If you’re a regular reader of Blog Fabulous you’ve likely read a comment left by my friend Rebecca. She’s the lawyer with the progressive husband Brett, also a lawyer. She’s coincidentally the one who recommended Hanky Pank Thongs, which I reviewed today. Hopefully, she took my advice about Hanes mens briefs for post-partum comfort. Steal Brett’s britches!

Well, she gave birth to Anders last week, a boy. But, he had to go back to the hospital for jaundice.

They’re home now. Hopefully for good. He’s a healthy baby boy and I have no idea who much he weighed.

Congratulations Rebecca & Brett! We’ll expect to hear a lot from you now that you’ll be home on maternity leave with “nothing to do all day.” LOL.

Images Source: Rebecca’s Facebook.

Post from: Blisstree

Hey That Girl – Rebecca’s a Mommy!

You don’t want to miss this article over on MOMocrats. Did you know federal employees get no paid maternity leave? George W. Bush, and your other elected officials, think it costs too much money. Really? Surely not more than we spent to send a satallite to freaking Mars.

I think it just shows a general lack of respect for mothers, babies and families.

Why should you care?

Right now congress is considering passing paid family leave for federal employees.

Respect for mothers in our government signifies an expectation of respect for mothers in the private sector. Federal paid family leave leads to private sector paid family leave. Adoption, illness of self or family members and birth all fall under Family Medical Leave.

After you read the story on MOMocrats, hop over and write a letter to your representatives at Momsrising.org.

You’ll be joining tens of thousands of other mothers who are tired of a hostile work environment towards mothers and families.

There is also a feature on Paid Family Leave on MotherJones.

It’s simple, it’s not too much, and paid family leave is a great show of respect for mothers and families.

Photo: Empowering Girls: So Sioux Me: I didn’t qualify for the Family Medical Leave Act at all with baby #2, I worked for a small business. No maternity leave at all, paid or unpaid, for millions of women in this country.

Post from: Blisstree

MOMocrats: No Paid Federal Maternity Leave

Democracy only works if people vote in their own self-interest.

It’s a system entirely based on self-interest actually.

It’s a system based on the idea that if everyone votes for their own self-interest then in the end we’ll arrive at solutions that meet the MAJORITY’S interests.

You muck up the system if you start voting in other people’s self-interest – say your husband’s self interest or your company’s self-interest.

It’s not unselfish to decide your husband’s interest supersede yours. It’s not unselfish to decide your company’s interest supersede yours. It’s not unselfish – it’s stupid. It’s self-sabotage and and it’s self-defeating.

Take healthcare for instance, if you’re a woman and your insurance is tied to your husband’s job it is foolish for you to not vote for healthcare. It is in every woman’s best self-interest (and that of her children) to have equal access to an affordable insurance plan – should she be faced with her one in two chance of divorce or widowhood.

Just because you can see an employers’ point in not wanting you to take a longer maternity leave, doesn’t mean you should perceive their interest as more valid than your own.

To vote otherwise leaves you (and therefore your children) with a high risk of unemployment, a higher risk of poverty should you become pregnant and take longer leave, or a high risk of maternal guilt for leaving your children in daycare earlier than you want.

I’m starting to wonder if women are capable of defining their own self-interests.

Has acting in our own self-interest been trained out of women, with our constant admonitions to share, be fair, sacrifice, be unselfish and “try to see it my way?”

I’m disturbed and disappointed by women’s refusal to lay claim to our own interests or our inability or our refusal to acknowledge and to distinguish between competing interests. Are we not politically sophisticated enough to tell the difference?

I don’t see men making this mistake in the election booth. Men understand that unless they vote in their own self-interest NO ONE ELSE WILL. Women really need to get to that place.

To choose someone else’s interests over your own is quite simply self-sabotage.

In a Democracy the only right action is to ask yourself “How is this going to effect ME?” And then vote accordingly.

Post from: Blisstree

Democracy Works on Self Interest