1511cf66_all_To_Action_on_Breastfeeding__Topic
[ID] 462 [Interest Areas] Concerned Citizen [Comment] It should be fairly obvious to any thinking person that the lack of paid maternity leave in the US has a hugely negative impact on breastfeeding. As you know, the US is the only dveloped country that does not guarantee paid parental leave, and I think one of only 3 or 4 countries in the world with this situation. As you also know, the standard paid maternity leave even for upper middle class women is six weeks. I was lucky to have 16 weeks and the ability to take another three months unpaid. I know from experience as a former breastfeeding mother that it takes six weeks just to get breastfeeding properly established. I was still ready to give up every day at six weeks! Only when my baby was around 2 months did I really start to get the hang of breastfeeding. That was also the time that the weight started to come off (after 8 months of breastfeedings, I ended up 15 pounds lighter than before the pregnancy). As any lactation consultant will tell you, expressing breast milk is difficult under any circumstances, but its almost impossible when a woman starts trying before her milk supply has been properly established through breastfeeding her baby. Plus, many women (me included)can sucessfully breastfeed their baby but can never use the pump. In light of all this, it makes sense to work towards guaranteeing at least 6 months of paid leave. This would allow women to breastfeed for the 6 month period that the world health organization has identified as critical for a baby to be breastfed in order for it to reap the benefits of better immunities from infection, lesser risks of asthma and cancer, lower rates of ear infections, etc,. [Topic] 
Paid Maternity Leave
Call To Action on Breastfeeding
Topic