[nbbmom]

I am a mom of three...my youngest is 20 months. I have a work related brain injury. I need brain rehab to get better. This is all funded by worker's compensation. However in order for me to get to rehab I need to travel 5 hours from home ((live remote) and stay for at least two weeks. I am being told that I will need to pay for child care for my two kids left at home with dad, and pay for daycare for the 20 month old..and on top of that my case worker said I could wean him, or pump, so as not to need to take him with me..a small sacrifice for a long term gain...so I am literally being cut off tomorrow...I want you to visit the link below and like it and share it..

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Work-Safe-is-cutting-me-off-because-I-breastfeed-and-need-childcare/134316733310054

 

[Llyra]

I am going to move this to Lactivism. Best of luck to the OP-- that sounds like a difficult situation.

 

[nbbmom]

thanks for moving it to a more appropriate avenue

angila

 

[laohaire]

All I can say is "lawyer" - call one now.

 

[nbbmom]

A lawyer called me and is working pro bono...

 

[Asiago]

Good luck, all the best to you.

 

[D_McG]

I am having a hard time understanding this. You want to take the toddler with you? and they won't cover the cost of child care at the rehab site? Or you want them to cover childcare for all kids? What does it have to do with breastfeeding? Why would workers comp pay for childcare expenses? Can someone help me out? 2.5 weeks post partum and brain not quite back up to speed.

 

[Bokonon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by D_McG

I am having a hard time understanding this. You want to take the toddler with you? and they won't cover the cost of child care at the rehab site? Or you want them to cover childcare for all kids? What does it have to do with breastfeeding? Why would workers comp pay for childcare expenses? Can someone help me out? 2.5 weeks post partum and brain not quite back up to speed.

I agree with this. Is the issue that they are not willing to pay for your childcare? I don't see why they should have to, honestly. It doesn't sound like they won't treat you if you won't wean - it sounds like they won't treat you if you aren't present and available for treatment, which would mean not having a child tagging along.

 

[D_McG]

ok I read the FB.

Quote:

The treatment facility is over five hours away, so I need to take my son with me. They offer a hotel room, so a caregiver (at my expense) would keep him occupied for the time I am in rehab (no idea how long the days are) and I would connect with him after that. However, I have no one in Surrey at the time, or anyone from here who can uproot their life to travel with me (at my expense) I need time and have asked for more time and been denied. The last time I went for a one day overnight assessment they paid for childcare, and I left my son for the night. It was my first time leaving him, but this is 2 weeks. So a different scenario.

I understand now but I don't personally believe that they should necessarily cover the expense so I'll leave the thread. Best of luck with your recovery!

 

[nbbmom]

I am under the threat of losing my benefits if I can't secure and pay for day care for two kids I'll leave behind and a toddler who would need to travel with me. They gave me a week or they would suspend benefits and delay my getting to rehab for my brain injury.

When I worked I paid part time daycare. This is forcing me to double if not triple my daycare cost.

Workers compensation is supposed to support me getting treatment, not cause stress, and threaten me to change my entire relationship with my son.

Their solution was to tell me to wean a 20 month old, or pump 2 weeks worth of milk, and leave him. Then they said breastfeeding is a lifestyle choice...I disagree. I shouldn't have to choose weaning/abandoning my son to get rehab. They should assist me in getting there, and not under the threat of a deadline. They were shaming me for still breastfeeding and not being agreeable to leaving my youngest child. I don't expect everyone to agree with me. But if my story was unclear I hope this clears it up.

 

[HollyBearsMom]

Can your husband/partner take vacation and stay home with the kids?

 

[laohaire]

I assume not - I doubt the OP will slap her head and say "oh, I didn't think of that!"

Besides which, it doesn't solve her core problem. Her husband can't breastfeed her child.

It does seem odd to me that the treatment is just take it or leave it on a deadline, tough patooties if you can't just leave your baby for a couple of weeks. I would imagine she'd be given more time to work something out, or some option for the baby to come with her, etc.

