I first heard about this shocking statistic while reading a blog post oncloudmom.com. The author of the post had been referring to a report by the organization Save the Children. The report, "Nutrition in the First 1,000 days - State of the World's Mothers 2012" is the 13th such report. "The focus (of the report) is on the 171 million children globally who do not have the opportunity to reach their full potential due to the physical and mental effects of poor nutrition in the earliest months of life. This report shows which countries are doing the best – and which are doing the worst – at providing nutrition during the critical window of development that starts during a mother’s pregnancy and goes through her child’s second birthday. It looks at six key nutrition solutions, including breastfeeding, that have the greatest potential to save lives, and shows that these solutions are affordable, even in the world’s poorest countries." "Good nutrition during the critical 1,000-day window from pregnancy to a child’s second birthday is crucial to developing a child’s cognitive capacity and physical growth. Ensuring a child receives adequate nutrition during this window can yield dividends for a lifetime, as a well-nourished child will perform better in school, more effectively fight off disease and even earn more as an adult."
"The Breastfeeding Policy Scorecard examines maternity leave laws, the right to nursing breaks at work and other indicators to rank 36 developed countries on the degree to which their policies support women who want to breastfeed." "In the industrialized world, the United States has the least favorable environment for mothers who want to breastfeed. Norway tops the Breastfeeding Policy Scorecard ranking. The United States comes in last."
The report found the following barriers to breastfeeding:
"Experts recommend that children be breastfed within one hour of birth, exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months, and then breastfed until age 2 with age-appropriate, nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods. Optimal feeding according to these standards can prevent an estimated 19 per- cent of all under-5 deaths, more than any other child survival intervention. Yet worldwide, the vast majority of children are not breastfed optimally.
What are some of the reasons for this? Cultural beliefs, lack of knowledge and misinformation play major roles. Many women and family members are unaware of the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding. New mothers may be told they should wait several hours or days after their baby is born to begin breast- feeding. Aggressive marketing of infant formula often gives the impression that human milk is less modern and thus less healthy for infants than commercial formula. Or mothers may be told their breast milk is “bad” or does not contain sufficient nutrients, so they introduce other liquids and solid food too early.
Most breastfeeding problems occur in the first two weeks of a child’s life. If a mother experiences pain or the baby does not latch, an inexperienced mother may give up. Support from fathers, mothers-in-law, peer groups and health workers can help a mother to gain confidence, overcome obstacles and prolong exclusive breastfeeding.
Women often stop breastfeeding because they return to work. Many aren’t provided with paid maternity leave or time and a private place to breastfeed or express their breast milk. Legislation around maternity leave and policies that provide time, space, and support for breastfeeding in the workplace could reduce this barrier. For mothers who work in farming or the informal sector, family and community support can help them to continue breastfeeding, even after returning to work. Also many countries need better laws and enforcement to protect women from persecution or harassment for breastfeeding in public."
"In the United States alone, it is estimated that low rates of breastfeeding add $13 billion to medical costs and lead to 911 excess deaths every year.142" "Children who are not breastfed are at higher risk of obesity. In addition, breastfeeding for at least the first six months of life appears to be a factor protecting against obesity.144 In the United States, 10 percent of children under age 5 are overweight and an additional 10 percent of 2- to 5-year-olds are at risk of overweight.145 In the United States, for example, 4 percent of young children are estimated to be stunted, which translates into 840,000 stunted children.147
Breastfeeding practices tend to vary widely across race, ethnicity, education and income levels. Often, disadvantaged mothers breastfeed less that their more privileged counterparts. In the United States, more than 80 percent of Hispanics and Asians begin breastfeeding, but only 74 percent of whites and 54 percent of blacks do so.150 Women with higher levels of education are more likely to breastfeed, but racial differences are apparent across education levels. For example, even among wom- en with a college degree, blacks are less likely to breastfeed than whites.151 There are sharp geographical differences as well: in eight states, most in the Southeast, less than 10 percent of infants are exclusively breastfed at 6 months.152 A recent study in the United States found that less than 2 percent of low- income mothers who planned to breastfeed were able to meet their goals, while 50 percent of women from a more affluent population did. The low-income women reported the obstacles they encountered when breastfeeding led them to stop sooner than they had planned. The study suggested better support is needed from medical professionals to help low-income mothers succeed in their breastfeeding plans.156"
The implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative was started to ensure hospitals provide more breastfeeding support. Sweden is currently the only country where all the hospitals are considered "baby friendly."
