Comments on: Battling Bureaucracy: Nicole, Annie and Stefanie http://www.strocel.com/battling-bureaucracy-nicole-annie-and-stefanie/ Keeping it real in the suburbs Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:18:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Green Mamma http://www.strocel.com/battling-bureaucracy-nicole-annie-and-stefanie/#comment-41478 Green Mamma Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:13:07 +0000 http://www.strocel.com/?p=5548#comment-41478 I seonc StorkStories thoughts on maternity leave, but what I thought about while reading this post is paternity leave; while I am lucky to be an at home parent (and thus am not having to interact with a bureaucracy regarding any "maternity" leave), in the U.S. our medical insurance companies (private) do not currently (for the large part) support post partum care in the weeks after baby arrives (in many European countries, a doula visits a new family to help care for mom and baby). What this means is that care of mom and baby falls to the family, and in cases like my own family, the care of mom, baby, and older child will fall upon my husband. Currently, his company does not support paternity leave and requires that employees build up and use sick leave for the days/weeks after mom is discharged from the hospital (I'm wondering how a home or birth center birth will be handled by his company's H.R./leave policy). I'm not certain what the appropriate changes to our maternity and paternity leave ought to be (in the U.S., in Canada, and elsewhere), but I agree that changes need to be made to support the health of families; care has to fall to someone . . . unfortunately, it seems like immediate families, parents, and young children are the ones to suffer when plans do not offer the right kind of coverage. Just my 2 cents. I seonc StorkStories thoughts on maternity leave, but what I thought about while reading this post is paternity leave; while I am lucky to be an at home parent (and thus am not having to interact with a bureaucracy regarding any “maternity” leave), in the U.S. our medical insurance companies (private) do not currently (for the large part) support post partum care in the weeks after baby arrives (in many European countries, a doula visits a new family to help care for mom and baby). What this means is that care of mom and baby falls to the family, and in cases like my own family, the care of mom, baby, and older child will fall upon my husband. Currently, his company does not support paternity leave and requires that employees build up and use sick leave for the days/weeks after mom is discharged from the hospital (I’m wondering how a home or birth center birth will be handled by his company’s H.R./leave policy).

I’m not certain what the appropriate changes to our maternity and paternity leave ought to be (in the U.S., in Canada, and elsewhere), but I agree that changes need to be made to support the health of families; care has to fall to someone . . . unfortunately, it seems like immediate families, parents, and young children are the ones to suffer when plans do not offer the right kind of coverage.

Just my 2 cents.

]]> By: this little light http://www.strocel.com/battling-bureaucracy-nicole-annie-and-stefanie/#comment-41474 this little light Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:05:13 +0000 http://www.strocel.com/?p=5548#comment-41474 Oh my goodness, this almost makes me want to cry. In America, most women take 6 weeks....as I'm sure you know. You can take 12 without losing your job but that is usually without pay so most cannot do it. I took 11 weeks and people thought I was so lucky. I can't imagine getting a whole year. I've worked for the same employer for 13 years. You would think I had earned something like this. America has terrible maternity benefits. It makes me so mad. Oh my goodness, this almost makes me want to cry. In America, most women take 6 weeks….as I’m sure you know. You can take 12 without losing your job but that is usually without pay so most cannot do it. I took 11 weeks and people thought I was so lucky. I can’t imagine getting a whole year. I’ve worked for the same employer for 13 years. You would think I had earned something like this. America has terrible maternity benefits. It makes me so mad.

]]> By: StorkStories http://www.strocel.com/battling-bureaucracy-nicole-annie-and-stefanie/#comment-41471 StorkStories Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:49:47 +0000 http://www.strocel.com/?p=5548#comment-41471 I am still amazed at what is offered in other countries compared to my home USA. Despite that fact,people shouldn't have to 'jump thru hoops' for their existing system to 'kick-in' or fight arbitrary rules like Stefanie. That's discrimination and we have that type of problem here. I agree it should be a no brainer. I also agree that noone should be complacent and stop looking for ways to improve syaytems even whn they are pretty good. Well said, all of you! I am still amazed at what is offered in other countries compared to my home USA. Despite that fact,people shouldn’t have to ‘jump thru hoops’ for their existing system to ‘kick-in’ or fight arbitrary rules like Stefanie. That’s discrimination and we have that type of problem here. I agree it should be a no brainer. I also agree that noone should be complacent and stop looking for ways to improve syaytems even whn they are pretty good. Well said, all of you!

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