Confusing article in Mothering magazine - Page 2

[rosie29]

Originally Posted by mamajake

New York State has a women's prison (Bedford Hills, I believe) where moms can keep their babies with them up till the baby's first birthday. It is a very important program.

Jake

Wow. Can all the moms keep their babies there, or only those moms BFing their babies? Thanks mamajake, great article! :

[mamajake]

Originally Posted by SharonAnne

I was so proud of NJ after I read your article, mamajake We've got laws in place to protect public breastfeeding AND that enable women to take action against anyone who tries to deny us the right to breastfeed in public. This is AWESOME. I wish every state in the Union would adopt such laws.

Yeah, NJ rocks. And during the legislative hearings when this NJ law was proposed, a female legislator actually said that women would use dolls and pretend to be nursing just so that they could legally expose themselves. LOL. Even the worst prejudice can be overcome.

[mamajake]

Originally Posted by rosie29

Wow. Can all the moms keep their babies there, or only those moms BFing their babies? Thanks mamajake, great article! :

All moms. It should really be a national model.

[mommymaemae]

This issue about the prisons is really intriguing! I'm sorry to derail the thread more, but what kind of steps do they make to ensure that the prison is a nurturing environment for the babies? In my head I'm sort of picturing Shawshank with moms and babies, which I know must not be the case

[mamajake]

Originally Posted by mommymaemae

This issue about the prisons is really intriguing! I'm sorry to derail the thread more, but what kind of steps do they make to ensure that the prison is a nurturing environment for the babies? In my head I'm sort of picturing Shawshank with moms and babies, which I know must not be the case

I just quickly googled and didn't find anything but a good Internet search will probably uncover something. I was working on a story about it but that was over ten years ago. I am pretty sure it is called The Childrens' Center at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in New York State.

Let me know what you can find. PM me, I'm curious.

Jake

[jessjgh1]

I have the issue in front of me. I didn't re-read the article but this is from one of the graphics that was with the article.

For Washington State it is "green" coded, which is "Go ahead and feed that baby right now"

detail:
GREEN
States that both protect bf in public and address workplace accomodations and/or prohibit employer discrimination
Texas and WA laws support workplace accomodation and define minimum standards for a worplace to receive a baby friendly or infant friendly designation but do not require an employer to accomodate bf'ing employees

(all typos mine)

Are Your Breasts Bound by Law?
Virginia L Marchant


Jessica

[jessjgh1]

oops, mamajake already posted the links to the laws in post #14

[mamajake]

Originally Posted by jessjgh1

I have the issue in front of me. I didn't re-read the article but this is from one of the graphics that was with the article.

For Washington State it is "green" coded, which is "Go ahead and feed that baby right now"

detail:
GREEN
States that both protect bf in public and address workplace accomodations and/or prohibit employer discrimination
Texas and WA laws support workplace accomodation and define minimum standards for a worplace to receive a baby friendly or infant friendly designation but do not require an employer to accomodate bf'ing employees

(all typos mine)

Are Your Breasts Bound by Law?
Virginia L Marchant


Jessica

If you look at my post from earlier today, I said the same thing as the detail - exemption from indecency law which is a public breastfeeding protection (though not much of one) and a voluntary workplace pumping law. Not really sure what your point is anymore. There is no inconsistency between the two articles except perhaps in tone. I would never have said "Go Ahead and Feed that Baby Right Now" as a legal standard. It's catchy but meaningless. I think that is one of the reasons people are so surprised by what is in my article - I don't sugar coat. I don't think it helps anyone. I want people to read their own state laws carefully and to help people understand how the laws operate. It is a "teach a man to fish" rather than "give a man a fish" thing.

I think everyone everywhere should "Go Ahead and Feed that Baby Right Now," but do it knowing the protections you have. In Washington state, it ain't much.

Jake

[jessjgh1]

Originally Posted by mamajake

If you look at my post from earlier today, I said the same thing as the detail - exemption from indecency law which is a public breastfeeding protection (though not much of one) and a voluntary workplace pumping law. Not really sure what your point is anymore.

I'm not the OP, I just happened to have a copy of the article and thought it would be helpful to copy some of the text so that those that can't see it know what it ACTUALLY said.
Sorry. :

I'll edit my 2nd one since you already provided the link to the specific laws and its pretty much the same thing. I read that and posted the article at different times.

Jessica

[jessjgh1]

And agree, totally... everyone should "go ahead and feed the baby right now"

I'm in MA, and 'I got nothing' to protect me.... yet. But that won't stop me and any day now I'll be doing a lot of it.

I'll be sending a copy of your article to my represenatives and calling and writing them AGAIN to ask them to support the proposed breastfeeding laws. I'm very glad to have yet another article to support this cause. Perhaps they will listen to the information presented by another lawyer, since they don't seem to care much about what the mothers are saying (sometimes).

Jessica

[mamajake]

Originally Posted by jessjgh1

I'm not the OP, I just happened to have a copy of the article and thought it would be helpful to copy some of the text so that those that can't see it know what it said.
Sorry. :

I'll edit my 2nd one since you already provided the link to the specific laws and its pretty much the same thing.

Jessica

Oops. Sorry to sound grumbly. I hope the OP is not so confused any more

There are people who have gotten angry at me for showing how the laws work. Lawyers, even. They say that if I show people the risks, women won't breastfeed in public. I feel that it isn't a decision I should make for people. Knowledge is power. How the laws work shouldn't be a secret. The vast majority of the time no one will bother you for nursing in public. I nursed absolutely everywhere for eight and a half years and no one ever asked me to leave or cover up. A few dirty looks. A truly obnoxious sister-in-law. But no real trouble. But when bad things do happen, it is really traumatic for women. Harassing a woman with a child at the breast is an act of violence. Women need to know what they really can do to defend themselves.

Okay, down from soapbox.

Jake

[torio]

Jake,
Thanks for not sugar-coating, and for all the work you've obviously done on this subject. We just began breastfeeding in FL (twins born May07) and I'm glad to learn the nuances of our state law. Meanwhile we're tandem nursing in public pretty much everytime we're in public.