By now many of you have probably seen the clip of CBS Sport Network's Boomer & Carton criticizing Mets' Daniel Murphy for taking....GASP...his legal paternity leave. How dare he take the time to support his wife and bond with his new baby?!
SERIOUSLY?! Seriously.....
And don't even get me started on the C-Section recommendation....
I hope this sparks a qualified debate about the paternity leave rights in the United States....for the record, they stink! And it's not only elite athletes!
My husband took a week off to be home with us. It was great...but not nearly enough time for me to acclimate to parenthood or the addition of another baby.
While it is important for dads to bond with their newborns, I think it is also important for mothers to have support and the ability to drop all of their "normal" responsibilities to focus solely on the baby and, an extremely close second, sleep.
As a member of many birth boards and online communities, I read firsthand accounts of women who are struggling to adjust. Whether they are single mothers or married to men who, for whatever reason, aren't able to help, adjusting to motherhood is tough.
While grandparents and family are great resources, sometimes you just want your spouse to be the one to help because s/he is the only person you can really be comfortable around during a period of such vulnerability- from nursing to postpartum recovery.
For me, three weeks would have been ideal- enough time to (re)acclimate to a baby in our home. Establish somewhat of a "routine". Learn the basics- diapering, bathing, feeding, etc.
I don't know what the right amount of time is. I read an article about a husband being home for three months and quite frankly, I'd lose my mind with that much, er, "help".
I hope this sparks a qualified debate about the paternity leave rights in the United States....for the record, they stink! And it's not only elite athletes!
My husband took a week off to be home with us. It was great...but not nearly enough time for me to acclimate to parenthood or the addition of another baby.
While it is important for dads to bond with their newborns, I think it is also important for mothers to have support and the ability to drop all of their "normal" responsibilities to focus solely on the baby and, an extremely close second, sleep.
As a member of many birth boards and online communities, I read firsthand accounts of women who are struggling to adjust. Whether they are single mothers or married to men who, for whatever reason, aren't able to help, adjusting to motherhood is tough.
While grandparents and family are great resources, sometimes you just want your spouse to be the one to help because s/he is the only person you can really be comfortable around during a period of such vulnerability- from nursing to postpartum recovery.
For me, three weeks would have been ideal- enough time to (re)acclimate to a baby in our home. Establish somewhat of a "routine". Learn the basics- diapering, bathing, feeding, etc.
I don't know what the right amount of time is. I read an article about a husband being home for three months and quite frankly, I'd lose my mind with that much, er, "help".
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