So California is trying to pass a Law that Breast Feeding Mothers get paid breaks to pump breast milk. Opinion?
So California is trying to pass a law that Working Mothers who breast feed their babies are allowed an extra [PAID] 30 minute break every 4 hours to pump breast milk.
This is going to be funded by Insurance Companies and Tax Payers.
This could lead to higher premiums on Health Insurance and Tax Increases ..
What is YOUR opinion on this?
Do you think the breast feeding Mothers should get ‘paid breaks’ to pump their breast milk (and possibly increase Insurance Premiums and Taxes for everyone else) ..?
Or do you think that breast feeding Mothers should have the same breaks as any other Mother and should pump their breast milk on their own break and on their own time and not get paid to do it?
Breast feeding is a *choice* …. remember?
(lol, everyone always says that ‘formula feeding is a choice’ .. so should breast feeding Mothers get a ‘paid break’ to pump their breast milk, since breast feeding is a *choice*)?
I think it would motivate a lot more mothers to breastfeed.
I think either way is fine. I would not be against them getting paid breaks, but I would also not fully, 100% demand that they do.
I think it’s great!!!
Well I don’t really know what to think of this to be honest. I understand the need to pump for your child while your at work. But at the same time you can pump before you go into work and keep it frozen till need and then heat it up. But at the same time maybe this would encourage more women to breastfeed. I think it is a womens choice to choice between formula and breastfeeding. But at the same time breastfeeding is so much more healthier. There is a pro and a con to this.
I breastfed my daughter, but I think that sounds a little too much. They wouldn’t pay a mother to fix formula bottles during her break time, so that’s really not fair. I do believe that breastfeeding is the best option, but paid breaks to do so is going over the top a little bit.
I think that’s a great idea. Sure it *may* raise some costs, but think about all the benefits the babies will get from it. The more breast milk they receive the fewer health problems they may get as they get older, thus saving money. Even though I’m Canadian I say it’s a step in the right direction for an example that the whole world can use.
Companies support breastfeeding women, because it helps retention of these women, and also cuts down on sick days as breastfeeding builds immunity. So this immunity building, cuts down on sickness, which also cuts down on healthcare costs. Insurers know this is a good thing. Cutting down on sick days is great for companies.
Its kind of like insurance companies and corporations supporting health clubs. They know the long term benefits are far more worth the short term funding that is required,
I’m not sure about this. I think that something like this would open a whole can of worms of other special-interest groups (yes, breastfeeding mothers very well could be considered a special-interest group) wanting to get paid during the workday for what they choose to do.
I don’t think it would motivate more people to breastfeed, though.
P.S. To all the “if smokers get paid breaks to go smoke, then so should breastfeeding mothers” – smokers don’t get paid breaks to go smoke. They just go smoke.
I’m pro-breastfeeding, but this just seems like it’s a slippery slope, and kind of unnecessary.
And yes, breastfeeding is a choice, as is working after you have a child.
im not against that
it would encourage many mothers to breastfeed probably
and formula feeding and breastfeeding are BOTH choices
only because technology has aloud women to have a choice
100 years + ago …there was no choice.
LOL….. here we go. This will aggravate those who “choose” to do the formula route,saying it’s unfair blah,blah. If you got paid breaks to feed your child,or free daycare at the expense of the company and taxes,would you all still complain? No. This is so mothers are able to save the milk they are making for their child. If you want paid breaks,then get pumping..
Honestly, I would rather (since this seems to be the aspect you’re focusing on) have my extra money go towards paying working lactating mothers to pump while at work than to pay for formula for WIC babies.
In the long run, any increase that I would pay in premiums and taxes to fund this (hypothetically, since nothing has been decided yet) would help decrease the amount of extra taxes and premiums I’d have to pay when I’m older, or my children will have to pay, because these children will be healthier and less of a health risk than their formula fed peers.
I can’t answer all the technical stuff but I do think a breast feeding Mother should be able to pump at work in the bathroom. Yes breastfeeding is a choice but a good one for the baby. Remember too, that this only lasts for a few more months and baby will be on whole milk and your jelousy problems will be over.
I think this is a wonderful idea. I’m not breastfeeding and if I was, and had gone back to work full time, I would have been able to pump whenever I needed to because my job was not hourly and I had a lot of freedom.
But for women who work on the clock, with a strict schedule of breaks, they shouldn’t have to skip eating or peeing to pump.
The issue with pumping is that it has to happen at certain times during the day. If you could pump as much as you wanted to, whenever you wanted to, without affecting your supply, any woman would choose to pump at home.
But because there is a timing aspect, pumping during working hours is inevitable and necessary.
Wonderful, forward-thinking idea that I totally support.
give them the extra breaks
It isn’t necessarily going to lead to higher premiums, yes it costs money, but breastfed babies also get sick less than formula fed babies and have less health problems during their lives, this should offset some of (if not more than all of) the cost. As for costs to the taxpayers, what about those who need financial assistance to pay for formula??
It’s just as annoying as smokers getting paid while they smoke, to a nonsmoker.
What about men who can’t breastfeed? What about women who have babies but aren’t breastfeeding?
