Every day we learn something new. Every day we seek out ways and means to be better people and mothers.
In the past year, I have learned that mothers have received the short end of the stick as it pertains to health, wealth, resources, and support.
The headlines have been sprinkled with the need for better maternal health, and to this day, BIPOC continues to be short-changed. The mobility and mortality continue to increase even though there are continuous promises uttered.
The acknowledgment that change is needed is all I can see, but there is never any real action.
Politicians and employers make promises during these strenuous and difficult economic times. Yet, women and mothers are the ones who have been left to slide exit left from the workforce.
As mothers, we have repeatedly said how we wish we could go back to our “normal lives.” To me, this means not caring because society does not care about its mothers as they should. Women and mothers are the strength and pillar of society, the ones that groom the future generations.
Change takes time. Maternity leave and access to work from home have to happen, as most males have done this since this pandemic has started.
Time is a privilege. It must be a privilege to have time to wait to see the changes needed for new, expecting, and veteran mothers. Celebrities, politicians, and our own family and friends say that they support mothers, but I do not believe in the support since actions do not often back it up.
Maternity leave is not in our favor, legislations are not in our favor, and when a mother is open and raw about decisions they make for their children, they are often bashed and shamed by the very public.
Health care providers say they support mothers but then BIPOC women are negatively impacted or receive lesser treatment. Mothers feel bad about how their child is fed, their bodies, and their parenting, among other things.
