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Breastfeeding rights: two recent cases to consider
Saturday, June 23, 2007
It's a beautiful day today in Winston-Salem, NC, albeit hot as you-know-where. While the south offers plenty of perks like sweet tea and friendly people, comfortable summer weather ain't one of them.I'm tied to the house all day because I have to answer potty training questions from nervous parents. I'm a Pull-Ups parent spokesperson and manning the Pull-Ups Totline one Saturday in June is part of the job description. So, while I wait for my first calls, I'll blog.
In today's Boston Globe (there has been a lot of breastfeeding news out of Massachusetts of late), a breastfeeding mother of a seven-week-old and Harvard medical student talks about how difficult it will be to take her boards without extended breaks to pump. She must pass the clinical knowledge exam run by the National Board of Medical Examiners by August in order to start her residency. The problem: There are only 45 allotted minutes of breaks during the nine-hour test. That's not enough time to pump, but the board will not relent arguing that breastfeeding is not a disability and therefore requires no special accommodations.
Here's what I think: While breastfeeding is not a disability, it does require time, energy and attention from nursing moms. The National Board of Medical Examiners should know this more than anyone and should unequivocally allow additional break time for this mom. How insensitive can they be? Now this hardworking mom will be more worried about her breasts, instead of concentrating on her test. Why should this mother be penalized for breastfeeding? It's not fair for motherhood at all.
Also, this story has been in the news for a couple of weeks now. Did you hear about the Florida mother who is suing a restaurant whose manager asked her and her family to leave because she was breastfeeding? Despite being reimbursed the $155 dinner bill, this mom is going out for blood and suing them for unspecified damages due to emotional distress.
Here's what I think: While personally I wouldn't sue because I hate (too much) conflict, I can see how suing will make businesses more aware of state breastfeeding laws. Suing can really hurt business owners because they can lose potential customers who do not believe in public breastfeeding, but the law is the law and they have to abide by it.
What do you think?
Labels: news.commentary
posted by Jennifer James @ 9:17 AM,
1 Comments:
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At June 30, 2007 8:29 AM,
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I can't really say how I feel about the med student because I would have to know why the breaks are only 45 minutes total and how much time the student thinks she should get to pump. Maybe the breaks should be lengthened to allow EVERYONE more time to do whatever. I don't think she should be an exception because she is breastfeeding, specifically, but I think she should be afforded any considerations they would give to any other testee with medical concerns they need to attend to. Leaky breasts, engorged breasts over 9 hours can be a problem, especially if you're exclusively breastfeeding. So if someone had irritable bowel syndrome or medically diaganosed chronic diarrhea, I would imagine they would find a way to test them. If not, they should, and throw leaky/engorged breasts in there, also.
As for the restaurant thing, that's just behind-the-times ignorance, I think. It wasn't socially acceptable to breastfeed in public everywhere at one point, I'm guessing, but in 2007 (actually, earlier) it should be globally acceptable to breastfeed especially in a restaurant - everybody else is eating, right? She deserves any money anyone else has received in a lawsuit concerning discrimination. The restaurant is wrong, and in this country, you can right a wrong with money. (That's another issue. . . )
