Comments on The Lactivist Breastfeeding Blog: Weighing in on the Sophie Currier Case

I took the medical boards step 3 when my daughter ...

2008-09-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

I took the medical boards step 3 when my daughter was 7 weeks old and went out to the car on breaks to pump. The break time was more than adequate. I did not request "special" accomodations. Given that Ms. Curie has failed the test before, this strikes me as a ploy to gain more time (and hence, an unfair advantage) to take the test that others would not normally have. Besides, how many of you

This is the first I've heard of this case, but I t...

2007-11-06T12:17:00.000-08:00

This is the first I've heard of this case, but I tend to agree with sarahbear's comments. I am in school right now, and took finals only days after giving birth which left me unable to nurse/pump for 4 hours! And my newborn had been eating every 1-2 hours...plus we know how engorged you are that first week. I was fine. I just took an exam for my field similar to Ms. Currier's that took 6

I have to agree with MollyB, while this woman shou...

2007-10-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

I have to agree with MollyB, while this woman should be entitled to and not penalized for needing to pump for her baby, she is making herself look like a 'whiner'. She's asked for several accomodations and extensions and she makes herself look like she's trying to pull one over, to get every extra play she can. That's where the negative reactions and eye-rolling comes in. I'm sure the board is

I totally agree with sarahbear. I was ready to be...

2007-10-05T11:06:00.000-07:00

I totally agree with sarahbear. I was ready to be outraged until I learned that she was offered a separate room for her test and that she could pump in there.

It takes very little time to set up and take down for pumping. She can hook herself up before starting the test turning the pump on and off as neeeded. You could argue that she's getting an unfair advantage by pumping because

I have waited to comment publically on this case u...

2007-10-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

I have waited to comment publically on this case until I had a chance to read the appellate court decision. It has been very disturbing to me to see so many women judging the situation as if the particular circumstances of Sophie Currier's life are at all relevant. They are not. This is a legal matter about whether 1)breastfeeding women are legally entitled to a level playing field with men and

I'm not saying that anyone can do anything. We are...

2007-10-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

I'm not saying that anyone can do anything. We are told that as children, but we all realize that there are some things we aren't cut out for. But the problem is when other people say that because we want to do A, we can't do B. When the two don't really conflict, except in someone else's view.

I agree that we have GOT to fight for certain rights to be able to do what everyone else can

You ask why other women haven't asked for accommod...

2007-10-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

You ask why other women haven't asked for accommodations for pumping breast milk, wondering if they don't want to "rock the boat". Just look at the overwhelming negative reaction, from both men and women, ignorant and knowledgable, and you'll see why no one before now has tried to change things.

I took this test several years ago. Forty-five minutes during the entire day was barely

Lactivist (Jen),I'm not sure if this was directed ...

2007-10-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

Lactivist (Jen),

I'm not sure if this was directed at me, but I agree with 100% with what you're saying. No arguments here.

I just felt the argument was being twisted in this particular case into whether she was right or wrong in pursuing a residency shortly. I don't think it's up to us to judge whether she'd be a fit doctor because she decided to have children and nurse right

Jessica,So does that mean we shouldn't fight for A...

2007-10-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

Jessica,

So does that mean we shouldn't fight for ALL women to have the right to take unpaid break time to pump during their job?

Because right now, most upper class, white collar women DO have that right. The women we're fighting for are those in lower paying, blue collar jobs that have neither the time, the location or the negotiating power to pump.

I suppose those

Jessica Yanow,That's not what I meant by it at all...

2007-10-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

Jessica Yanow,

That's not what I meant by it at all. If women want to take on jobs and kids, that's fantastic. However, it's the woman's (and her husband/family's) responsibility to make that work for them. Sometimes that means you have to take more time off from work than you're allowed with pay to continue breastfeeding or stay home with your kids. Sometimes it might mean ending a

I've been following the case pretty closely. Here'...

2007-10-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

I've been following the case pretty closely. Here's a synopsis of the issues:

Ms. Currier has AD(H)D and dyslexia. Even with these issues she's completed a PhD program AND medical school, with honors, and this is her second baby.

When she took the test the first time she had extended test time and was 8 months pregnant, and was ill, requiring hospitalization shortly thereafter.

I don't see why you have to pick and choose a prof...

2007-10-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

I don't see why you have to pick and choose a profession based on having children/nursing. Men don't. I'm not going to.

I'm lucky...my baby goes easily from bottle to breast. My job has a 'nursing room'. I even take my laptop and work while pumping.

Honestly, I wouldn't want it any other way. I am immensely more fulfilled with this lifestyle. I love working, and I love

sarahbear, you said: "As much as it sucks, there a...

