Katrina Scott Instagram – It’s #NationalBreastfeedingWeek and while many of us already know the benefits, we may not realize the privilege it is to be able to choose to breastfeed. When I rushed back to work with Isabelle, she stopped latching and it felt absolutely devastating. It was something I dreamt of being able to do for her. I had no idea that even leaving for a day would interfere with what I wanted to do as a mother. With our 2nd Colette, I made a lot of sacrifices to be able to breastfeed, but it still felt impossible to heal while keeping up with the mental load of work, stress, early calls, and being a mom of two. Breastfeeding took me about 25-30 hrs a week (which is the average). A study shared breastfeeding can take up more time than most full-time jobs. This is why Paid Leave is so important for mothers at home, so we can heal post birth, take care of our children, make choices like breastfeeding and rest after intense sleepless nights. There are over 3 million births every year in the US, but our country is 1 of only 6 in the entire world that doesn’t offer paid leave. This impacts families and women—disproportionately women of color, women in low-income jobs, and women in service domestic industries—the most. In 2019, only 19% of workers in the US had access to paid family leave from their employers. On top of that, if these women cannot breastfeed, they are left with no choice but to purchase formula which can be really expensive… and more recently, not always reliable. Tack this onto childcare costs. 1 in 4 women in the US returns to work within just 2 weeks of giving birth, because she has no other choice. Companies promise jobs if you return, but that is just after 12 weeks and in many cases, you’re not getting paid. Only 8 states offer paid leave policies and in many cases, we can’t get approved for it. It feels like it’s not only impossible to be a mother, but to also be a working mother. Join me to sign the Paid Leave Petition. Link to sign is in my bio @katrinascott I’ve joined @glamourmag to share this mission and important initiative to help women take care of their health, provide for their children and heal after birth and traumatic births. 🤍