When I had Ari six years ago, I left full-time work to become a freelancer instead. Probably the biggest factor to go into my decision was work-life balance. I was unsure how I was supposed to fit a baby in my schedule with a job that included unpredictable work hours, a commute, and zero flextime. With a better paid husband who worked hectic hours himself, and no family in the area, me quitting my job was the best decision for our family.

But I admit, a part of me was also relieved because when it was time to return to work I still did not have a good grasp on nursing, and was unsure of when and where to pump to continue giving my baby breastmilk. While I have known amazing moms who have gone beyond the call of duty to balance work with nursing -- probably the craziest story I have heard is the mother of twins pumping in an airplane stall -- it also sounded like a nightmare.

I was glad to read this Bloomberg Businessweek story about workplaces becoming more accommodating to nursing mothers. But I thought it was shameful that some jobs still only give a bathroom stall for mothers to pump, or even worse, fire them for taking off any time to express milk.

Stories of business lunch leakage and pump-room run-ins may seem like scenes from a Judd Apatow comedy, but chances are, whether you work at a fast-food chain or a Fortune 500 company, you'll have a run-in with the realities of workplace lactation.

This is true now more than ever because the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act signed by President Barack Obama in March requires employers to provide breastfeeding employees with "reasonable break time" and a private place — not the ladies' room — to express breast milk during the workday until a child's first birthday. However helpful, the law is too late to benefit many, including LaNisa Allen of West Chester, Ohio, who was fired from her job at a Totes-Isotoner warehouse a few years ago for taking an unscheduled break to relieve her engorged breasts. (Her bosses denied her permission.)

In 2009, Allen's case reached the Ohio Supreme Court, which ruled against her. Like many nursing moms who have faced discrimination, Laura Walker, a waitress at a Red Lobster in Evansville, Ind., opted to keep her travails out of court. Her hours were reduced after she presented a nurse's note explaining her need to pump. (It got worse when her manager shook milk containers like maracas, saying they were for her.) Walker ended up in the hospital with mastitis from clogged ducts, and filed a complaint with the Equal Opportunity Commission. She reached a confidential settlement with the company in 2006.

By the way, a third of large corporations now have lactation rooms. It will be a good day when this becomes the norm and not the exception.

Does your office have a special place for nursing mothers? How did you balance nursing with work?

What's up?

First of all, thank you for your birthday wishes here and on Facebook. Unfortunately, I had a cold on my 33rd birthday, but it was heart-warming to receive so many messages, phone calls, flowers and outpouring of love. My day started in the morning when Markos took Eli to her dance class. My friend and nanny Llulle showed up with a flan chocolate cake, a couple of cards and jewelry. I was so touched and am so grateful to have her as a friend. Then the texts and phone calls started pouring in from family and childhood friends. I checked out Facebook and I had messages from all over the U.S., El Salvador, Greece, Honduras and Argentina. It was raining hard yesterday, and DH sweetly picked me up a chimichanga at my favorite Mexican restaurant here in Berkeley. When Ari got in from school at 3 p.m. our time, we skyped with my parents, my grandmother and great aunt out east. They all sang happy birthday to me as we cut into Llulle's delicious flan. That evening, our friend and Daily Kos editor SusanG came over to watch the kids while Markos and I met some friends at a Caribbean restaurant in Oakland. Cold or no cold, I feasted on Cuban steak, black beans, rice and fried plantains. It was the perfect ending to the perfect birthday. Thank you all. Los quiero mucho.

In other news: this is devastating. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake rocked central Chile this morning, collapsing buildings and killing at least 78 people, according to the Associated Press. It was so massive that a tsunami warning has been issued for Hawaii, Australia and South America. I know we have MTers in Chile and Australia and I pray that you are safe. Please check in if you can.  

our Desmoinesdem over at the Bleeding Heartland blog wrote on how Iowa Republicans voted against a bill that would have made workplaces family-friendlier, including giving breastfeeding mothers space to express milk. One of the Republicans, Sen. Nancy Boettger, who said she breast fed all four of her children, called the provision an unfair mandate on Iowa businesses. So much for family values!

In other we-hate-women news: both the Utah House and Senate passed a bill that would criminalize pregnant women for illegally obtaining an abortion, or get this, having a miscarriage. The bill would penalize women who miscarried due to "reckless" behavior. As the RH Reality Check blog pointed out, that would include women who may have had a drink and then miscarried -- even if they would have kept any children from those pregnancies.