"Countries with generous maternity and parental leave policies – such as Denmark, Norway and Sweden – tend to have high breastfeeding rates. Public health researchers in the United States recently found that women whose maternity leave lasted longer than six weeks were more likely to initiate breastfeeding, continue for more than six months and rely mostly on exclusive breastfeeding beyond three months, compared with women who returned to work between one and six weeks after giving birth.161 Apart from the United States, all developed countries now have laws mandating some form of paid compensation for women after giving birth. Depending on the country, maternity leave can range from 12 to 46 weeks, with pay from 55 to 100 percent of regular salary."
Under the best policies – in countries such as Germany, Poland and Portugal – women may take an hour or more of paid nursing breaks each day, for as long as they need them. Laws in France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States give women the right to nursing breaks, but without guaranteed pay. In Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and the United Kingdom, women do not have the explicit right to nursing breaks, paid or unpaid.
The United States ranks last on the Breastfeeding Policy Scorecard. It is the only economically advanced country – and one of just a handful of countries worldwide – where employers are not required to provide any paid maternity leave after a woman gives birth. There is also no paid parental leave required by U.S. law. Mothers may take breaks from work to nurse, but employers are not required to pay them for this time. Only 2 percent of hospitals in the United States have been certified as “baby-friendly” and none of the provisions of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes has been enacted into law. While 75 percent of American babies are initially breastfed, only 35 percent are being breastfed exclusively at 3 months."
There is much to be desired in the United States regarding breastfeeding and support. I have touched upon the lack of paid maternity leave and the difficulties with maintaining breastfeeding once returning to work in previous blog posts. Unless there is a fundamental shift in the way American mothers are treated, the United States will continue to have dismal breastfeeding rates.
ENDNOTES from the 2012 State of the World's Mothers Report
142 Bartick Melissa and Arnold Reinhold. “The Burden of Suboptimal Breastfeeding in the United States: A Pediatric Cost Analysis” Pediatrics. April 5, 2010. pp.e1048–e1056
144 WHO Europe Region. Nutrition: Facts and Figures. euro.who.int/en/what-we-do/ health-topics/disease-prevention/nutrition/ facts-and-figures
145 Ogden, Cynthia, Margaret Carroll, Lester Curtin, Molly Lamb and Katherine Flegal. “Prevalence of High Body Mass Index in US Children and Adolescents, 2007-2008.” Journal of the American Medical Association. Vol.303, No. 3. January 13, 2010. pp.242- 249
145 Ogden, Cynthia, Margaret Carroll, Lester Curtin, Molly Lamb and Katherine Flegal. “Prevalence of High Body Mass Index in US Children and Adolescents, 2007-2008.” Journal of the American Medical Association. Vol.303, No. 3. January 13, 2010. pp.242- 249
150 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Racial and Ethnic Differences in Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration, by State – National Immunization Survey, United States, 2004-2008,” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 59, No. 11, March 26, 2010. pp.327-334.
151 Ibid.
152 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Breastfeeding Report Card – United States, 2011. (Atlanta: August 2011)
156 Hanna, Jennifer and Mari Douma.
Barriers to Breastfeeding in Women of Lower Socioeconomic Status, Michigan State University. 2012.
161 Ogbuanu, Chinelo, Saundra Glover, Janice Probst, Jihong Liu and James Hussey. “The Effect of Maternity Leave Length and Time of Return to Work on Breastfeeding.” Pediatrics. Vol.127, Issue: 6. May 30, 2011. pp.e1414-e1427
Showing posts with label Maternity Leave. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maternity Leave. Show all posts
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Friday, June 1, 2012
Maternity Leave in California
I started off doing research about maternity leave and what I can and cannot take as a new mother. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I got a little off topic (as I oftentimes find myself) and wrote two other blog posts regarding maternity leave and breastfeeding and working mothers. In the process of researching this topic, I learned a lot about what is available to me and found that little has changed since I last took maternity leave in 2010 after the birth of my first child. Since I live in the state of California, I was able to take 19 weeks of maternity leave. I took 1 week (it was supposed to be two but he came a week early) off before the baby was born and 18 weeks after he was born.
