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What puzzles me is that she had a month to plan going back to work. She knew she would need to pump. Why did she not find out what the procedure was to get on the list for the room? Why wait until she needed to actually pump?
At the same time, who would think that there would be something so ridiculous as paperwork and a waiting list to use a pumping room.
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Even though she did not plan ahead, I think the "nurse" acted like a dodo. How much "paperwork" could possibly be involved in scheduling a room? Why would it need "approval"? And why would it need to take 3 days? The place must be enormous if they have the facilities for nursing moms that the article describes and a nurse on the premises. How many nursing moms do they have pumping at any given time? Any "nurse" worthy of the title would have found a way to solve the problem on the spot. If there was a room available and the nurse just wouldn't let her use it, then the "nurse" is on the hot seat in my opinion.
Why are you quoting me and trying to argue? I know that she quit. I know about the economy. I know that she had other options (two of which I posted about) . I also can understand why she was upset. The company should have just let her use the pumping room. There was no reason for them to deny her access over some silly policy. Should she have quit over it? No, probably not the best decision but that's what happened, Apparently she has a case.
Not trying to argue at all - I just found it intersting that you totally glossed over the fact that she went to the extreme when faced with a challenge. I agreed the company (or the nurse) was in the wrong but things happen all the time at work or at home that make things challenging. I'm shocked that someone in her situation would go to the extreme of actually quitting her job over something that most likely would have been worked out. I cannot imagine putting one's livelihood and benefits at risk over that. To ME that is the story more than the fact that the company (or nurse) was bumbling along in their efforts at accomodating her.
Not trying to argue at all - I just found it intersting that you totally glossed over the fact that she went to the extreme when faced with a challenge. I agreed the company (or the nurse) was in the wrong but things happen all the time at work or at home that make things challenging. I'm shocked that someone in her situation would go to the extreme of actually quitting her job over something that most likely would have been worked out. I cannot imagine putting one's livelihood and benefits at risk over that. To ME that is the story more than the fact that the company (or nurse) was bumbling along in their efforts at accomodating her.
Not glossing over it. Personally I don't think she made the best decision but I also don't know this woman and don't know all of the details of what happened or all of the details of her life. I do remember how emotional I was when my dd was a tiny baby like this woman's and I also know about PPD and how common it is. If I had to go back to work and on my first day back was told that I couldn't do something that was important for my baby, who knows how I would react. Maybe her emotions got the best of her and interfered with her decision making proccess.
To ME the part about the company having paperwork and a waiting list for use of a lactation room stood out a lot. Can you imagine telling an engorged mother on her first day back that she couldn't use the room because she had to fill out paperwork and be put on a waiting list. If I was that nurse I would have found her a room to use and would have not put her in a position where she had no options. To me that's just heartless.
Not glossing over it. Personally I don't think she made the best decision but I also don't know this woman and don't know all of the details of what happened or all of the details of her life. I do remember how emotional I was when my dd was a tiny baby like this woman's and I also know about PPD and how common it is. If I had to go back to work and on my first day back was told that I couldn't do something that was important for my baby, who knows how I would react. Maybe her emotions got the best of her and interfered with her decision making proccess.
To ME the part about the company having paperwork and a waiting list for use of a lactation room stood out a lot. Can you imagine telling an engorged mother on her first day back that she couldn't use the room because she had to fill out paperwork and be put on a waiting list. If I was that nurse I would have found her a room to use and would have not put her in a position where she had no options. To me that's just heartless.
And if she had just gone home and not returned for the day (and told them she would not return until proper accomodations were available) and was fired as a result I would have agreed. But her emotions weren't so overwhelming she couldn't find a lawyer to sue...
From the article it does sound like her decision to quit was purely emotional and made in haste. Just because she now has a lawyer, 3 months later doesn't mean that she wasn't overwhelmed in that moment by her emotions and instincts to care for her 2 month old child. I highly doubt that she was thinking about suing the company on the day that she quit. I agree that it wasn't the best decision but she does have a case under Iowa law.
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At her desk, Ames began to feel anxiety. Her older son hadn't gained enough weight from nursing, so Ames put him on baby formula. Ames was determined to help her newborn, born five weeks early, to breastfeed. She knew long periods between nursing or expressing milk could cause her milk supply to decrease
Obviously pumping for her baby was very important to this woman. But is quitting her job, when she is the sole breadwinner (and provider of insurance I assume) REALLY in the best interest of her baby? Seems to me like working it out with her employer would have been a whole lot smarter, and better for the baby. Being unemployed and without insurance isn't in the best interest of anyone.
Also, I'm assuming this is a large company since they have an onsite nurse so I assume they could have found a place for her to pump. But a lot of small companies don't have permanent lactation rooms, I don't think it is too much to ask that she notified her employer that she was planning to pump at work ahead of time so they could have had facilities ready on her return date.
I have to wonder if this woman was just emotional about leaving her baby to go to work, so she was looking for any out she could find. I know its tough to leave your baby, but I still don't feel quitting and sueing when you are the sole breadwinner is the smartest thing to do.
Her lawyer, Brooke Timmer of Urbandale, said new mothers shouldn't be faced with Ames' choice - "to quit and walk out, rather than give up breastfeeding that day." Ames' complaint is under investigation.
The complaint is still under investigation. I still take issue with the quote above, that that was Ames' only choice. It was not her only choice. She had options which (emotional or not) she chose not to utilize. I agree with the poster above who pointed out that having no family income or insurance would seem to me to be a bigger issue in the longrun than having to go home for an afternoon or pump in a less than desirable area for a couple days until proper accomodations could be made.
Not buying it...I did not read the article, but since when does a company have to accomodate a woman's choice to breastfeed a kid? The kid could go to formula when she went back to work.
Not buying it...I did not read the article, but since when does a company have to accomodate a woman's choice to breastfeed a kid? The kid could go to formula when she went back to work.
It is federal law that employers provide working mothers with a private place (not a bathroom) and breaks for pumping until their baby's first birthday.
It was only three days. She should have simply asked to stay home until the room was available.
The lactating room might not have been ready because she might have returned from maternity leave earlier than expected.
Regardless, I think most employers would extend her maternity leave for three more days. It's only three days!
Maybe she was supposed to fill out the paperwork prior to returning to work.
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I know that she quit. I know about the economy. I know that she had other options (two of which I posted about) 
