comprehensive breastfeeding bill but it actually protects more than the 2007 version which did not contain any requirement that employers provide pump space and break time.

The 2009 BPA, imo, is good for what it purports to be. Having heard state legislators argue that supporters of public breastfeeding laws and supporters of workplace pumping laws are two separate populations who would not support each other, my biggest fear is that the failure of this bill will be blamed on a "mommy wars" split between "working" and "non-working" mothers. We need to act as a group on this.

[Carita]

Are there any website that are set up to forward a from letter to our reps based on address? I am being lazy - sorry, but I still want to help!

[mamajake]

Originally Posted by Carita

Are there any website that are set up to forward a from letter to our reps based on address? I am being lazy - sorry, but I still want to help!

But of course

http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/...paign_KEY=1697

[krystyn33]

Thanks for the clarification, Mamajake. I agree this is important, even though I'd like to see much more progress. I'll be networking with local moms to see if we can get enough of us to write to get our rep to cosponsor. He's a pro-life democrat, so maybe this will be a way for him to appeal to more women voters? Otherwise, I have little confidence in him.

Should we contact senators also?

[mamajake]

Originally Posted by krystyn33

Thanks for the clarification, Mamajake. I agree this is important, even though I'd like to see much more progress. I'll be networking with local moms to see if we can get enough of us to write to get our rep to cosponsor. He's a pro-life democrat, so maybe this will be a way for him to appeal to more women voters? Otherwise, I have little confidence in him.

Should we contact senators also?

I hear ya.

There is both a House bill and a Senate bill. The House bill is 2819 and the Senate bill is 1244. Both are in dire need of co-sponsors.

[elanorh]

It looks like the email is sent to both the senators and representative (per what the screen showed when I sent my email off).

Thanks for the information and links, mamajake!

ETA:
A reminder for folks - linking to this page on your Facebook pages, blogs, etc., is a good way of letting others know about this act. There are a lot of people who are very supportive of breastfeeding, but don't 'know' about things like this unless the information is given to them. It's my hope that several of my friends will be following the link I just put up on Facebook, and linking it from their own pages as well.