Maternity Leave! How long should it be?

Maternity leave or time away from work after the birth or adoption of a child is needed for new mothers and new parents as they recover from delivery and adapt to nurturing this new life. Paid maternity leave is very common in other countries where mothers are paid up to a year after a child is born. The US lags behind on paid maternity leave compared to its counterparts, however each US business must adhere to the 1993 Family Medical Leave Act granting new mothers at least 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave. Each company can also have their own maternity policy as well as short term disability rules where they could give you full pay for 6 weeks for a natural birth or 8 weeks for a cesarean birth. How long should maternity leave should be?



Let's face it not every new mom can afford to stay at home for a year after their baby is born. Dual incomes are essential to keeping up the households. I personally would love to stay at home for the first 6 months of Maxwells life, but it's not my reality. Maternity leave should be as long as you want it to be and should also be planned for. If you want to take a year off, plan for it, save for it before you even think about having children. Learn to live off of one income and downsize if you need to. We didn't plan for me taking off 6 months like I wanted to, but I do plan on taking off 3.5 months once Maxwell arrives and use a combination of short term disability, FMLA, and vacation to do so.

Paid maternity leave is a very controversial topic in the US because we are so far from other countries and sometimes it's not seen as a benefit but as a hindrance. But being informed and knowing what your company's policies are will help you maximize the time home with your baby.


Keep the Faith!

Until next time,

~E