2007-10-01T08:02:00.000-07:00

sarahbear, you said: "As much as it sucks, there are certain jobs that breastfeeding and motherhood are going to prevent women from doing. It's all about the choices we make."

But why? Why should anyone be restricted in careers by their choice to be a nursing mom? This seems so wrong to me. Children are so often taught that they can be anything they want to be, but why can't women have

Pretty sure I read she's going into research, so I...

2007-10-01T06:23:00.000-07:00

Pretty sure I read she's going into research, so I don't think she'll be in any life-or-death situations where she's pumping and risking someones life.

Now, as for the pumping-while-taking-the-test.... I can completely understand why she does not want to do that. I could bring my laptop down to our lactation room and work while I pump, but I know that I'd be much too distracted to work

another thought in this whole situation is that sh...

2007-09-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

another thought in this whole situation is that she is dealing with this issue for 2 days only, rather than a mom going back to work and looking a set in stone schedule that will be difficult to deal with longterm. While the time might not be ideal for her to pump fully, I think she would have enough time to relieve the pressure during the test. Remember, she isn't pumping long term on this time

What bothers me most is that Ms. Currier felt she ...

2007-09-30T15:24:00.000-07:00

What bothers me most is that Ms. Currier felt she was the right person to take this battle public.

Taking on lactation accomModation on top of her ADHD/dyslexia PR makes her look like a whiner. This in turn weakens both causes. Too bad, really - I wish I had 10% of her self-advocacy skills.

Sarahbear,I take your last comment to mean that yo...

2007-09-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

Sarahbear,

I take your last comment to mean that you feel that women either shouldn't be doctors or if they choose to be doctors, they shouldn't bother having children.

For all the championing that has been done for women to work and have families, it's clear from your posting that we still have a long way to go.

Why not look at it as a broken system that

If she took the judge and testing board up on thei...

2007-09-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

If she took the judge and testing board up on their offer to allow her a separate room to pump all day long, she could use the restroom and eat during the actual break time.

She's been given double the amount of time to complete the exam. If people can finish early in the normal allotted time and manage to get extra break time, surely she should be able to manage a bathroom break or two

I work in a very male dominated academic field and...

2007-09-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

I work in a very male dominated academic field and pumped for 10 months. I deeply sympathize with Ms. Courier, but more generally with professional women who choose to have children early in life and still work to succeed in a man's world.

The thing that puts me in Sophie's corner is that she is trying to change the rules for ALL NURSING MOMS not just herself. She has said so herself

as someone who has to pump 4 times during an eight...

2007-09-29T16:05:00.000-07:00

as someone who has to pump 4 times during an eight hour workday (and once before and once after as well) to provide enough milk for my son to have at daycare, i can tell you that those pumping breaks are a cause of stress, certainly not relaxation. as long as ms. currier is pumping in between sections, i would hazard a guess that having the time to pump will not give her an advantage. also, not

I can't imagine taking an all day test 8 months pr...

2007-09-29T14:40:00.000-07:00

I can't imagine taking an all day test 8 months pregnant. I have to take my first engineering exam in a month and I'm a nervous wreck about it already. The biggest worry for me is lack of time. I like to think things through and recheck my work. I would hate to have the extra pressure of needing to rush through in order to maybe finish early to have time to pump on my break. I definitely

Sarahbear,When do you suggest she go to the bathro...

2007-09-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

Sarahbear,

When do you suggest she go to the bathroom and eat if she's using all her time to pump?

Also, without knowing how often her daughter is currently nursing (or her body is used to pumping) you can't make assumptions about how often she should have to pump.

I only pumped four times every 24 hours when I exclusively pumped. I know women who had to pump 8 times

It would be ideal for her to pump while taking the...

2007-09-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

It would be ideal for her to pump while taking the test in my opinion. They have dual breast pumps, pumping hands-free bras, and pumping shirts that would cover the pump and allow her to sit and take the test just fine.

I had a single pump and pumped a lot. I got a lot of e-mailing and blogging done during that time because there was really nothing else in the world I could do during

I think lactating mothers should get extra break t...

2007-09-28T21:52:00.000-07:00

I think lactating mothers should get extra break time during professional exams. It is a physical issue of leaking and engorgement that can't be controlled. I don't think that pumping is so relaxing (for most people anyway) that it would give a mother an advantage. I think that pumping during an exam would be stressful, something else to attend to, so not an advantage.

Also, especially

You said:"As someone who has pumped more than most...

2007-09-28T20:10:00.000-07:00

You said:

"As someone who has pumped more than most women will in their entire life (and who used to pump WHILE blogging) I can assure you it is not easy."

This is my life now. I feel you. Why do you think I have so much time to research? I'm forced to sit still for prolonged periods of time several times a day (at least eight), in front of this computer. I might as well do