A story on the front page of the New York Times today discusses the big-time class chasm between working women with good jobs and big offices who can breastfeed at will vs. women who are lucky if they can breastfeed in the public bathroom.
Since women have been brow-beaten to breastfeed, and many go back to work while they're still lactating, the work place should make it easy to do. But like so many other issues that break along class lines, women with good jobs often are provided special lactation rooms with comfy chairs, fashion mags and e-mail access. While women at low-wage jobs (even at the same company) are left to fend for themselves with milk-filled breasts and nowhere to pump. One woman said,
I feel like I had to choose between feeding my baby the best food and earning a living.
The news now is not that high-powered women breastfeed at work. It's what's happening with the low-power ones that's a worry.
1 comment:
This must be what accounts for the absurd reality that breastfeeding is much more common in wealthier families, while poor ones pay money for formula. Crazy.
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