In Estonia, new mothers recieve 18 months of paid maternity leave. Other countries may recieve 6 months to a year. This may sound like a dream to many American mothers or soon-to-be mothers, and that's because it is. In the United States, there is no federal law mandating the amount of paid maternity leave. Similar to vacation time, the US is the only developed nation that does not mandate paid maternity leave for their workers. According to census data, 96% of Democracts say mothers should get paid leave, as well as 88% of Republicans. So as many new mothers make the difficult choice to go without pay for months to take care of their newborn, or choose to continue to work and give up the beginning of their baby's life, why does the US continue to choose against a maternity leave policy?
One theory is that the reason stems from America's sense of individualism. Many believe in the American Dream, where anyone can be successful if they work hard enough. Getting paid time off for maternity leave doesn't exactly line up with this idea. Many may feel that if you are being paid for time not working, you are being given something that you have not earned. This would interfere with the pride that individuals may have. However, the data still shows that most people support it, so there must be something else holding the US back.
The answer is, of course, businesses. In the US, business is a significant facor in decisions made by the government. Business can lobby to sway policy. In addition, the government may consider that business would see lower returns if they paid workers who are not working, which could damage markets and economic indicators. Unfortunately, the US is run more by big business than citizens in some ways, which leads to policy (or lack of policy) that is best for human beings.
Below is a YouTube video in which a woman who is expecting a child explains to people how to plan for and afford their maternity leave. Expecting mothers should be focusing their efforts on things such as creating and maintaing a healthy environment for their baby for both the present and for when they baby is born. They go through enough stress and hardships already, and having to worry about their finances to support this stable environment is something that should not need to happen.
So what can you do? Show support for paid maternity leave in the United States by calling or emailing your local government officials. The way that the world is currently moving, it is getting more and more likely that we will someday see paid leave in the US. But that won't happen on its own. It can only happen with your personal efforts. Take action for new mothers to be able to spend time with their babies without having to worry about their financial wellbeing. Perhaps, with the mandate of paid maternity leave, we will see positive results such as healthier family lives, increased financial stability for new families, and happier children that have formed deep connections with their mother.