Maternity Convalescent Leave

29 MAR 2023

BLUF: 

Convalescent leave is intended to provide time for appropriate recovery from a medical condition. Parental leave should not be considered by the medical provider when determining the appropriate time for recommended convalescent leave following pregnancy and birth.  Forty-two days remains an appropriate amount of time for recovery from pregnancy and delivery at 20 weeks gestation and beyond. The DHA Women and Infant Clinical Community guidelines listed below should be utilized in determining appropriate convalescent leave recommendations after Perinatal Loss

Recommendation: 

To facilitate Service members receive adequate time to convalesce after childbirth and perinatal loss, recommend the following:

1. Providers continue to recommend 42 days of convalescence to recover from pregnancy and childbirth. 

2. Providers utilize the Defense Health Agency Women and Infant Clinical Community convalescence recommendations below to determine convalescent leave recommendations to recover for perinatal loss. 

Discussion: 

·   The postpartum period following birth and pregnancy loss require physiologic changes to return to the nonpregnant state. This recovery occurs across multiple organ systems and includes pain management, bleeding stabilization, lactation initiation, bowel/bladder functionality, pelvic floor recovery, hematologic and hormone stabilization, involution of the uterus and optimization of mental well-being. For these reasons no less than forty-two days remains an appropriate amount of time for recovery for delivery after 20 weeks gestation.

·   The Parental Leave policy details that both the birth parent and non-birth parent will be authorized 12 weeks of parental leave to care for the child.  The DTM states that convalescent leave precedes parental leave which identifies that convalescent leave is a separate period. Convalescent Leave and Parental Leave are separate entities and therefore Parental Leave should not be considered by the medical provider when determining the appropriate time for recommended convalescent leave following pregnancy and birth

·   Service members have been denied convalescent leave under the assumption that they will recover during their period of 12-week parental leave.  However, parental leave is at the discretion of the Commanding Officer based on the needs of the unit and may be deferred to a period within one year. Appropriate convalescent leave ensures the medical readiness of the Service member before returning duty and can only be taken immediately following birth and cannot be flexed to meet mission needs.