“Women should get at least four months of maternity leave”

If it were up to the legislators with a medical background, women would be granted at least 4 months of maternity leave after giving birth. This would enable them to breastfeed their babies optimally. MP Dew Sharman (VHP) and MP Jennifer GeerlingsSimons (NDP) who are both physicians have even proposed granting pregnant women 6 months of maternity leave. Such a proposal would, however, put women at a disadvantage on the labor market. Emplyers would opt not to hire women. The Motherhood Protection Bill allows women to breastfeed their women at their workplaces. The bill, however, fails to mention if special facilities must be constructed or created to make breastfeeding at the workplace possible. “There must be a refrigerator and of course a room where I can breastfeed or give pumped breastmilk to my baby. The room must be off limits to male employers or male colleagues,” said MP Ingrid KartaBink (PL) who added that the bill makes no mention of the special room. MP Jennifer Vreedzaam (NDP), chairwoman of the committee who prepared the bill, agreed with her colleague from the PL party. The members of the committee have already discussed it and look forward to the government’s response.

The chairwoman of parliament, GeerlingsSimons, on the other hand has an entirely different opinion on the matter. If she were in that position, she would not be eager to bring her newborn baby to work. She reminded others to place themselves in the shoes of women who do not have top office jobs with their own office and privacy. “Take for example the store assistant. We must create a workable law and that means leaving children with their mother for as long as possible during the breastfeeding period and after that the mother must work again. She could indeed pump breastmilk at home or use infant formula once or twice a day,” said the chairwoman. “Give her 4 to 5 months of maternity leave so that she can breastfeed her baby. And when she comes back, she can bring her baby to the daycare center.”