I'm lucky to live in California because it was recently voted the best state that supports working mothers by the National Partnership for Women and Families. They were given this designation because of their job-protected leave provisions, flexible sick leave program, nursing-at-work rights and ability to allow pregnant workers to request a transfer to a less strenuous job if possible.
Despite that designation, I still find the options available to me very confusing. I am not a lawyer and sometimes I feel like you have to be one to decipher what can be done. I consulted the legal aid website and still find myself confused. In one of my previous posts, I mentioned FMLA. "FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave. Eligible employees are entitled to twelve workweeks of leave in a 12-month period." This is a federal act.
California has other provisions that can be used by a mother on maternity leave. The first is State Disability Insurance (SDI). "The Disability Insurance program provides affordable, short-term benefits to eligible workers who suffer a loss of wages when they are unable to work due to a non work-related illness or injury, or due to pregnancy or childbirth." Women who are pregnant may start receiving disability benefits in the state of California before delivery and for a specified length of time after delivery (depending if vaginal or cesarean delivery). "The usual disability period for a NORMAL pregnancy is up to four weeks before the expected delivery date and up to six weeks after the actual delivery. However, your doctor may certify to a longer period if the delivery is by Cesarean section, if there are medical complications, or if you are unable to perform your regular or customary job duties." "Disability Insurance (DI) benefits are not taxable except when considered to be a substitute for unemployment compensation when paid to an individual who is ineligible for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits solely because of the disability." This program is funded through a mandatory payroll deduction. "SDI deductions are not pre-taxed." The contribution is taken out after federal, state and social security taxes are deducted. An interesting thing to note is "the first seven days of your disability claim are a 'non payable' waiting period." The state has a list of eligibility requirements listed on their website. They also have instructions on how to file a claim.
California also offers the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) which is administered by the Department of Fair Employment and Housing. This Act is similar to FMLA in that it has the same eligibility rules and allows 12-weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave. This act was initiated so mothers could spend more time with their baby to "bond." This is sometimes referred to as "baby bonding." FMLA kicks in even if a mother suffers complications from her pregnancy and is required to take take time off BEFORE her pregnancy. As a result of this, many mothers who suffered pregnancy complications did not have much time AFTER birth to spend with their baby. CFRA kicks in AFTER State Disability (SDI) has been completed. This runs concurrently with FMLA in the period AFTER delivery. It does not give someone a total of 24 weeks of leave but it can extend FMLA once the FMLA leave has been exhausted. The amount of extra leave depends on "how much time you take off before the baby is born, when the baby is born, and the type of delivery, you may get a few weeks less of job-protected leave."
Another leave that the state of California offers is Paid Family Leave (PFL). It entitles eligible employees 6 paid weeks of benefits in a 12 month period. Employees covered by the State Disability Insurance Program (SDI) are eligible for paid family leave. This leave can be used by both the mother of the baby and the spouse or partner of the person who had the baby. There is a 7-calendar day waiting period before benefits will be distributed. However, there is no 7-day waiting period if you are "transitioning from a DI pregnancy claim into a PFL bonding claim." "Claimants will automatically be sent a Claim for Paid Family Leave (PFL) Benefits when a pregnancy-related disability claim ends." PFL does not offer job protection. Job protection is given through FMLA or CFRA which must be taken concurrently with PFL. "Paid Family Leave (PFL) benefits are taxable for federal purposes but not state tax purposes. The EDD will provide all claimants with a 1099G form and forward a copy of the 1099G to the federal IRS. The PFL benefits are not taxable or reportable to the California State Franchise Tax Board." The following link contain instructions on how to file a claim. There is also a great website with some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) regarding PFL.
It is important to note that if you are receiving any wages from your employer such as "sick leave, bereavement pay, back pay, earnings (full or partial return to work)," then it must be reported when applying for SDI or PFL.
