How Working Moms Really Feel About 'Maternity Leave'

Americans loooooove to brag about being the best in the world. Hell, we even co-opted the term “American” for those of us in the U.S., even though there are actually other countries on the North American continent. We give zero fucks.

In the 50s, we were obsessed with being at the forefront of the space race. Now, it’s the technology race. We say our colleges and universities are better. We’re fixated on being the best at the Olympics—all sports, really. That’s why we call our MLB championship the World Series. It’s not the world’s—just ours. And that’s also why, even though there was already a sport played all over the globe called football, we invented our own sport and called it just that. Again, we don’t care. ‘Merica rules!

We are obsessed with our flag, and our 4th of July, and our founding fathers, and our rights guaranteed us by the Constitution. We grow up with every map of the world having the United States front and center. We thrive on being the most powerful nation in the world and we’re willing to work ourselves to the bone, to the point of collapse, in order to maintain that status.

But unfortunately, our quest to be the best is killing us. We’re watching year after year as other nations prioritize mental and physical health, actually let their employees take vacations, and allow for things like—gasp! sick leave. And as a result, they are thriving in ways we are not.

For example, one major way these nations are furthering separating from the U.S.—a way in which they are better (yes, better) than us—is that they offer real, paid, long-term maternity and paternity leave. In the U.S.? Ha! Employers don’t care if you bonded with your baby or not, whether you’re healed, whether your baby is healthy, and whether you’re functioning on 2 hours of sleep or 10. They want you back to work to keep the American machine going—no matter the cost.

Like I said, zero fucks given.

And our Scary Mommy Confessional reflects the nightmare that is “maternity leave” in this oh-so-great nation we call home.

Women are trapped and often have no choice. They’ll stay at a toxic job because their boss provides maternity leave, knowing others don’t. Or they go back within a few short weeks, whereas other mothers around the world get several months, even a year-long maternity leave.

Mothers dread the end of their leave, as it’s never long enough. They aren’t ready. Their babies aren’t ready. But often there are no other options in this great land of the United States.

Maternity leave in the U.S. usually means no pay or shitty pay. In fact, it’s only because of Covid that many moms even got to take a leave at all.

Our former president likes to call other nations “shithole countries”, but we really need to take a good hard look at our own policies before we start tossing out insults.

The reality is that far too many women do not feel valued once they become mothers. Whether it’s because their job replaced them like they’re a piece of machinery, or their partner doesn’t help at home, or they were gypped out of a bonus because they were recovering after bringing an actual human being into the world, the messages are clear, and they hurt.

The truth is, if this country wants to continue on its path of “greatness”, we need to address this issue. We need to provide parents with maternity and paternity leave. PAID maternity and paternity leave. Or else, all these others nations who actual prioritize the health of their workforce are going to pass us by while we run ours into the ground.

That’s not “great”, America. Quite the opposite, in fact.