Wasn’t there an “Office” episode where one of the women was hooked up to a breast pump, right there in her cubicle?
I think that if people get paid breaks to go smoke a cigarette, then I should get paid to go pump milk to feed my baby.
Studies have shown that breastfed babies get sick less often and therefore their parents spend less time away from work caring for a sick baby. If giving a paid break for breastfeeding women to pump would encourage more women to breastfeed, those same women would be able to continue working and probably be more committed to their jobs because they know they can take care of their children the way they choose and still fulfill their work obligations. I don’t have a problem with the idea of taxpayers having to pay for this or insurance premiums increasing in order to accommodate this because we help some formula feeding mothers pay for their formula as well (WIC). So why should it be any different for breastfeeding moms?
I pumped to feed my children and had to stop because it didnt work out with my work schedule, i did it for 5 months and it became to much. I dont think it needs to be PAID or 30 minutes. I think 15 minutes unpaid would be terriffic. It is a choice and for me if i had 15 minutes every 4 hours to pump I would be happy to have taken it with out pay. I did it on my lunch hour and a 15 minute break, so i didnt have much time to eat, which you need to do when breastfeeding.
I would have loved to breastfeed my kids longer, it didnt work out. they should make a law if you choose to breastfeed your child you can take an extra amount of time in a day without pay to pump. This way people wont take advantage of the law, it will be fair to everyone and mothers can continue to breastfeed their children if they choose.
Thirty minutes every four hours? Considering the work day for most is 8 hours, it doesn’t really add extra down time when you consider that after the first four hours of work there’s lunch and after the second four hours of work, there’s home. Four hours is a pretty long time to go without pumping, at least in the early months.
I’m totally for a legal amount of breaks, even if that means creating more breaks than the rest of the personnel get. At the same time, I can agree that there shouldn’t be forced payment for times when work wasn’t performed, but despite taking breaks, the employee should have the opportunity to put in a full shift.
Eh. Im really not sure what I think. I suppose its a great idea if it benefits baby, but its also kind of discriminating. Are employers also going to let working mothers of toddlers take a paid break to make sure they fix and feed their kids a nutritious lunch rather than whats offered at day care or the box of macaroni or can of spaghettios the babysitter is making that day? I doubt it. Its just silly and a little carried away if you ask me.
Well if smokers can run outside for a cig on the clock why cant a women pump her milk to feed her baby,, I am a non smoker and every job I have ever had smokers could basically take as many smoke breaks as they wanted permitted there wasnt a bunch of customers/clients to be waited on. That is multiple times a day. So yes it is a good idea…. A womans work place needs to be more accomodating for breastfeeding mothers… one could arguing that by breastfeeding these babies will less likely to be as sick and therefore saving us money in health care costs..
i think that’s not fair, what about the ones that can’t breastfeed? What about us? where’s our paid break? i need to make formula, hello. I want paid breaks. Not fair at all! why do you need to pump at work anyway? that’s a work enivorment, you need to work. not pump boob juice.
Sounds like a great idea, and may encourage new moms to breastfeed..or breastfeed for longer. I know alot of moms who had to quit b/c they couldnt get the time to pump at work.
Breastfeeding is enviromentally friendly, and breastfed babies are healthier (yes, this is a fact) and when baby is sick less often that means mom is at work when she is needed to be…companies know this..and they will definately back a plan like this.
a 30 min break every 4 hours..would be twice a day..and what it takes to keep up a supply, so ultimately its not that much!
And while it is a choice..(i guess) women have breast and produce milk for a reason..its the way babies were intended to be fed..so if mom has to go out and work to help support her family..she should be given the time to give her baby the milk nature intended for it to have.
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o and like another mom mentiond MILLIONS of dollars go to the WIC program to pay for formula when moms CHOOSE to formula feed.so .I dont think its unfair at all.. that a little money would go to a bfing mom…
Breast feeding might be a choice, but that is why we have breasts in the first place. They are not just they for men to look at, they are there to provide the proper nutrition for our children. Every woman has the right to breastfeed, and they should, if they can. I think mothers should get paid breaks. Its supply and demand. If a woman decides to go back to work so she can support her child, she should have the opportunity at work to pump so she can provide nutrients that her child needs. If a mother does not pump, then her milk supply could decrease and in the end, it could hurt not only her child, but it could hurt her wallet( formula is so expensive).
Just thought i’d voice my opinion.
I think it is a great idea. It will encourage more women to breastfeed their children instead of formula feed. I would also love to see the money going somewhere good other then supporting women on wic for formula. They should breastfeed their children. It is what God intended.
Formula only takes 2 seconds to make where as pumping can take from 15 min to 30 min to get a full bottle depending on the women and even then you may not get a full bottle.
If women want to breastfeed and work then they need to pump to keep their breast producing enough milk for their baby as well as to produce enough bottles for the baby to eat while the mom is at work. Most women who try to work and breastfeed end up having to go to formula because their work schedule does not produce enough time to get an adequate amount of milk out for the baby. Paid breaks or just extra breaks in general will help to make it to where the mom does not have to resort to something unnatural for their baby.