This table lists the expected benefit amounts while receiving Disability Insurance (DI ) or Paid Family Leave (PFL) benefits. "The weekly benefit amount is calculated based on the calendar quarter with the highest earnings in the claimant’s base period. The base period covers 12 months and is divided into four consecutive quarters of three months each. The wages the claimant was paid approximately 5 to 18 months before the claim begins are included in the base period (they must be subject to the State Disability Insurance tax)."
This is all very confusing so I'll try my best to summarize the information presented above.
State Disability Insurance (SDI) - Eligible for benefits beginning 4 weeks before expected due date and continuing for 6-8 weeks (depending on delivery) after the baby is born. There is a 1 week "waiting period."
Paid Family Leave (PFL) - Eligible for 6 weeks of benefits. No "waiting period" if taken after SDI.
FMLA - 12 weeks of job-protected leave
California Family Rights Act (CFRA) - 12 weeks of job-protected leave (may run concurrently with FMLA) but starts after SDI ends.
Total leave if vaginal delivery: 4+6+6+6=4 before + 18 weeks after = 22 weeks (15 total weeks paid*)
Total leave if csection delivery: 4+8+6+6=4 before + 20 weeks after (17 total weeks paid*)
*Total weeks paid takes into consideration the 1 week waiting period.
The legal aid society has a great fact-sheet on your legal rights regarding paid leave. The state also tried putting together a table comparing FMLA and CFRA. However, I found the table confusing and found the following graphic to be better in summarizing the leave scenarios. I tried linking the actual picture but it is copyrighted so you'll have to click on the graphic link above.
I'm lucky to live in California because it was recently voted the best state that supports working mothers by the National Partnership for Women and Families. They were given this designation because of their job-protected leave provisions, flexible sick leave program, nursing-at-work rights and ability to allow pregnant workers to request a transfer to a less strenuous job if possible.
Despite that designation, I still find the options available to me very confusing. I am not a lawyer and sometimes I feel like you have to be one to decipher what can be done. I consulted the legal aid website and still find myself confused. In one of my previous posts, I mentioned FMLA. "FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave. Eligible employees are entitled to twelve workweeks of leave in a 12-month period." This is a federal act.
California has other provisions that can be used by a mother on maternity leave. The first is State Disability Insurance (SDI). "The Disability Insurance program provides affordable, short-term benefits to eligible workers who suffer a loss of wages when they are unable to work due to a non work-related illness or injury, or due to pregnancy or childbirth." Women who are pregnant may start receiving disability benefits in the state of California before delivery and for a specified length of time after delivery (depending if vaginal or cesarean delivery). "The usual disability period for a NORMAL pregnancy is up to four weeks before the expected delivery date and up to six weeks after the actual delivery. However, your doctor may certify to a longer period if the delivery is by Cesarean section, if there are medical complications, or if you are unable to perform your regular or customary job duties." "Disability Insurance (DI) benefits are not taxable except when considered to be a substitute for unemployment compensation when paid to an individual who is ineligible for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits solely because of the disability." This program is funded through a mandatory payroll deduction. "SDI deductions are not pre-taxed." The contribution is taken out after federal, state and social security taxes are deducted. An interesting thing to note is "the first seven days of your disability claim are a 'non payable' waiting period." The state has a list of eligibility requirements listed on their website. They also have instructions on how to file a claim.
California also offers the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) which is administered by the Department of Fair Employment and Housing. This Act is similar to FMLA in that it has the same eligibility rules and allows 12-weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave. This act was initiated so mothers could spend more time with their baby to "bond." This is sometimes referred to as "baby bonding." FMLA kicks in even if a mother suffers complications from her pregnancy and is required to take take time off BEFORE her pregnancy. As a result of this, many mothers who suffered pregnancy complications did not have much time AFTER birth to spend with their baby. CFRA kicks in AFTER State Disability (SDI) has been completed. This runs concurrently with FMLA in the period AFTER delivery. It does not give someone a total of 24 weeks of leave but it can extend FMLA once the FMLA leave has been exhausted. The amount of extra leave depends on "how much time you take off before the baby is born, when the baby is born, and the type of delivery, you may get a few weeks less of job-protected leave."
