I am a devotee of Pundit Mom and her recent post about women needing to become more of a voice when it comes to healthcare really resonated with me. Why, is it that the photos of the healthcare debate always show a room full of men? Come on ladies, we need a voice! Just have a gander at a few of the male comments about Pundit Mom's post and you will see that, regardless of political affiliation, we MUST MUST MUST come together. Because, quite honestly, until men are able to squeeze a watermelon from their penis they have NO idea what it means to give birth.
Quite a few of these people, who don't think that maternity leave or post-partum rights should be covered by healthcare, made me want to contact Eminem, have him take out his rage on their abdomens, maybe break a few limbs, a couple of jaws, oh, and noses, definitely break some noses, and then ask them if their injuries should be covered by insurance. Most of those men would be crying like a baby if their bodies had to got through what ours do. And then the expectation that a few days later we should be back to normal and working is appalling.
So, here I go again, on my little soap box screaming out my opinions through a megaphone into the black hole that is the internet. Anyone there?
Whenever I have brought up maternity leave -- rights for moms, respect, pay, status, etc.-- in mixed company I always get back quite a few comments about how women just want some sort of spa vacation. Ummmm, have they ever met a newborn? Did their wives just take control of everything to the point that they are completely unaware that such a small bundle comes with such strong, constant demands? And then there is the argument that I believe that people should get something for nothing -- I don't, btw -- but this belief has NOTHING to do with women's maternity leave rights, job status, pay, and respect. This has EVERYTHING to do with bringing up future generations in the most fundamentally healthy way. Giving mom and baby a chance to bond. Giving the woman time to heal from the massive "hit by a semi-truck" transformation that has happened to her body. Lastly, I get those who say that maternity care and rights should not be mandated by the federal government or part of any health care system. I am mystified by this belief...quite honestly, it leaves me speechless. If having a cesarean section is a "pre-existing" condition to the health insurance industry and most American women give birth in hospitals, how can we possibly not think of this as a federal health issue????
So, while I may really like Marshall Mathers (don't judge me) I don't want to have to give him a call. And the only way I can see that we can stop this is to come together! I don't care if you're Republican, Democrat, or Independent, nor does it matter what religion you have, if you're a woman and you want/have children then, at the very least, stand up for them! Yell at the top of your lungs for them! Demand to be there (with rights in place) for them!
How can I do this? Well, I'm glad you asked. First off, get VERY VERY angry. Second, contact your Senators and demand A Federally Mandated Maternity Leave Policy! We are back in 1920 hoping for a vote, wishing that our vaginas (and the things they are able to do) didn't keep us from being counted. I know this is time consuming and being an adhoc MOM time is at a premium so over the next few weeks I will be posting ways to get more involved or at the very least have your voice counted with the least amount of time spent. And Remember: YOU are responsible for the future and YOU deserve rights!