Do you think women who use surrogates should be allowed the same maternity leave rights as women who carry their own children?
Woman Denied Maternity Leave Because of How Her Twins Were Born
Jane Kassim,
a mother in the U.K., finally has the babies of her dreams. After
learning at age 15 that she would be unable to have children because she
was born without a womb, she wasn't sure it would ever be her reality to have biological children. Then, according to The Telegraph, her cousin stepped in and offered to be a surrogate, and last month Isla Jane and Ivy May were born.
A beautiful, touching story, so far, right? That is until she found out that because she used a surrogate, she would be denied the same maternity leave rights that other mothers have. Other new mothers (adoptive moms included) in the U.K. get a full 52 weeks of maternity leave (39 of them paid); Kassim was only offered 13 weeks with no paid leave at all. The blatant discrimination and disregard for what maternity leave should be about are incredible.
Surprisingly this case in the spotlight is in the UK, where we generally look with envy at their more generous maternity leave policies. But even there, women who use surrogates aren't given the same rights as other new mothers.
While maternity leave is necessary to a certain degree for the physical recovery of a woman, the other reason that's just as crucial is that it provides time for the mother and baby to bond. Moms need that time to get to know their baby, establish feeding routines, and begin to adjust to this new change in their lives. ALL new mothers need that, regardless of how a baby enters the world. To say any mother deserves anything less is shameful.
In the U.K., they're now taking a serious look at this inequity, and legislation has been introduced to change things. But what about here in the United States, where many women don't get paid maternity leave no matter how their babies came into the world? According to the Huffington Post, while current law provides American women with six weeks of paid leave, only about 50 percent of women are actually offered that because there are so many loopholes.
Overall, it's as sad as it is maddening, and just another example of how difficult it is for mothers to return to the workforce if they so wish.
Do you think women who use surrogates should be allowed the same maternity leave rights as women who carry their own children?
Quoting JAIRATRACI:
I think all moms no matter how the child came into the world should get leave.
If she is pushing him/her out of her body, heck yeah she needs maternity leave! That's just plain cruel not to allow it for her! She should have additional weeks, because it's more emotional. Hats off to the surrogates!
Quoting JAIRATRACI:
I think all moms no matter how the child came into the world should get leave.
Thats so wrong and devastating! These are the nicest moments of a woman's life is the first times she spends with her children and she deserves that! She will be raising them, just because she didn't give birth they are her babies and she deserves to have what every other mother gets, and obviously the media and others must think its wrong or they wouldn't have made it a public issue.
Personally, it's all about the FMLA. My job is not paying me for being off the 6 weeks I am allowed, and I have to use all my vacation, sick and personal for it. LOL It only gives me 3 of the 6 weeks pay, the other 3 weeks I am saving up for now to use for bills and such when not getting paid checks. Not only that, but if I am sick in the future for the rest of year, or want to take off for a family vacation, I will not have any time to do so, unless I take off and not get paid. If my little one is sick, I stay home and don't get paid. Also, my job says that I am only allowed the time off due to health factor of having baby and when the DR says I am ok to come back. Bonding is not part of the time they are giving me!!! Time off just for the health reason of having baby, not for bonding. It states that in our handbook! LOL Sick huh? (venting) Anyways, I believe a new mother whether she had it or adopted it, needs a little bonding time with the new child. Now, because of medical reasons, a mother who had the child may need off longer...but to make things fair, a new mommy is a new mommy. :)
How sick is too sick?
Diapers *Poll*
- Cafe Amber
on Apr. 20, 2012 at 4:57 AM