Mom Sues Employer for Not Letting Her Take a 'Breastfeeding Break'

dinsdag 20 augustus 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Nicole Fabian-Weber 2 hours ago

A new mom was fired from her job after she refused to return to work after maternity leave when she was told she was not able to tack an extra 15 minutes onto her break in order to breastfeed her baby. Kate Abra Frederick worked as a child support officer with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, and normally, she was allowed a 15-minute break. But being that her son refused to take a bottle, Kate wanted a little more time so she could run over to a daycare that was two minutes from her job. Her employer said no, and now Kate has filed suit with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

I don't think that moms deserve special treatment or extra rights just because they have kids. But I do think that, while we're constantly being bombarded with messages of how "breast is best", the United States sure doesn't make it easy for nursing moms. Especially nursing moms who have jobs.

The pressure of returning to work after you have a baby is enormous. It's a low-grade anxiety that constantly sits in the back of your mind during your maternity leave. And I can't imagine how a mother whose baby refuses a bottle would feel. The stress is unimaginable. Some women are blessed with employers who are understanding and helpful to breastfeeding mothers, but many aren't. And in the case of Kate Abra Fredrick, she basically was forced to choose between her job and her child. And when faced with those two options, the decision is easy. But it had to have been infuriating. 

If Kate's employer had granted her the extra 15 minutes and she began taking advantage of it, that wouldn't have been right. I assume her intent in asking was to help make her return -- for both herself and her baby -- easier. When her son eventually learned to eat from a bottle, I'm guessing she would have just given him pumped breast milk. Offering no leeway on something like this is just ridiculous and gave her no other choice but to quit. She was asking for 15 minutes, not an hour.

Breast may be best, but it sure isn't easiest. Wow.

Do you think Kate should have been granted the extra 15 minutes?

Image via nerissa's ring/Flickr

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Kate Gosselin Admits Making 'Many Mistakes' -- So Can We Please Give Her a Break Already?

woensdag 14 augustus 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Jacqueline Burt 3 hours ago

Since the debut of Jon & Kate Plus 8 back in 2007, mother of multiples extraordinaire Kate Gosselin has generated a near constant stream of controversy: First, for simply giving birth to six babies at once (after having twin girls); next, for "bossing" her husband and children around (did she really have a choice?); and most recently, for displaying what many considered "diva-esque" behavior following her divorce from husband Jon. Still, has any of the criticism been fair? (I say NO, but more on that later.)

Now that the kids are getting older (twins Mady and Cara are 12, and sextuplets Alexis, Collin, Hannah, Joel, Leah, and Aaden are 9) and the fame-induced firestorm is dying down at last, Gosselin can conceivably take a minute to look back at the last 10 years of her life -- which is exactly what she's doing in the new issue of People magazine. 

"I made so many mistakes, of course," she says.

It feels like a whole other lifetime ago ... and sometimes I don't even remember much of it. Both when the babies were first born and during the divorce, I was on survival mode. I feel like I've lived two lifetimes already. I'm not the same person I was ... I don't even recognize her.

Honestly, that makes me kind of sad -- I liked the person Kate was back then. See, I was fairly obsessed with Jon & Kate ... when the show first came out, partly because all of her (super-adorable!!) babies vaguely resembled my own (half-Asian) kids. My daughter is actually the same age as Mady and Cara, so she liked tuning in, too. What struck me at the time was how down-to-earth Kate was -- and how strong. I'm sorry, but any working mom (Kate was a nurse, something which deserves respect in and of itself) who can manage to raise eight very small children and run a household relatively smoothly is doing something right. Sure, she was short-tempered at times (who wouldn't be?), but I think that mostly stemmed from her intense need for things to be organized -- and with six babies and two toddlers, you'd HAVE to be incredibly organized just to keep everybody alive! As for her "diva" stage, having been divorced myself, I recognized Kate's glam makeover and high standards for what they were/are: The tentative, sometimes misdirected steps toward reinvention so many of us take when we split from the fathers of our children and start new lives. 

The point is, of course Kate Gosselin made mistakes -- we all make mistakes, even those of us who aren't trying to raise eight children while going through a divorce as millions of people watch. She's just a mom like you or me with an unimaginably full plate, and it's not fair to judge the woman by any other standards.

Do you think Kate Gosselin is unfairly criticized?

Image via People

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jacqueline Burt

has written for numerous magazines, newspapers, and websites. She is easily bored and often tired, so she requires constant entertainment to keep her awake. Dance, Monkey! Dance! 

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Sneak Peek of Lindsay Lohan’s Oprah Interview: The Question That Could Make or Break LiLo’s Career (VIDEO)

maandag 5 augustus 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Jacqueline Burt 42 minutes ago

All eyes are on Lindsay Lohan this week -- even more so than usual. Fresh out of rehab, the "troubled starlet" is back in the spotlight big time, guest hosting Chelsea Lately tonight (preview clips are awesome!) and having an interview with Oprah Winfrey set to air on OWN on August 18 (in advance of an eight-episode reality series on the same network slated for 2014). Is a real comeback in the cards? It may all depend on how LiLo answers Oprah's hard-hitting questions (previewed in a super intense teaser clip below). Because people are totally ready to give Lohan another chance -- again -- but this time, LiLo is going to have to work to prove that she's on the right track for real ... to her fans, of course, and especially to Oprah. 

In the clip, we hear Oprah ask: "Are you an addict?" and "What does it feel like to be both an adjective and a verb for child-star-gone-wrong?" Whoa -- no pressure!

See, Lohan has little to no margin for error at this point -- the way she handles those questions is key, from a PR perspective at least. And I, for one, am hopeful: If the rumors going around are true, it does sound like LiLo is taking real steps to tackle her issues with alcohol (making sure all booze is removed from hotels, green rooms, etc., before she gets there), even if she does have a lingering problem with Adderall (which we don't know for sure). 

This clip is pretty short -- like, don't blink or you'll miss it short -- but LiLo's facial expressions and Oprah's direct manner speak volumes: 

From that semi-nervous face, looks like Lindsay knows this could be her last chance ...

How do you think Lindsay Lohan will handle Oprah's questions?

Image via OPRAH TV/YouTube

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jacqueline Burt

has written for numerous magazines, newspapers, and websites. She is easily bored and often tired, so she requires constant entertainment to keep her awake. Dance, Monkey! Dance! 

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