Page 4233 - Week 13 - Thursday, 19 November 2015
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I stated that some children are born with a tendency to be noisier than others. Some might be experiencing discomfort—for example, colic—so that, when you feed the baby, it cries, and there is very little that can be done about that particular situation, except that the baby has to continue to be fed in order to grow and to thrive. My submission continued:
Some babies are born better able to be fed, and some mums just have a better milk supply than others. Sometimes, breastfeeding is easy and comfortable, and sometimes it is very difficult and requires grit and determination.
Basically, before a baby is born no one can predict how it will feed. As a mum develops confidence and skills, which are not as simple as one might think, she will know how to best manage her child, along with the responsibilities to her workplace.
My proposal is that in parliaments around Australia women should be able to vote from their offices by proxy, from the breastfeeding room by proxy, or to take their baby into the chamber as they see fit, based on the needs of their baby. It should be entirely up to mothers to decide if the baby should be fed in the office or the chamber. There should not be unnecessary restrictions put on the management of her baby and its health needs. I think that in 2015 most women, as I say, will be surprised to find that there are such specific rules set about when a tiny baby can sit with his or her mum for a few minutes in the chamber while a vote is taking place.
Mothers in parliament will of course want to get this balance right. It should not be up to anyone who knows her baby less well to determine how it is best to be managed. Parliamentarians should be in a position where they can confidently have a family as well as a career; otherwise we will miss out on some great citizens for the next generation and some great women for our parliaments, and we will not be setting a very good example to the rest of society.
Research tells us that returning to work can have a negative effect on breastfeeding duration. I can attest to that. I have taken three of my babies to work in order to breastfeed. Job characteristics such as working flexible hours and so on are associated with higher breastfeeding rates.
The benefits of breastfeeding a baby are not limited to the child alone. Mothers benefit, as do employers and the wider community. Research shows that mothers who have breastfed their babies require less time off from work to care for sick children who are in another form of care. Mothers who have breastfed also enjoy better physical and mental health, therefore requiring fewer days off on sick leave.
Employers who have supported mothers to breastfeed have consistently reported improved employee morale, along with better workplace satisfaction and higher rates of productivity. Women who have been supported by their employer to breastfeed their babies are more likely to return to the workplace, therefore reducing attrition rates in workplaces.
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