Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Being a mother in the New York



It’s been quite a while since I have thought about newborns, maternity leave and breastfeeding. I think personally I have intentionally pushed it all in the “completed” file in my memory.
I can whole heartily say that I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to go down that road again. However lately I have been thinking about how lucky I was to have both my girls in Australia.

My first impression when I first arrived here to New York about breastfeeding was it was something you did in private. Unlike myself who openly breastfed at Centennial Park after doing a run or sitting in a Cafe at Bondi having a coffee. Breast feeding or nursing as they call it here is not as accepted in public as it is back home. I do feel that here women would like to see changes however at the moment it’s something you do discreetly as to not “offend”.
I am no mother earth actually far from it however I do believe fundamentally mothers should have the choice to birth and feed their babies in any manner they feel is best for them.

It is a very hot topic here and one that every mother feel passionately about.

I also am so sad at the fact that generally women here have to return to work after just 6 weeks post birth. My daughters Pre-K assistant had her second baby and had to be back in the classroom six weeks later. I felt awful as I know I could not have left my babies at 6 weeks. Here she is taking care of my child while her newborn is being taken care of by someone else.
Its really given me an admiration of mothers here in the USA.
I am also so grateful that as a mother I have always had the choice to either work or not.





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