Response to: Maternity Leave? It's More Like A Pause, NY Times article

Not a single mother interviewed in this article from the New York Times: Maternity Leave? It's More Like a Pause" was from the "natural birth" or "sitting moon" (40-day postpartum healing and bonding time) end of the spectrum.

They interviewed only women who took just a few days or weeks off and continued working.  And loved it. This is exactly the kind of social influence from leaders, Hollywood, and commercial interests that I discuss in my book, New Mother.

The message in the article is loud and clear: American women, forget about taking care of yourselves and bonding with your children.  Work trumps all.

We give birth, if we're blessed, perhaps only once in our lives.  Our babies are only babies for one year. And ever-increasingly, our society refers to this sacred event and magical time as something to be tended to briefly, and gotten over with as painlessly as possible, in exchange for further financial gain and ladder-climbing.

Quoted in the article is Jane M. Swift, who was a month into her term as acting governor of

When people ask new moms...

How Can You Stand Staying At Home?

I’m often asked that question.  It implies that staying home, raising our children, is less desirable, fun or respectable than working in an office.

Personally, I can’t imagine any joy greater than staying home with my baby, cooking for her and my family all day, and being her best friend and teacher.  That’s not what we’re all called to do, nor what we’d want at every phase of life. Maybe that’s why some women feel it’s less desirable than working in an office.

To be fair, I understand what is driving the question...