Monday, August 31, 2009

More on Ohio Pumping at Work Case

Here is the link to the slip opinion on this case. The dissenting opinions are very interesting, with one concluding that while the trial court entering summary judgment in favor of the employer was proper, the appellate court should have considered the question of whether it is okay for a woman to be fired from her job for pumping. The second dissenting opinion goes even further and says that the plaintiff/appellant should have had the opportunity to present the facts before a jury.

We will keep an eye on this one.

http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2009/2009-Ohio-4231.pdf

Disturbing Court Ruling re: Pumping at Work

This is out of the Ohio Supreme Court, which ruled that a company can fire a lactating mother for taking unauthorized breaks to pump her milk. Apparently Ohio's anti-discrimination policy covers pregnant women, but not lactating women.

http://www.wlwt.com/health/20598118/detail.html <-- local story

http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/feature/2009/08/28/fired_for_pumping/index.html <-- blog about case

Sounds like the court did rule correctly, based on the controlling statute, disappointing as that is. Being the free-market type of person that I am, I find it difficult to demand that a more appropriate law be put in place to protect working, breastfeeding mothers. But, being a breastfeeding mother, it seems unfair that breastfeeding moms might have to bounce from job to job, looking for someplace that won't fire them for taking breaks to pump. I can't imagine that it's very easy to find a job when you have a small baby, so there's two strikes against new mothers who wish to breastfeed but need to work. It seems logical to me that if there are laws protecting pregnant women from being fired, then similar legislation should exist to protect women who wish to pump at work for their baby. It's really no wonder so many new mothers choose formula, with the social environment as hostile as it seems to be for working mothers of new babies.

There have been other very disturbing stories come to my attention in the past few weeks but I haven't taken the time to post them here. I'm going to try and remember to post stuff like that up here, so I can share with you as well as keep a record of stuff I want to keep handy.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Mama Pads

Most of my posts have been about cloth diapers, but now that my stash is firmly intact, I've moved on to broader applications of cloth where disposable was once my only option: reusable menstrual items.

The world of cloth diapering got me interested in trying something like this out. I belong to a natural foods / products co-op and one of the products offered there is the Diva Cup. Using the cup has been something of an uphill battle; it takes a few cycles to really figure it out. In the meantime, I decided I would buy some cloth mama pads for those times when I just didn't feel like messing with the cup (or on lighter days).

I purchased some Perfect Pads from an online outlet that was going out of business. Apparently I got them pretty cheap - like $6 each. Since my purchase I've shopped around at other sites and haven't seen as good a deal on them yet. I got a sampler pack which included one heavy day pad, a light day pad and a pantyliner.

I have fallen completely in love with these pads. They are so so so so so incredibly comfy up against your skin. Kinda like a bulkier panty, but super soft. Regular disposable pads always made me feel sweaty, itchy and just ick, especially if using them overnight. With these pads, that problem is but a memory. Because there's no plastic liner like in disposables, air is allowed to circulate and keep the area much nicer. I've seen some that have the PUL liner, like in cloth diapers, but haven't tried them. I can imagine that pads with PUL liner might not be quite as breathable.

They stay put in panties with a simple snap on the underside of the wrap-around wings. There are lots of cute patterns to choose from, and of course there is an organic option for those who can appreciate that.

I've shopped around for other styles and brands, just to see what else is out there, but I really think I will buy a few more Perfect Pads before I'm done building my mama pad stash. Washing is simple, especially since I'm washing cloth diapers daily anyway - I just throw them in together!

You don't even need to be a crunchy hippy to appreciate these pads. They really are a lot more comfortable, and make a great duo to go along with the Diva Cup. No more spending $10-$15 a month for me! Highly recommended!

Here are some images:

Monday, February 23, 2009

Been a while

Well, it's been some time since my last post. Not much has changed really. My son's sleeping habits have gotten a bit better, with visits to settle him back down before I come to bed becoming less frequent, thankfully. The unfortunate side to this is that he's been waking sooooo early in the morning. For a couple of weeks he wanted to get up anywhere from 4am on. Oh my. Not good! Past week we've been greeted to some 5am mornings. Luckily his father's schedule has allowed me to get in some much-needed naps during the late morning hours over the weekend. Not much housework gets done, but who cares when you're sleep deprived!

I've been pretty happy with our Fuzzi Bunz purchase. Only downside has been that they come with only one insert - not nearly enough to last through an overnight, and they don't last long during the day without a doubler. I've got a couple extra hemp inserts that I have been stuffing with two of my FBs so that helps them last longer.

I'm finally starting to see why everyone was complaining about the Velcro tabs on the Bum Genius 3.0. While mine are just starting to wear out, they are still grasping the diaper itself, I can't get them to stay gripped to the wash tabs, which I'm sure will just accelerate the breaking down process. Right on cue, BG has released their new BG AIO (All-in-Ones), with snaps. So now I'll be tempted to buy new diapers altogether. Which sucks since I was starting to feel really good about how much money I've been saving the past few months.

Not only that, but now Fuzzi Bunz have released a new one-size diaper so I'll have to decide whether I want to try my hand on the new Bum Genius or the new Fuzzi Bunz, or just get crazy and buy a different brand altogether. Lord knows there are plenty to choose from.

I can't help but to compare my Fuzzi Bunz at $15 each to the Bum Genius at $18 each. The BG came with an extra doubler, which seems to make them last a lot longer and have served us most overnights (first leak ever last night!), while I'm confident that the Fuzzi Bunz will last longer, thanks to their snap system as opposed to Velcro fasteners.

Oh decisions, decisions! Ok, I won't deny that I'm a tiny bit excited at the thought of shopping for more diapers. Wheeee!