Another leave that the state of California offers is Paid Family Leave (PFL). It entitles eligible employees 6 paid weeks of benefits in a 12 month period. Employees covered by the State Disability Insurance Program (SDI) are eligible for paid family leave. This leave can be used by both the mother of the baby and the spouse or partner of the person who had the baby. There is a 7-calendar day waiting period before benefits will be distributed. However, there is no 7-day waiting period if you are "transitioning from a DI pregnancy claim into a PFL bonding claim." "Claimants will automatically be sent a Claim for Paid Family Leave (PFL) Benefits when a pregnancy-related disability claim ends." PFL does not offer job protection. Job protection is given through FMLA or CFRA which must be taken concurrently with PFL. "Paid Family Leave (PFL) benefits are taxable for federal purposes but not state tax purposes. The EDD will provide all claimants with a 1099G form and forward a copy of the 1099G to the federal IRS. The PFL benefits are not taxable or reportable to the California State Franchise Tax Board." The following link contain instructions on how to file a claim. There is also a great website with some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) regarding PFL.
It is important to note that if you are receiving any wages from your employer such as "sick leave, bereavement pay, back pay, earnings (full or partial return to work)," then it must be reported when applying for SDI or PFL.
This table lists the expected benefit amounts while receiving Disability Insurance (DI ) or Paid Family Leave (PFL) benefits. "The weekly benefit amount is calculated based on the calendar quarter with the highest earnings in the claimant’s base period. The base period covers 12 months and is divided into four consecutive quarters of three months each. The wages the claimant was paid approximately 5 to 18 months before the claim begins are included in the base period (they must be subject to the State Disability Insurance tax)."
This is all very confusing so I'll try my best to summarize the information presented above.
State Disability Insurance (SDI) - Eligible for benefits beginning 4 weeks before expected due date and continuing for 6-8 weeks (depending on delivery) after the baby is born. There is a 1 week "waiting period."
Paid Family Leave (PFL) - Eligible for 6 weeks of benefits. No "waiting period" if taken after SDI.
FMLA - 12 weeks of job-protected leave
California Family Rights Act (CFRA) - 12 weeks of job-protected leave (may run concurrently with FMLA) but starts after SDI ends.
Total leave if vaginal delivery: 4+6+6+6=4 before + 18 weeks after = 22 weeks (15 total weeks paid*)
Total leave if csection delivery: 4+8+6+6=4 before + 20 weeks after (17 total weeks paid*)
*Total weeks paid takes into consideration the 1 week waiting period.
The legal aid society has a great fact-sheet on your legal rights regarding paid leave. The state also tried putting together a table comparing FMLA and CFRA. However, I found the table confusing and found the following graphic to be better in summarizing the leave scenarios. I tried linking the actual picture but it is copyrighted so you'll have to click on the graphic link above.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Who Cares About Breastfeeding and the Working Mother?
This is a follow-up post to the one I wrote yesterday titled "Maternity Leave in the US is Pitiful Compared to Other Countries." In that post I stated that shorter maternity leaves are associated with decreased breastfeeding. We as a country need to push for better legislation to encourage longer maternity leaves which will increase breastfeeding rates. However, why should someone who is not breastfeeding care? Breastfeeding is in the best interest of the country as a whole and not just for women with babies.
In February, the American Academy of Pediatrics reaffirmed their breastfeeding guidelines. They recommend "exclusive breastfeeding for about 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding as complementary foods are introduced, with continuation of breastfeeding for 1 year or longer as mutually desired by mother and infant." This recommendation is "supported by the health outcomes of exclusively breastfed infants and infants who never or only partially breastfed. Breastfeeding provides a protective effect against respiratory illnesses, ear infections, gastrointestinal diseases, and allergies including asthma, eczema and atopic dermatitis. The rate of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is reduced by over a third in breastfed babies, and there is a 15 percent to 30 percent reduction in adolescent and adult obesity in breastfed vs. non-breastfed infants. Approximately 75 percent of newborn infants initiate breastfeeding."
The Department of Health and Human Services published a booklet entitled "The Business Case for Breastfeeding: For Business Managers." In this booklet, they make the case for supporting breastfeeding mothers by showing a "return of investment." They state that:
1. "Breastfeeding employees miss work less often." 75% of mothers of formula fed infants missed 1 day of work due to an illness in their infant compared to 25% of mothers of breastfed infants.