Nearly 20 percent of U.S. workers are underemployed, or working less hours than they need to pay their bills, according to a Gallup poll covered by Reuters.

The Los Angeles Times book prize finalists have been named, and once again, I was reminded of how little I have read this year. The only book I have even heard of -- and read -- was Dave Cullen's Columbine. (Good one!)

I got sucked into the comments of yet another drama unfolding at Mamapedia. A single father with joint custody of his 18-month-old son wondered if there was a way he could see his son for 24 hours without the mother coming over to nurse the toddler. The comments varied from "Breast is best -- don't interrupt their nursing relationship!" to "Your ex-wife is using nursing as a way to manipulate you." Definitely check it out.

What else is in the news? What's up with you?

What's up?

Paul Farmer wrote an editorial for the Miami Herald on what needs to be done, as Bill Clinton said, to "build back better" Haiti. Once again, Farmer reiterated the need for money and not in-kind help like food and clothes. Personally, I was overwhelmed by how much work lays ahead for workers like Farmer and the Haitian people. Also, I would have added one more point to his article: The need to build schools and educate people.

My dad, who has lived in Haiti for work, recently made a good point. What he saw in the late '80s was many charities give to the people, but not necessarily empower them to take control of their own lives. In other words, it is not enough to give fish. You need to teach people how to fish.  

In related news from MSN: In light of the horrific images coming out of Haiti, a doctor doled out advice on how to speak to children about the news.

Also, Bono's ONE organization is circulating a petition for the United States to pardon Haiti's debt.

The Associated Press ran a fascinating article on Mariela Castro, Cuban President Raul Castro's daughter who is a sexologist and gay rights activist on the island. Sex change operations are already covered by the country's national health insurance program and she is pushing for civil unions and full equality of gay people on the island.  

MomsRising's Mary Olivella wrote a poignant column on how BPA in breastmilk may be the "mercury-fish catch 22" of our generation.

In entertainment news: American Idol contestant Michael Lynche was cut and replaced after his father revealed to his local newspaper that he made the top 24, according to People magazine. Idol contestants are under a strict confidentiality agreement to not reveal the results of Hollywood week.

Figure Skater Nancy Kerrigan's brother, Mark, has been charged with his father's death, according to AP. Daniel Kerrigan, 70, fell after an alleged altercation with his son who was living with him at the time.

And ooh, this sounds like something I would read. Kitty Kelley, biographer of the rich and famous, is about to release an unauthorized biography on Oprah Winfrey, according to CNN. The book is slated for an April 13 release.

As if this story couldn't get any worse, Bristol Palin is suing ex-beau Levi Johnston for child support, according to TMZ.

What else is in the news? What's up with you?

Cross-posted at Daily Kos.

Good morning fellow moms, dads and caregivers! How are you this morning?

I just got back from a trip to Orange County to visit Erika and her family. What a lovely Thanksgiving. Here are some pictures from our trip to Legoland and a photo of your founding MotherTalkers.

What else have we been discussing here at MT?

We talked about the crass graduation weight requirement Lincoln University of Pennsylvania imposes on its students. Basically, only students with body mass indexes of 30 or above must complete a fitness course to graduate. There was consensus that if the university is going to require such a course, then it should be free and required of all students.

We have had a lot of holiday stories lately. Here is one on how to manage your time more efficiently. Once again, I have vowed to do holiday shopping throughout the year rather than wait until December. In another holiday story, we discussed what to tell children who do not believe in Santa Claus, especially if they are surrounded by peers who are believers.

USA Today exposed loopholes that allowed recalled beef tainted with E. coli and salmonella to make it into school lunches. In related news, Consumer Reports just released a study showing that two-thirds of store-bought chicken harbor salmonella and/or campylobacter, another bacterial cause of foodborne disease. The publication recommended cooking chicken at at least 165º F and to prevent raw chicken or its juices from touching any other food.

We doled out tips on how to fight classroom bullies, particularly girl-on-girl bullying.

My heart breaks for this mother. An Egyptian mom on her way to show off her 4-week daughter to relatives, accidentally smothered the baby on the flight when she fell asleep while breastfeeding, according to the Daily Mail of the UK.

What else is in the news? What's up with you?

Where was this stroller when I needed it this summer? Look how small that thing is! To read all about it, go to Offsprung.

Amy over at Pretty Babies is being bombarded by trolls for writing about the proposed Wall Street bailout. Yikes!

