I believe...

I believe that the maternity and paternity care provided in the United States needs to be completely rethought. As it stands, many mother's and father's do not get more than 6 weeks at home with their new child, and typically the mother is the only person really getting that much time off. If they are lucky, they may work for a company who has better policies in place... but most do not get paid their normal salary, or any money at all while they are home. This is a big point of stress for new parents and many make the difficult choice to go back to work before it is a good idea, or before they are ready.

The way that the United States handles new parents is detrimental to their health, and the health and development of babies. In an article found on childtrends.org, authors Mallory Warner-Richter and Amy Blasberg discuss the impact that paid maternity leave has on parents and children, pointing out that father's who are given longer paid paternity leave are more likely to be involved in the care of their child later on through their lives. They also cite studies that indicate the presence of both parents shows an increase in cognitive development in babies.

These photos show the amount of paid parental leave offered to parents globally.

Being able to stay home and care for your baby in the first year of their life is something that every American parent should be given the opportunity to do. There are so many moments that are full of new and adorable things, and opportunities to bond.

We are lagging far behind other countries: America offers 0 weeks of guaranteed parental leave while countries like Ireland, Vietnam, and the UK offer over 20 weeks or more. These parents are given so much time to bond with their new babies and not have to worry about finances, while parents in America are usually forced to put the child in daycare or the care of other family members so they can keep their job.

When I told my employers, who I had been with for 5 years, that I was pregnant, the first thing that came out of their mouth was "you can have 6-8 weeks off but it will be all unpaid. If you are feeling better before 6 weeks is up, we can discuss you coming back sooner so you can get some hours in."

I chose not to go back, and that works for our family, but that is not the reality for so many others. I am so thankful that I am able to stay home with our little one and take care of her and teach her new things every day, and I will never take that for granted, since I know many other men and women who do not get the same opportunity.

We are not providing the support and care for new families like we should be and I believe that it is time to re-evaluate the way the United States approaches parental leave.