Mat Leave

Just in the past three or four days I've been bombarded with mat leave/pregnancy/working vs SAH mothers and can't help but bring my opinions up without offending people.  I don't know why!?  (I do know why, these subjects are on the same lines as religion and politics... in friendly conversation you either completely agree or don't talk about it.)

First of all, I am not against mothers who go back to work after their mat leave.  I believe it's choice that makes feminism great.  And that is what working mothers have done, just like every other mother on earth. She has made a lifestyle/parenting choice.  I encourage that.

Second of all, I may come off as one who doesn't want women to go back to work because I was put off by the fact that my obgyn had a baby and was back at work just 4or5 weeks later.  I find this wrong.  It's a choice, yes.  She has the money to have the baby taken care of while she's at work, yes.  So, I should be in support for this choice but I'm not.  Not in the United States of America.  Hell no.

If I could give you my explanation in what some would call "conspiracy" context.

Let us remember that in the great and most wonderful country USA, where the infant mortality rate is the highest of all the developed countries, women get 6 weeks off for mat leave by federal mandate.  The company you work for is responsible for paying your "disability" check, or 60% of your pay for those 6 weeks.

Doesn't sound like it would be a bad offer, does it?  6 weeks off and money to boot!  ... Ya, I'm not buying it.  It just feels like some lobbyist, who's job it is to keep big business rich, has used the argument that women should be considered equal in the workplace and the only other thing they can find equal (price wise) to pregnancy is a serious surgery.  So, you pushing a baby out of your va jaja and trying to feed it with your tatas is the equal to, let's say, back surgery.

Let's look at what happens when you have back surgery vs a baby.

both: pain
both: recovery time
birth: breast feeding; surgery: someone feeding you
birth: emotional ups and downs; surgery: being pissed off because you can't play basketball right now
birth: advil; surgery: about three different pain killers I couldn't name, even though I've worked in a medical bookstore
birth: lack of sleep; surgery: those drugs take care of that
birth: need community support; surgery: get the sympathy of a few people, where other's are pissed at you for getting 6 weeks off for a stupid slipped disc (I mean really, I hear joey has had a slipped disc for about 3 years and he isn't complaining!)

As one can see, although both have lots of pain and frustration happening, there is no way I think a doctor would put these two things in the same category.

Women need the support of the community after they have had a baby.  I have had one when there was me and my husband and a few friends.  Those few friends are all I had and am very thankful for them.  What I see when a DOCTOR of all people show up to work just a few weeks after giving birth is ample reason NOT to give women more support after birth.

As a Lobbyist would say "There are even OBGYNs who return to work just 3 or 4 weeks after birth.  How can we believe that women really need the extra time when we see such examples?"

So, I say thank you for giving corporations ample reason not to take PARENTING as seriously as surgery.  Thanks for that.....

oh and don't even get me started on the father's leave!  SHEESH!