Why US Maternity Leave Doesn’t Support Nurse Moms

As promised here is my first blog post. I have to remind myself every time I do something new–your first time is going to the problem not be good but we are going to do it anyway.

Soo, for today I am going to discuss Maternity Leave in the US and how the lack of it contributes to a lot of maternity and infant issues at the beginning of the motherhood journey.  I am going to share 5 maternity leave statistics you may or may not have known.  I have incorporated some nursing research articles because I think we need to celebrate the research nurses are doing to advance our practice!! So check out the articles at the bottom of this blog:

  1.  Stat #1 Women represent 47% of the current us labor workforce. Yet only 16% of American workers, men, and female have paid leave through their workplace.
  2. Stat #2  80% of women who work during pregnancy return to work within the first year of the infant’s life. This is concerning because women are more likely to develop depression during the first year after childbirth.
  3. Stat #3 The United States is one of only three countries worldwide with no national policy guaranteeing paid leave to employed women who give birth. The article defines maternity leave as 12 weeks. The Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 mandates employers with more than 50 employees to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a dependent child. They have to be employed full time and been at the company for 1 year. In about 40% of cases, workers do not meet those requirements!
  4. Stat #4 23% of employed mothers returned to work within 10 days of giving birth due to not having enough money saved to stay home. The lack of maternity leave affects the mental and physical health of mothers and children. Financial strain has more moms returning before the recommended 6 weeks of recuperation which should not be the same for those who had a c-section…at 6 weeks a baby isn’t even sleeping through the night, there are hormonal shifts, sleep issues, nutritional deficits, lack of physical exercise, new role, and work from all the old roles: cleaning house. Now imagine if you are a single mother/father because there is absolutely no respite for those new parents.
  5. Stat #5: Maternity leave is associated with a decrease in postpartum, maternal depression, and intimate partner violence. Maternity leave is also associated with an improved infant attachment in child development. It has been associated with a decrease in infant mortality, and mother and infant rehospitalizations and an increase in pediatric visit attendance, timely administration of infant immunizations. As well as an increase in breastfeeding practices, especially initiation and duration.

DNP Blog takeaways: What can we do as nurses/nurse practitioners- mom and dads?

  1. Women are more likely to confess that they are depressed to a co-worker so be looking out of these signs from a new mom:
  2. Advocate for change in legislation- reach out to local organizations volunteer time/work
  3. Be the change, if you are a boss/own your own clinic- hire moms and be understanding!
  4. Save to prepare for FMLA, get on a budget, and save those pennies!! 3-6 months of expenses should be a good buffer.
  5. If you work in practice with new Moms- be sure to screen for the first year—which is how long a mom is at risk for PPD and early detection can help save lives!
    1. Some risk factors: history of depression, depression during pregnancy, low SES, poor social support, initiate partner violence, relationship difficulties, increased occupational stressors, lack of sleep, hormonal shifts, and decrease physical exercise. working moms have a high increase in the likelihood of PPD    

We all have a role we can play to help change the expectations of new moms when returning back to work. The lives of our children and moms depend on it. Enjoy the journey and be well friends.

 

References:

Jou, J., Kozhimannil, K.B., Abraham, J.M. et al. Paid Maternity Leave in the United States: Associations with Maternal and Infant Health. Matern Child Health J 22, 216–225 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-017-2393-x

Van Niel MS, Bhatia R, Riano NS, de Faria L, Catapano-Friedman L, Ravven S, Weissman B, Nzodom C, Alexander A, Budde K, Mangurian C. The Impact of Paid Maternity Leave on the Mental and Physical Health of Mothers and Children: A Review of the Literature and Policy Implications. Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2020 Mar/Apr;28(2):113-126. doi: 10.1097/HRP.0000000000000246. PMID: 32134836.