The Neta Center (Women for Bettering Their Future) has proposed altering the laws surrounding maternity leave. Currently, maternity leave lasts for 14 weeks. If the mother has been working in the same position for the previous 10 months, she receives a monthly salary from the National Insurance Institute (NII, or Bituach Leumi) based on the average of her last 3 monthly paychecks. After the first six weeks, the father may take over all or part of the remaining leave. Mothers can extend their maternity leave, albeit without pay, to a full year after birth without risk of getting fired (at least in theory). The National Insurance Institute (NII) is strict about maternity leave. If a … [Read more...]
Interview with Founder of Kayamamoms, for Single Religious Women Having Babies
November 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Rusty Mike Radio interviewed Aviva Harbather, a founder of Kayamamoms. Kayamamoms was founded to help religious single women who are considering having babies on their own. The event discussed, with Rabbi Benny Lau, Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, a fertility doctor and a psychologist, took place on Tuesday. Related: Freezing Eggs Not Viable Solution Are Frozen (Human) Eggs Kosher? Infertility Aliyah and Egg Harvesting Single Motherhood in the Orthodox Community Are Rabbis Too Strict about Birth Control and Abortion? Guiding Couples Through Infertility … [Read more...]
When Should Babies Start Solid Foods?
October 25, 2011 by 36 Comments
A reader writes: So Tipat Chalav is now advising to give all babies tastes of food beginning at *4* *months*, because if we "wait" until 6 months some babies get more attached to the bottle and might resist integrating solids into their diet.Isn't there some statistic about breastmilk-only for 6 months reducing chances of allergies? There’s a lot of confusion surrounding the new Health Ministry guidelines about starting solids. The written statement makes it clear that starting at 4 months is optional, and should only involve tastes. But some parents are getting the message from Tipat Chalav, whether intentional or not, that they must start offering solids at 4 months. And the fact that … [Read more...]
Tipat Chalav Survival Guide for Parents
July 11, 2010 by 37 Comments
On Twitter, @mrsroth mentioned how a nurse handed her 18-month-old a cup and spoon. The little girl started to "stir" with the spoon, but failed that developmental task because she was supposed to pretend to eat from the bowl. Everyone loves to complain about Tipat Chalav, the network of well-baby clinics run by Israel's health ministry. Sometimes the staff gives silly suggestions, or even dangerous ones. And nothing is more upsetting to an anxious new mother than having her baby "fail" one of Tipat Chalav's many tests. Overall, Tipat Chalav does its job very well. It's important for new parents to understand Tipat Chalav's strengths and limitations. Tipat Chalav has several key … [Read more...]
Are Cribs a Safe Place for Babies?
May 24, 2010 by 21 Comments
During our discussion on the safety of co-sleeping, I pointed out that cribs carry risks as well. They are constantly being recalled. I'm not saying that putting a baby to sleep in a crib is riskier than co-sleeping. So much depends on the situation. Also, it's hard to gather accurate statistics, because we don't know what percentage of children co-sleep, mainly because parents who do it are afraid to admit it. And children often alternate between cribs and their parents' beds. So here is the latest baby furniture news: Cribs with drop-down sides may be outlawed by Congress. Bobby was one of at least 32 infants and toddlers since 2000 who suffocated or were strangled in a drop-side … [Read more...]
Should Co-Sleeping Be Outlawed?
May 4, 2010 by 45 Comments
Milwaukee wants to make bed-sharing illegal. This report looks at this complex reasons for and factors. According to this report, every case of a baby dying in bed in Milwaukee in the last year and a half had one common factor. Can you guess which one? Adult Drinking Other Children in Bed Baby Formula Fed Sleeping on a Sofa Watch the video to find out. Clearly that statistic doesn't mean that breastfeeding your baby is a guarantee of safe co-sleeping. But many common activities involve risk, including driving, co-sleeping and sleeping in cribs. All we can do is weigh levels of risk and choose what suits our family. It's not easy being a parent. You may also … [Read more...]
Is Babywearing Unsafe?
March 19, 2010 by 9 Comments
My friend Hadassa Levy, a babywearing consultant, wrote this guest post in light of safety warnings connected to soft baby carriers. Israeli parents and caregivers are concerned and confused about babywearing, after a US consumer advisory warned that wearing your baby in a sling can lead to suffocation. The warning followed a number of infant deaths in 2009. Could it be that baby slings are dangerous for our little ones? Should we reconsider our pro-babywearing attitude in light of those tragic incidents? Babywearing has been practiced throughout the centuries in all cultures and is still the most common method of transporting babies in many countries. A baby's anatomy and psyche is … [Read more...]
Empathy, Mother-Guilt, Shabbat, Career Skills, Anger, and Idleness
May 20, 2009 by 3 Comments
RaggedyMom showed me this CNN story about developing children's social maturity. In a fourteen-year study, the preschool children of mothers who described a picture using emotional language showed more empathy and better social skills when they got older. It is important to encourage children to think about others' feelings from a young age. However, I was dismayed by the first line of the article: Mothers often get blamed for the way their children turn out, and a new study gives additional weight to that accusation. Let's stop blaming mothers, who make mistakes like everyone else. Most of the time they are acting in a way prescribed by our culture, which, the last I heard, is … [Read more...]
More Frugal Strategies, Breastfeeding in the Summer, and Haveil Havalim, and Childcare Choices
May 18, 2009 by Leave a Comment
I wrote about keeping babies hydrated in hot weather at Green Prophet. Squawkfox compiled a list of the best frugal advice from 41 bloggers, dividing them into categories and adding eye-catching graphics. You can see them all here. And in the spirit of frugality, Batya at me-ander presents the "discount" edition of Haveil Havalim, the Jewish/Israel blog carnival. … [Read more...]
Tips on Staying Home and Staying Sane
May 18, 2009 by 40 Comments
How can you stay home with your baby and not end up in the loony bin? Below list the strategies that helped me the most. I believe they are helpful for employed mothers, and fathers too�they are ways of coping with the intense demands of parenting and balancing your needs and the needs of your family. When my oldest was born I decided to stay home with him, because I believed it to be the best thing for my him. And I set out to make it the best thing for me too. Here are some things that I did: Find a community. I looked for friends with babies as soon as mine was born. You won't always find friends with children close to yours in age, but the community is more for you than your … [Read more...]
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