Breastfeeding and the women's vote

Elections are coming up and it's a time when politicians everywhere need us more than we need them.  So now's the time for an important segment of the voting populace to exercise its power.  I mean you!  Yes, women!  Especially new moms or moms-to-be.

Now's your chance to wield some power and get some changes made.  What do we want?  How about:

• mandated maternity leaves
• paid maternity leaves
• longer maternity leaves like countries in Europe and other parts of the world
• incentives for workplaces to provide clean and private places to pump
• Penalties for those that don't
• pre and post natal education for those who don't have good access to healthcare

We are making strides when it comes to increasing breastfeeding rates but for the most part, that progress is short term.  The CDC has set a goal of having 75 percent of new moms breastfeed right at the start, 50 percent of mothers breastfeed at 6 months and 25 percent still breastfeeding at a year.  This year we met the 75 percent goal but fell short at the other two markers.  If we are really to meet these goals, we need laws in place that help us achieve them.  Without laws and penalties, it simply won't happen.  So many women return to work after a few weeks because they have to; either out of fear of losing their job or out of financial neciessity.  It's time we removed those obstacles and applied best practices applied in other parts of the world.

With elections raound the corner, now is a perfect time to push!