http://i.stuff.co.nz/life-style/parenting/baby/breastfeeding/93996694/australian-senator-breastfeeds-baby-while-moves-a-motion-in-parliament
Headlines this week were about a MP breastfeeding in chamber. I’m not anti breastfeeding, I’ve breastfeed 5 kids, I’m breastfeeding the youngest whilst I write this but breastfeeding whilst working is selfish and disrespectful.
When I went back to work my oldest child was still breastfeeding a lot so I worked on cutting him down to one during a working day in preparation for my return to work. So I’d get to daycare early, feed him in the car and drop him, then race their on my lunch break and feed him and then feed him in the car when I picked him up. My breastfeeding did not impact on anyone. Unless someone asked where I went for lunch no one knew how I’d rush about my organising breastfeeding around my working day because work was work and I kept it separate. When I’m being paid to do a job I need to be focused on doing that job. Sometimes babies start fusing mid feed, they need to be burped, they need to be changed, they are sleepy but want to be held, this is distracting and annoying to those who want to get on with getting their job done – the job they are paid for. Anyone bringing their baby into work is a distraction to others, not much work will be getting done and you are paid to work, not care for your baby. I work from home now and only get paid for the work that I get done which works perfectly around a baby because babies are time consuming and maybe fussy, working in a job like parliament when you have a baby is crazy. The job should go to someone that can focus on the job so someone who either has their child in daycare, school or has no kids or grown kids. Why do people think their right to be with their baby trumps everyone else’s rights to get their job done? This isn’t about breastfeeding. You can work and breastfeed your baby but unless your job doesn’t involve others like reading or research online and is paid when the project is completed so breaking to burp the baby is a break you are not getting paid for, then it is unacceptable. Having a baby should not impact on your employer. Manage your baby around work or change jobs that will work around your baby but don’t let baby distract or disturb those who are working.
Anyone who doesn’t agree with me, how would you feel if you hired someone to do 5 hours of gardening and then at the end of the day it only looks like 2 hours of work was done and the excuse was – had to stop to feed baby three times, didn’t want that impacting on my lunch – I have to eat too, changed baby 3 times, burped baby twice, spent an hour holding baby as she got upset when I put her down but still pay me for 5 hours? Yeah, their baby cost you money. People are employed to do a job and need to do that job, not play with baby.
Revisionist Media 