Tonight’s show focuses on women who choose to become stay-at-home mothers after working prior to giving birth. We joined Ryan (a current stay-at-home mother) and Carmela (who stayed at home during her time with younger children) to tackle experiences with stay-at-home parenting. The choice to stay at home can be a scary one- women have to consider the financial impact, changing what they might have previously understood as their desired career path, and facing up against negative gendered notions of what it means to stay at home. However, in a society which is not particularly supportive of the needs of mothers in general, let alone mothers who work full time, the choice can also be a rewarding one.
Our guest tonight was Danielle Cuvelier. Danielle is the mother of three Rosemary Birthing Home babies - Scott who is 3.5, Marabella who is almost 2 and Leah who is 3 months, and is married to her best friend.Danielle shared her story of becoming a stay-at-home parent, tracking her original path as a working mother after her first birth, to her employers’ lack of flexibility with working in her second birth which ultimately helped clarify her choice to stay at home. Danielle’s story included fears of finances and leaving work, as well as gains from staying at home - including closer breastfeeding relationships with her children who were born during her time at home.
We closed with a discussion about the divides that have unfortunately been created within our society between women who stay-at-home and those who work. The discussion highlight the way in which these conversations often serve to devalue women’s work in general- whether it be unpaid domestic work or work within the paid labor force.
TONIGHT’S RIGHT: Every woman has the right to accept or refuse procedures, drugs, tests and treatments, and to have her choices honored. She has the right to change her mind. (Please note that this established legal right has been challenged in a number of recent cases.) To learn more about your rights, please visit ChildbirthConnection.org.
BIRTH IN THE NEWS:
Robin Lim Books
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