2. "Breastfeeding lowers healthcare costs. Babies who are not breastfed visit the physician more often, spend more days in the hospital, and require more prescriptions than breastfed infants."
3. "Investing in a worksite lactation support program can yield substantial dividends to the company." Lower turnover rates are a result. "Employees are more likely to return to work after childbirth when their workplace provides a supportive environment for continued breastfeeding. Being able to keep experienced employees after childbirth means lowering or eliminating the costs a company otherwise would incur to hire temporary staff or to recruit, hire, and train replacement staff, both of which involve additional lost revenue while getting these new staff up to speed."
Even the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has published information in support of breastfeeding in the workplace. Yet despite all of this information, many in the public do not understand the importance of breastfeeding and being able to continue pumping after a mother returns to work.
Breastfeeding is all about supply and demand. If a mother is not able to express breastmilk while at work, her body will simply stop producing milk. Pumping while at work will "trick" the body into thinking the baby is nursing. Thankfully in March 2010, a new federal law went into effect which requires an employer to provide "a reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk; and a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from co-workers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk."
The National Conference of State Legislatures also has published a list of states and their individual laws regarding breastfeeding and pumping when at work. Some states actually have better provisions than the federal requirements. There are also 12 states that exempt breastfeeding mothers from jury duty.
Are you apprehensive about approaching your boss or employer about breastfeeding/pumping after returning to work? The La Leche League has some helpful hints published on their website. The United States Breastfeeding Committee also has some great resources for employers and employees about breastfeeding at work. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health is also a great resource. It is also best to educate your co-workers about the importance of breastfeeding and the continuation of it after returning to work. I breastfed my baby for 22 months and pumped at work until he was 18 months old. It was important to me and I made it a point to inform my co-workers and my management about my intentions. I think education is key to making the transition back to work easier and to facilitate the continuation of breastfeeding.
In February, the American Academy of Pediatrics reaffirmed their breastfeeding guidelines. They recommend "exclusive breastfeeding for about 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding as complementary foods are introduced, with continuation of breastfeeding for 1 year or longer as mutually desired by mother and infant." This recommendation is "supported by the health outcomes of exclusively breastfed infants and infants who never or only partially breastfed. Breastfeeding provides a protective effect against respiratory illnesses, ear infections, gastrointestinal diseases, and allergies including asthma, eczema and atopic dermatitis. The rate of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is reduced by over a third in breastfed babies, and there is a 15 percent to 30 percent reduction in adolescent and adult obesity in breastfed vs. non-breastfed infants. Approximately 75 percent of newborn infants initiate breastfeeding."
The Department of Health and Human Services published a booklet entitled "The Business Case for Breastfeeding: For Business Managers." In this booklet, they make the case for supporting breastfeeding mothers by showing a "return of investment." They state that:
1. "Breastfeeding employees miss work less often." 75% of mothers of formula fed infants missed 1 day of work due to an illness in their infant compared to 25% of mothers of breastfed infants.
2. "Breastfeeding lowers healthcare costs. Babies who are not breastfed visit the physician more often, spend more days in the hospital, and require more prescriptions than breastfed infants."
3. "Investing in a worksite lactation support program can yield substantial dividends to the company." Lower turnover rates are a result. "Employees are more likely to return to work after childbirth when their workplace provides a supportive environment for continued breastfeeding. Being able to keep experienced employees after childbirth means lowering or eliminating the costs a company otherwise would incur to hire temporary staff or to recruit, hire, and train replacement staff, both of which involve additional lost revenue while getting these new staff up to speed."
Even the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has published information in support of breastfeeding in the workplace. Yet despite all of this information, many in the public do not understand the importance of breastfeeding and being able to continue pumping after a mother returns to work.
Breastfeeding is all about supply and demand. If a mother is not able to express breastmilk while at work, her body will simply stop producing milk. Pumping while at work will "trick" the body into thinking the baby is nursing. Thankfully in March 2010, a new federal law went into effect which requires an employer to provide "a reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk; and a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from co-workers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk."
The National Conference of State Legislatures also has published a list of states and their individual laws regarding breastfeeding and pumping when at work. Some states actually have better provisions than the federal requirements. There are also 12 states that exempt breastfeeding mothers from jury duty.
