Sustainable Mothering » Breastfeeding and the Law

U.S. Department of Labor Issues Fact Sheet on New Workplace Pumping Law

Jake — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:42:35 +0000

After much speculation on the impact of a new federal law requiring certain employers to give unpaid pump breaks to certain employees (and my advice to Curb Your Enthusiasm), the U.S. Department of Labor has issued a Fact Sheet.

Fact Sheet #73: Break Time for Nursing Mothers under the FLSA restates the requirements of [...]

Curb Your Enthusiasm About the New Federal Workplace Pumping Law

Jake — Tue, 11 May 2010 00:53:59 +0000

The workplace pumping provision of the federal health care bill sounds like great news for women who pump breast milk in the workplace. Who could complain about a federal requirement that all employers give reasonable unpaid breaks to employees who need to pump for their nursing infants? On closer examination of what the law actually [...]

Damaged By Accidentally Breastfeeding Someone Else’s Baby? Seriously??

Jake — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:51:24 +0000

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Jennifer and Scott Spiegel are suing the hospital in which Ms. Spiegel gave birth because she was accidentally brought the wrong baby to breastfeed. I haven't found a copy of the legal Complaint seeking damages in excess of $30,000 for the couple, but in every interview with the Spiegels I [...]

“Tits in the Parliament”: Are Fines for Breastfeeding Harassment Always a Good Thing?

Jake — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 20:51:12 +0000

For some months now I have been hearing about a proposed bill heading to the Taiwan Parliament that would impose a large fine (30,000 Taiwan dollars, about 940 US dollars) on "anyone attempting to prevent breastfeeding in public." Breastfeeding advocates the world over have heralded this bill as a model for laws elsewhere. However, I [...]

A Podcast with Me from the 2007 La Leche League International Conference – Still Timely, I Promise

Jake — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:48:53 +0000

Back in July of 2007, I gave a session on Breastfeeding and the Law at the La Leche League International Conference in Chicago. Good session, if I do say so myself, which you can buy on CD here. [Disclaimer: I don't make a cent if you buy it.] While at the Conference, I also did [...]

Another Intoxication Allegation So Rescind Alcohol Treatment Option??

Jake — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:06:21 +0000

Stacey Anvarinia, the North Dakota women who pled guilty to child neglect for allegedly breastfeeding her infant daughter while intoxicated, has been arrested again. According to the Grand Forks Herald, within hours of Anvarinia's sentencing to 18 months imprisonment, all but six months suspended and with an option to serve part of the six months [...]

When is Breastfeeding Rights Legislation a Bad Thing?

Jake — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 23:39:46 +0000

When it does not create or protect the right of a woman to breastfeed. When is breastfeeding rights legislation a really really bad thing? When it makes it even more difficult for a woman to breastfeed than if there were no law at all. And this really really bad thing is what is happening in [...]

Oh Where Oh Where is the Breastfeeding Promotion Act?

admin2 — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 04:17:56 +0000

The presidential inauguration is only a few days away. All of us have our list of priorities for the new administration. Given the state of the economy and our war in Iraq (and on and on), I don't hold out much hope that breastfeeding will get much Congressional attention early on. Last year (and much [...]

At Last – Massachusetts Gets a Public Breastfeeding Law

admin2 — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 01:19:30 +0000

After years of lobbying and failed legislative bills, Massachusetts breastfeeding advocates have at long last succeeded in getting a law passed to protect breastfeeding in public. Yay and congratulations to all the people who have worked so hard and for so long! I am particularly pleased to see that that the new law, which goes [...]

The Facebook Fracas – Now What?

admin2 — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 21:41:41 +0000

This week the press and the mothering blogosphere have been filled with talk of Facebook. If you need to catch up, see this blog entry at PhDinParenting. If you want to hear some good old fashioned outrage, check out this podcast of Fox Across America which aired on 12/26 and includes an interview with me [...]