As for pumping in a bathroom that is just plain disgusting. I think every job out there should have an area where women who nurse are able to pump and keep things clean. I know there are people out there who think breastfeedin is gross but it is completely not gross. the only question I have for the women who posted that the mothers should pump in the bathroom is would you make your lunch in the bathroom for you child or your self and then eat it. I know I wouldn’t. Breast milk is food for the baby and the best kind out there. NO FORMULA out there will ever compare to breast milk.
So Do I think it is a great Idea…HELL YEA!!!!
I think that if this law passes, then I should get paid for 30 minutes to run out to the store to get my baby his formula. Or I should get paid for 30 minutes to steam up some vegetables and puree them and store them for my son because I CHOOSE to make my own baby food. This is unfair to woman who do not breast feed. Allowing them an excusable “extra” break is totally understandable. Not an extra PAID break.
Parents also need to afford to pay for daycare, sitters, food for their older children, clothing, etc. Should all of us with children have daycare paid for by our employers? Should they buy our children clothing? Should they buy our groceries? NO. Like someone else stated, this is totally opening a HUGE can of worms.
on paper, it sounds great, in practice it is open to abuse, just like cigarette breaks are.
Yes, in a way it is discrimination, but then isn’t smoke breaks?
It would be interesting to see how it works out though! I live in Australia and am currently retraining for a different industry, as I got fired a couple of months into the pregnancy (company went bust unfortunately) so have decided to train for a more family friendly occupation that I had been considering for a while and this sort of legislation would have no effect on me because I would be legally required to take breaks at about this frequency anyway due to fatigue laws.
I think its awesome around here where im from smokers get a PAID 15 min break to go outside, but if you don’t smoke you don’t get it, That’s ridiculous in my opinion i don’t smoke but that means i don’t get a break? BUT since breastfeeding is not really for the mother, its nutrition for a baby then i think its great that society is taking the time out and let mothers be able to give the children of our future a better start at life. and by all means no offense to mothers who formula feed but i really do believe that if more people where given breast milk as babies we would be alot more healthier.
Well you know my story. I think it is fair. I think they should get paid to pump. As many mom’s know, going back to work and breast feeding don’t mix very well. I think that when breastfeeding mothers go back to work their milk supply suffers from the stress of returning to work and from not being able to pump or “relieve the breast”. Now i don’t know if anyone would agree with that but that is my opinion.
Formula feeding is a lot easier when it comes to returning to work.
Thats stupid, but then again so is an unpaid break. where do people work that they dont get paid for their breaks? Every job I’ve had, I’ve worked 8hrs with 2- 15 minute breaks and 30 min for lunch. Never heard of clocking out on your break.
No, I don’t think they should get “paid” breaks. I think extra breaks for a breast feeding mother to pump are fine if she requests it but I don’t agree with paid breaks. How many would she need? I mean it could cause a lot of problems in the work place and lots of people would take advantage and ask for more breaks than they really need since they are paid.
I think one 15 min break in the morning, regular lunch time, and one 15 minute break in the afternoon should be plenty. She could always pump at home in the evening, if she chooses to use work time to pump then it shouldn’t be paid. That’s just my opinion.
Should I get paid breaks to leave when my kids have a field trip I would like to attend? There are lots of things mothers could use breaks for.
wow that is really good.if we had that in sc i would’nt b weaning my child so early(it’s only been a week of night time breastfeedings).
it’s great!
when i was breastfeeding my baby & working i had to pump every 2 hours, and it took 30 min to get 4 oz. and the fact that i had to run to the room i pumped in & rush to get hooked up & then rush to get back to my desk when i was done was really stressful. if i wanted to eat i had to do it at my desk while working.
breastfeeding wasn’t really a choice for me. we didn’t qualify for WIC when i was working, but still couldn’t have afforded formula.
also, breastfeeding moms have fewer sick days, because their babies get sick less often. it also helps prevent certain ailments in the mom. both of which would LOWER insurance payouts and increase productivity on the job. also, a mom’s dedication to breastfeeding & her family has also been linked to her dedication to her job & company. but if that job gets in the way of her providing the best for the family that can create a lot of resentment (and possibly result in the loss of a valuable employee)
breastfeeding is a choice but either way… becoming too engorged can be a health risk- it’s also probably a way of trying to get more women to continue to breastfeed for longer. i personally don’t care if they get paid. i never got paid and it didn’t botehr me but they did allow me about an hour though usually everyone was only allowed 30 minutes. however, i think it’s a great way for woman to CONTINUE breastfeeding as it’s healthier than formula. either way your milk comes in and that’s not really a choice. so should mothers not be able to pump in your eyes or should they be discouraged to do so or should tehy not be able to get breaks or should they just not even breastfeed? it’s not like they are on a break enjoying themselves they have a machine attached to their body which is work in itself
does it really matter how a person spends their 10 or 20 minute break?leave the breast feeding moms to pump their milk and the smokers to smoke their ciggies.there really is no harm in either,it is a personal choice to choose your break as you see applicable.and i agree that i would rather see a woman pump her milk and not have the taxpayers pay for wic that most people take advantage of anyway.