Are you apprehensive about approaching your boss or employer about breastfeeding/pumping after returning to work? The La Leche League has some helpful hints published on their website. The United States Breastfeeding Committee also has some great resources for employers and employees about breastfeeding at work. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health is also a great resource. It is also best to educate your co-workers about the importance of breastfeeding and the continuation of it after returning to work. I breastfed my baby for 22 months and pumped at work until he was 18 months old. It was important to me and I made it a point to inform my co-workers and my management about my intentions. I think education is key to making the transition back to work easier and to facilitate the continuation of breastfeeding.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Maternity Leave in the US is Pitiful Compared to Other Countries.
Did you know the United States is the only "high-income nation" without a nationwide paid maternity leave policy? 178 other countries around the world offer some sort of paid parental leave. By not offering paid maternity leave, we are listed among countries such as Lesotho, Papua New Guinea and Swaziland. The only nationwide leave policy available to Americans is the Family and Medial Leave Act (FMLA). FMLA allows "eligible employees of covered employers to take UNPAID, JOB-PROTECTED leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave." This act only allows 12 work weeks of leave in a 12 month period for "the birth of a child and to care for the newborn child within one year of birth." This, unfortunately, is only available if you work for a business with more than 50 employes and are not part-time (worked fewer than 1250 hours within the 12 months preceding the leave and a paid vacation).
12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave is all that is allowed under US federal law. This is in stark contrast to other countries like Canada which has paid maternity benefits (mother only) for 15 weeks, then shared benefits (for mother and father) for 25 weeks. Since there is a 2 week waiting period, a family can have up to 52 weeks of "maternity leave." That is an entire year! European leave policies are even more generous with the Czech Republic and Slovakia allowing 3 years with every child. The Swedish are entitled to 18 months paid maternity leave and in the UK, females are entitled to 52 weeks of paid maternity leave.
I have been reading a lot of message boards online and have read horror stories of mothers in the United States who had to return to work essentially from the moment they were released from the hospital. Without a nationwide paid maternity leave, many women are faced with having to go back to work shortly after their children are born. I was even told by my employer after the birth of my first child, that I had to go back to work after four weeks! They're based on the east coast and didn't realize that California has their own set of maternity leave policies. In the state of California, you are allowed up to 18 weeks of maternity leave. While all of it is not paid, it does extend job protected leave for 6 weeks beyond the federal FMLA. The National Partnership for Women and Family has a great website with an interactive chart showing how "family friendly" your state is.
I'm not a "stay-at-home" kind of person. I have a lot of admiration for mother's that are able to do that. I honestly just do not have the patience for it and I enjoy the interaction that I get with adults when I am at work. However, I firmly believe that a new mother should be able to take at a minimum of six months of maternity leave after having a child. It will facilitate bonding with the baby and will encourage breastfeeding. Mothers will have time to establish breastfeeding and pump and store extra milk to use when the mother returns to work. I am still unsure about more time beyond that since there have been some downsides to extended leaves.
A study published in June 2011 Issue of Pediatrics found that women who took at least 13 weeks of maternity leave had the highest rate of breastfeeding initiation than mothers that only took 1 to 6 weeks of leave. "Women on longer maternity leaves breastfeed longer." If women are faced with the prospect of having to return to work shortly after having a baby, many do not even attempt to breastfeed. In fact, "a maternity leave of six weeks or less, or between six and 12 weeks, was associated with a fourfold and twofold higher risk, respectively, of non-established breastfeeding." Another study looked at "The Effect of Maternity Leave Length and Time of Return to Work on Breastfeeding." This study found that "women who returned to work at or after 13 weeks postpartum had higher odds of predominantly breastfeeding beyond 3 months." Keep in mind that FMLA only allows 12 weeks of unpaid protected leave.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends "exclusive breastfeeding for about 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding as complementary foods are introduced, with continuation of breastfeeding for 1 year or longer as mutually desired by mother and infant." This position is also supported by the World Health Organization which advocates breastfeeding until the age of two and beyond. Exclusive breastfeeding means the mother is providing the only source of nutrition for her child. This is difficult to do when a mother is forced to return to work after only a few weeks.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) published a "breastfeeding report card." In this report card, which is broken down by state, mothers are surveyed to determine if they have ever breastfed, breastfeeding at 6 months, breastfeeding at 12 months, exclusive breastfeeding at 3 months and exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months. The results of the survey are shocking. The percentage of women who are exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months range from 5.9% (Alabama) to 25.7% (California). I think that it is no coincidence that the state with the highest rate of exclusive breastfeeding is California. California is one of the few states that offer job protected leave that is more generous than the federal FMLA. What is also shocking is that only a quarter of mothers are able to meet the recommendations set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
I think we as a country need to do a better job advocating for better leave policies for new mothers. I will use another post to discuss why we should support and encourage breastfeeding when a mother returns to work.
