Mother's Day Gift Guide for the Texas Legislature

Are you a Texas State Representative or State Senator wondering what to give the mothers of Texas this Mother's Day?

What your constituents want is a decreased risk for their babies of obesity, diabetes, asthma, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and scores of other diseases and illnesses.

They wouldn't mind a decreased risk of ovarian cancer and breast cancer for themselves, as well.

Moms desire the freedom to be able to raise their children as they want.

But when mothers choose to breastfeed - increasing their baby's IQ and improving their mental health outcomes - they are faced with myriad barriers to meeting their personal goals and the recommendations of every major health organization.

Give the gift that keeps on giving...

Support mothers in their choice to breastfeed, with HB 232, HB 786, and SB 1479.

Clock photo source.

HB 232 will enforce the current Right to Breastfeed law, so that mothers can feed their babies without fearing that someone will call the police on them for doing so (which has happened twice in the past two months in Texas).

Mothers have to leave the house to support the economy, and babies have to eat every couple of hours.  No mom should be afraid to feed her baby, but rampant discrimination means almost half of moms worry about it more than any other breastfeeding issues.

HB 786 and SB 1479 will help public employees and teachers, respectively, to have time and a place to express breastmilk at work.  This is already provided by federal law to hourly employees.  But salaried new moms who work for state agencies, local governments, and public schools often must choose between their babies and their jobs.

Lacking time and a place to express milk can lead to immediate health risks, and ultimately, decreased supply and early cessation of breastfeeding.

We can do better for moms.

Forget the perfume, the flowers, the jewelry.

Give Texas mothers what they really want.

Support to live by their family's values.

Support to give their children the optimum first food, which will set them up for better health for life - and will improve public health and the economy.

So really - it's a gift to all of Texas.