1511cf66_all_To_Action_on_Breastfeeding__Topic
[ID] 117 [Interest Areas] Community Organizer Concerned Citizen [Comment] The 12-week maternity leave available to most mothers in the United States pales in comparison to what is offered to mothers (and fathers) in the vast majority of other developed nations worldwide. A 2004 Harvard study of 168 nations revealed that 163 had some form of paid maternity leave; the United States (along with Lesotho, Papua New Guinea and Swaziland) was not one of them. The U.S. Family and Medical Leave Act provides for 12 weeks of job-protected leave, but it only covers those who work for larger companies. Not only is 12 weeks just not enough time (both physically and emotionally) for a mother to be home with her newborn child, but it also leads to many mothers to wean much sooner than they would if they were afforded the chance to stay home longer with their young infants. Many mothers choose to switch to formula when they return to work for a number of reasons (time, convenience, lack of pumping space/time in the workplace, etc.); and many of these mothers would probably be more than happy to both stay home and breastfeed longer. Unfortunately, our society rewards the ambitious working woman, but penalizes her if she also wishes to stay home and breastfeed her babies for longer than the prescribed 12 weeks. It is a sad situation and there are countless mothers, babies and families who suffer needlessly because of it. [Topic] 
Paid Maternity Leave
Call To Action on Breastfeeding
Topic