Jury duty....or Jury DON'T

Argh!!!!


Super frustrated with our Court System. 


I got my summons for Jury Duty last year, but we had already purchased our tickets/planned our vaca for FL that was at the same time. They gave me a postponement. Then I got my 2nd summons & was put on bedrest right before, faxed a doctors note & got my 2nd & last postponement.


Which brings us to the present. I got my orders in the mail again today. For May 14th. I see several issues here, but the most important is this:


I am Exclusively Breastfeeding.


Knowing I can't bring Little 'A' with me to the Court House, I called anyway to see how this is supposed to work out. They offer no solutions, other than I should 'just pump'. Here's my issue with that 'advice'- not EVERY nursing mother either A) wants to nor should be forced to pump or B) has enough supply to nurse her child/children all day AND pump extra milk for reserves. 


She asks, "Well, do you live close?"
I answer, "No, I live in ____"
"Oh, yea thats not close at all."
"No, and I will have to drive to _____ _____ for child care"
"Oh my!"
"...my thoughts exactly"
"If it's any consolation we do have a fridge you could put pumped milk in"
"..no it's not. But thank you for your time"
-End of conversation- 


So this is where it stands as of now:


-I will have to drive from my house in ____, in rush hour traffic 30+ mins to ____ ____ for my parents to (hopefully) watch the boys, then another 30+ or so to the courthouse & be there by 8:30am until 5pm where I will have to drive in rush hour AGAIN back to ____ ____ to pick them up, & back to my house. 
-If I am chosen as a Juror I will have to do this multiple times.
-I am going to have to start pumping NOW to try & get enough reserves stored.
-I am expected to pump while I am there & store my infants milk in a community fridge where anyone can have access to it.
-Both Little 'A' & I are expected to endure physical discomfort for the duration of this stint.


My compensation for ALL of this? A maximum of $25 for the 1st day, $40 for days after that and $0.10/mi from my house to the court house....which will be $4.40.


I'm sorry, but that just doesn't cut it in my mind. First off that is NOT enough to cover childcare for 2 children from 8a-6p. And with gas at $4.00+ a gallon, that does NOT cover my travel to & fro.


What I am most upset about is the forced pumping issue. I have spent the past 2 months trying to correct a milk imbalance that was wreaking havoc on poor Little 'A's digestive system. We are finally in a good place. And regardless of what anyone says, pumping and nursing are NOT the same thing. A plastic pump does not extract milk nor release key hormones the way your child does. Furthermore your child tends to only release certain milk ducts, which your body adjusts too. A pump does them all. So you tend to get engorged (at least I do) when switching back and forth randomly.


Very Displeased at the moment. And believe you me, someone is going to get an earful about it when the time comes.