Warning: This post
may or may not be NSFW. It is also my
opinion and based on my own personal research – legal rights and benefits. No one else is responsible for this post by
ME.
Facebook has
made me extremely mad recently… More and more, I am seeing posts about moms
shamed in public AND private for feeding their child. More importantly, BREASTFEEDING or NURSING
their child. It has sparked both outrage
against mothers AND support for mothers as well. It’s a touchy subject, mainly because people
seem completely uninformed OR society has seriously over sexualized the female
body to the point that what we are NATURALLY made for is now seen as unnatural
and immoral.
LEGALLY
Per the Fair
Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938
(29 U.S. Code 207), which was amended in 2010, companies are now required to
allow reasonable break times for new mothers to express (or pump) their milk
for up to 1 year after their baby is born.
The employer is not required to pay mothers for this time, but they are
required breaks for them. The employer
must also provide a place to “pump in private” Per the wording in the code –
this does NOT include a restroom!
Break times
can vary, but the times and breaks cannot be limited. For example, a mother CANNOT be told “you
will pump at 10am and 2pm for 10 minutes only”.
This is against the law. If a
mother is fired for “taking too many breaks to pump” a lawsuit can be filed – a
mom cannot be fired for pumping breast milk for her baby. A mother is ALSO protected from retaliation,
or firing, because of filing a complaint!
Basically, if my manager tries to give me a hard time for taking 3
breaks at 20 minutes each for pumping, and I am fired for filing a complaint to
the Wage and Hour Division, I am protected.
**Side note, my manager and the company I work for are amazing when it
comes to pregnancy, mothering, and families.
It has been said to me numerous times through the duration of my current
pregnancy “family comes first” and they are being incredibly accommodating. So, any example that I make using myself and
my company are NOT how things actually have been or will be for me.**
A really
cool thing I have also learned in my research is that support, supplies, and
even lactation counselors are to be completely covered by health insurances!
Moving on…
49 out of 50
states, even Washington D.C. and the Virgin Islands protect women, allowing
them to breastfeed in ANY public or
private location. – Idaho is the only state not included in this list…
29 states,
D.C., and the Virgin Islands protect breastfeeding mothers from indecency laws.
States included: AK, AZ, AR, FL IL, KY,
MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NV, NH, NY, NC, ND, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, VA, WA,
WI, WY
28 states,
D.C., and Puerto Rico protect mothers to nurse while at work. States included: AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, GA, HA, IL, IN, LA, ME,
MN, MS, MT, NM, NH, NY, ND, OK, OR, RI, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WY
17 states
and Puerto Rico allow women to postpone jury duty while breastfeed. States included: CA, CT, ID, IL, IA, KS, KY, MI, MS, MO, MT,
NE, OK, OR, SD, UT, VA
For further
information, and even state by state statutes related to breastfeed, please
visit http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/breastfeeding-state-laws.aspx
Health Benefits
There are
actually MANY benefits to breastfeeding your baby. Breastmilk is more nutritionally balanced,
lowers the risk of SIDS, and can even boost your babe’s immune system through
their first year of life! Not to mention
the skin to skin benefits for both momma and baby!
Considering
that it is the absolute most natural food for your infant baby, and not man
made, breastmilk provides complete nourishment for your baby. All of the required proteins, sugars, and
fats are provided in breastmilk.
Breastmilk
has been proven to not only boost your babies immune system, it also can help
fight against illnesses. Apparently,
even kiddos who go to group day cares have a better chance of not catching
someone else’s cold because of the breastmilk.
Breastfeeding
also helps your baby feel safe and comfortable once they are earth side. Think about it… for 9 months, all they know
is momma’s heartbeat, the dark closeness of the womb, and the voice of momma
and anyone around frequently during the pregnancy. Then, they are thrust into a world of bright
lights, loud noises, and life that is not a 24-7 Jacuzzi… I don’t remember
being born – obviously – but the thought of life changing THAT drastically
sounds kind of scary… Breastfeeding has shown to comfort a baby and
reassurance.
And from a
weight loss standpoint for momma… breastfeeding has shown to release oxytocin –
which helps your uterus go back to its normal size, help you lose the “baby
weight”, and has even shown to lower risk of various cancers such as breast and
ovarian!
For more
info, please visit
What does the Bible say about it?
When I think
about the time the bible was written, I don’t think that bottles or formula was
readily available… I also don’t think that God would have created anything on
or in us that didn’t serve some sort of purpose (the appendix doesn’t count… I am
sure it is used for something OTHER than trying to kill us when it’s infected…) Here are some scripture I have found that
reference breastfeeding:
Luke 11:27 – As He said these things, a
woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that
bore You, and the breasts at which You nursed – English Standard Version. Now, to put the scripture into perspective,
this is from when Jesus was teaching about how to pray (you know, the Lord’s
Prayer?) and talking about casting out unclean spirits. It sounds to me that Jesus was
breastfed. I don’t think ANYONE reading
this would EVER go up to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and say “STOP! This is indecent and you don’t need to do
this here” ESPECIALLY now that most of
the whole world knows who Jesus is…
I can go Old
Testament too:
Psalm 22:9 – Yet You are He who took me
from the womb; You made me trust You at my mother’s breast – English Standard
Version. Sounds to me like King David
was breastfed too.
Let me go
on:
Genesis 49:25 – by the God of your
father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of
heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the
breasts and of the womb – English Standard Version. Jacob said these things over his sons… and I don’t
think he was referring to any sexual blessing from the breast here…
To me, it
sounds like breastfeeding was pretty normal in biblical times… and yet now it
is looked as a shameful act.
For more
references, please open your Bible that is sitting on your shelf – probably collecting
dust.
“But Shanna,
it’s only shameful when a mother doesn’t cover herself up while she is
breastfeeding” Um… would you please take
a blanket and put it over YOUR head while you eat? I don’t even like my head covered when I sleep,
why would I like it when I eat?
“But Shanna,
a mother can take her baby to a restroom to breastfeed” Please, take your food into the bathroom,
have a seat on a toilet that you don’t personally clean (so can you be sure of the
germs on it??) and eat up! Doesn’t sound
to appealing or appetizing, does it?
“But Shanna,
people get arrested at Mardi Gras for taking their breasts out for beads” Last I checked, feeding my baby is completely
different than showing off my goodies.
“But Shanna,
I don’t want my husband to see another woman’s breasts, or my kids to see
breasts before I am ready to talk to them about sex” Tell your husband to grow up and not over sexualize
the human body, and remember what it is made for. Breast may bring sexual pleasure to some, but
ultimately… they are designed and created to nourish a child… and as far as
your kids asking questions – tell them truth!
Teach them it is just a mother feeding her baby like they are sitting
there shoveling too many calories, or way too much sugar into their
mouths. It’s natural and shouldn’t be
treated as anything less.
Now – before
I close, I want to make something perfectly and abundantly clear. There are momma’s in this world who want
desperately to breastfeed, but for a number of reasons they can’t – due to my
PCOS, I may very well BE one of these momma’s.
There is nothing wrong with you.
You gave birth to a human being and you are just as beautiful not
breastfeeding as the momma next to you who is!
Women are amazing! We can grow
human beings without even trying!
Women,
especially, need to STOP shaming mothers and start empowering them! They are doing exactly what they are created
to do! You don’t have to be pro
breastfeeding, but you sure do need to encourage mothers! You need to stand up for what is naturally
and legally and biblically right – ESPECIALLY if you call yourself a Christian.
There is
absolutely NOTHING indecent, or unnatural, or immoral about breastfeeding. In public or in private.
#NormalizeBreastFeeding
#FeedOnMommas #WomenRock
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