12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave is all that is allowed under US federal law. This is in stark contrast to other countries like Canada which has paid maternity benefits (mother only) for 15 weeks, then shared benefits (for mother and father) for 25 weeks. Since there is a 2 week waiting period, a family can have up to 52 weeks of "maternity leave." That is an entire year! European leave policies are even more generous with the Czech Republic and Slovakia allowing 3 years with every child. The Swedish are entitled to 18 months paid maternity leave and in the UK, females are entitled to 52 weeks of paid maternity leave.
I have been reading a lot of message boards online and have read horror stories of mothers in the United States who had to return to work essentially from the moment they were released from the hospital. Without a nationwide paid maternity leave, many women are faced with having to go back to work shortly after their children are born. I was even told by my employer after the birth of my first child, that I had to go back to work after four weeks! They're based on the east coast and didn't realize that California has their own set of maternity leave policies. In the state of California, you are allowed up to 18 weeks of maternity leave. While all of it is not paid, it does extend job protected leave for 6 weeks beyond the federal FMLA. The National Partnership for Women and Family has a great website with an interactive chart showing how "family friendly" your state is.
I'm not a "stay-at-home" kind of person. I have a lot of admiration for mother's that are able to do that. I honestly just do not have the patience for it and I enjoy the interaction that I get with adults when I am at work. However, I firmly believe that a new mother should be able to take at a minimum of six months of maternity leave after having a child. It will facilitate bonding with the baby and will encourage breastfeeding. Mothers will have time to establish breastfeeding and pump and store extra milk to use when the mother returns to work. I am still unsure about more time beyond that since there have been some downsides to extended leaves.
A study published in June 2011 Issue of Pediatrics found that women who took at least 13 weeks of maternity leave had the highest rate of breastfeeding initiation than mothers that only took 1 to 6 weeks of leave. "Women on longer maternity leaves breastfeed longer." If women are faced with the prospect of having to return to work shortly after having a baby, many do not even attempt to breastfeed. In fact, "a maternity leave of six weeks or less, or between six and 12 weeks, was associated with a fourfold and twofold higher risk, respectively, of non-established breastfeeding." Another study looked at "The Effect of Maternity Leave Length and Time of Return to Work on Breastfeeding." This study found that "women who returned to work at or after 13 weeks postpartum had higher odds of predominantly breastfeeding beyond 3 months." Keep in mind that FMLA only allows 12 weeks of unpaid protected leave.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends "exclusive breastfeeding for about 6 months, followed by continued breastfeeding as complementary foods are introduced, with continuation of breastfeeding for 1 year or longer as mutually desired by mother and infant." This position is also supported by the World Health Organization which advocates breastfeeding until the age of two and beyond. Exclusive breastfeeding means the mother is providing the only source of nutrition for her child. This is difficult to do when a mother is forced to return to work after only a few weeks.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) published a "breastfeeding report card." In this report card, which is broken down by state, mothers are surveyed to determine if they have ever breastfed, breastfeeding at 6 months, breastfeeding at 12 months, exclusive breastfeeding at 3 months and exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months. The results of the survey are shocking. The percentage of women who are exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months range from 5.9% (Alabama) to 25.7% (California). I think that it is no coincidence that the state with the highest rate of exclusive breastfeeding is California. California is one of the few states that offer job protected leave that is more generous than the federal FMLA. What is also shocking is that only a quarter of mothers are able to meet the recommendations set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
I think we as a country need to do a better job advocating for better leave policies for new mothers. I will use another post to discuss why we should support and encourage breastfeeding when a mother returns to work.
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