 

[nbbmom]

He is a business owner and runs an office in two towns...I have already lost my baby boutique due to my injury and I am in severe debt for that..so we have thought about it...the point was that we were given a deadline to get it together...or lose pay and delay rehab...If I could figure a way to get us all there without missing bill payments and possibly not paying rent I would..It would be amazing to not have to leave my kids at home with a sitter for the first time I am away for more than a night...and all I want to do is get better so I can get my life in order...thanks for your inquiry...

 

[nbbmom]

I should also say that I have known for a few months that rehab was available..and I have been searching high and low for a care provider .. I live in a remote village with littel daycare options and my entire family is in an entirely different part of Canada..I even flew my mom out, and she sadly took ill and had to head back home, my sitter whom I have quit when I couldn't give her hours once I was full time at home again...the other thing is that They had covered previous daycare costs for me for out of town assessments...so I assumed in my search for people to help that they would be paid, and accommodated..now I am expected to pay for two providers, and possibly their accommodations with me and their travel? nuts....the deadline came out of no where and the denial of funding for the care as well...they said I made a bad assumption that it would be covered..which then led to the worker saying to save money you could wen..blah blah blah...

 

[txbikegrrl]

Does your toddler not eat much? My 18mo eats pretty well now and no longer takes the milk I expressed up until recently. She does not drink cow's milk when we are separated just water. I guess the issue is that you have to be away for 2 weeks so I would be more concerned about how she would do at night if you cosleep and she nurses for comfort. I'm assuming no way for her to stay with you at night? Like maybe an agency would be willing to donate some or all of the day time child care costs since this is a medical issue? Maybe like a McDonald's House type non profit? Then you could be with the baby at night?

 

[nbbmom]

He eats lots. He breastfeeds for millions of reasons...attachment, nutrition, immunity building..etc..etc..the rehab is during the day so someone would watch him morning -afternoon and then they cover a hotel room for us..where we would sleep..we don't co-sleep, but we will likely have to in a hotel..the point is WCB is an insurance company who is there for injured workers. They need to assist me getting the treatment to get me back to work...

 

[nbbmom]

thanks.

 

[blessedwithboys]

I don't see how this is a BF issue...if your LO wasn't nursing, wouldn't you still need child care?

I am the biggest lactivist I have ever met, but sometimes a mama's well-being comes before nursing, like in the case of my dear friend who had to have a surgical birth at 36 weeks because of a brain tumor, and then couldn't nurse bc of chemo. Her LO is 3yo now and she still mourns the loss of BF but knows it was better than her son having to mourn her death.

Sometimes nursing just can't be given first place, yk?

 

[nbbmom]

Really? I am not sure why I am having such a hard time explaining myself or why this is clearly a breastfeeding issue...the insurance company simply has the options and the resources to make it so I don't have to be faced with the ending of my breastfeeding...that's what I'm asking for..I think I will let this thread go...and focus on what I know...thanks for all of your feedback...I really didn't expect it to be this hard!!!

 

[HollyBearsMom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by laohaire

I assume not - I doubt the OP will slap her head and say "oh, I didn't think of that!"

Besides which, it doesn't solve her core problem. Her husband can't breastfeed her child.

It does seem odd to me that the treatment is just take it or leave it on a deadline, tough patooties if you can't just leave your baby for a couple of weeks. I would imagine she'd be given more time to work something out, or some option for the baby to come with her, etc.

I figure if she doesn't want to use DC then have husband take vaca. She can pump now in preparation so that the kid can have EBM and then she can continue pumping to keep her supply up. She can continue BFing when she gets back. 14 days is not that long, my son went on a nursing strike for 10 days and then went right back. And if not the youngest is almost 2. She need to be the put the need of her *whole* family first.

Ok, just read that she is known about this for months. never mind, not worth getting into....