Our Round Peg Inna Square Hole provided a lesson in spinal injury and more adorable pictures at her blog Mostly Medical Misadventures & Mishaps.

From the "eww" files: PETA just petitioned Ben & Jerry's to use breastmilk rather than cow's milk in its ice cream. Also, Ann Cooper, the “renegade lunch lady,” is looking to transform school cafeterias across the country to include healthier and tastier menu options, according to New Hampshire Public Radio's Word of Mouth. The Word of Mouth blog, by the way, is fielding parent feedback on their kids' lunches. As I mentioned before, I pack my kids' lunches.

A Lehigh University professor just released a study that found people were more likely to lie in an e-mail -- 92 percent of the time -- rather than pen and paper communication (64 percent), according to Boing Boing.

The New Homemaker offered tips on how to save money on groceries.  

In Sarah Palin Watch: I finally got around to watching the Katie Couric interview and all I gotta say is wow. Just wow. Boy was Tina Fey's impersonation of Palin way too accurate for comfort. She didn't even need a script!

And I am not the only one who is stunned in disbelief that there are people out there who like Palin. Salon's Cary Tennis offered an armchair analysis of the type of people attracted to Palin's black-and-white thinking, "authoritarian personality." Edgy Mama: I am with you. I am panicked, too, and we don't even have a gas shortage here in Berkeley!

Here is something all mommy bloggers grapple with: Heidi over at Outdoor Baby wondered if it was "website suicide" to express her political views on her blog. For the record, she is a Colorado Obama mama and even had some great photos -- courtesy of a friend -- to prove it.

Via Celebrity Baby Blog: Funny man Jim Carrey told Oprah all about his interaction with Jenny McCarthy's autistic son, Evan. Yes, Carrey and McCarthy are dating.

What else is in the news? What's up with you?

Joan Blades from MomsRising.org recently alerted me to a pressing issue here in California, which has ramifications for the rest of the country: flame retardants in our furniture.

Thanks to the lobbying efforts of chemical companies, flame retardants are required in the foam of all our furniture even though they “have been shown to cause cancer, reproductive problems, learning disabilities, and thyroid disease in laboratory animals and house cats. At the same time, these chemicals are climbing the food chain in increasing concentrations and are found in fish, harbor seals in San Francisco Bay, polar bears, bird eggs, and the animal at the very top of the food chain -- breast-fed human babies," according to CA Assemblymember Mark Leno who has introduced a bill to ban the substances.

Both MomsRising and lactating moms -- Making Our Milk Safe (MOMS) -- have been actively pushing for the passing of Leno’s bill, AB 706. To sign a petition to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, just add your name and address to the petition on MomsRising.org.

Blades told me there is no data to show that flame retardants have reduced furniture fires, nor is there any data showing the potential dangers for a fire outweigh the fact we are exposed to these carcinogens every day. Blades said she would like for consumers to be informed and able to buy chemical-free furniture. But right now the chemical lobbyists won’t hear of it and it is not in the furniture maker’s interest to make two lines of the same furniture. (Is this what it’s come down to: Will I have to resort to paying more for the “organic couch” to feel safe? Sheesh!)

Here are more facts about one of the proposed banned carcinogens, Chlorinated Tris, via MomsRising.org:

--The chemical Chlorinated Tris was removed from children's sleepwear 30 years ago after it was determined to be a mutagen.

--Today, chlorinated tris is the second most-used fire retardant in furniture, and was recently deemed by the consumer product safety commission to be "a probable human carcinogen based on sufficient evidence in animals."

--Since the 1970s, PBDEs (brominated fire retardants) have increased 40-fold in human breast milk. PBDEs have the potential to disrupt thyroid hormone balance and contribute to a variety of neurological and developmental deficits, including low intelligence and learning disabilities. Women in North America have, on average, ten times to forty times the levels PBDEs in their breast milk as do women in Europe or Asia.

--We can prevent fires without poisoning our families. Equally effective and affordable methods are available right now. Alternatives include naturally flame resistant materials like wool, metals, and woods, inherently flame resistant barriers, and alternatives including silicon, boric acid, and phosphates.

It feels like such a daunting task to clean up the environment and make everything from our food supply to toys -- and now our furniture -- safe for our children. But with enough of us speaking up, we should be able to figure this out.  

Here’s wishing you a smooth back to school transition. Please share you and your children’s experiences. Ari doesn’t start preschool until next week.