Is a 6 week maternity leave fair?

jk3610

qwanda2013 said:

How is this thread still alive?!?!

Thank to the delightful WK

kinseykinz

Like others have said, 6 weeks is considered the 'US norm'.  But as you can also see from previous posts, even getting those 6 weeks esp paid, is actually a luxury for most. 

Now as to whether it's fair?

Yeah no, it's really not.  We should have at least 8 weeks off.  Why?  Well with my first, at 6 weeks postpartum, my stiches hadn't even healed completely.  And I had a normal, unmedicated vaginal delivery.  I am assuming for the C-section folk, their healing takes just as much if not longer.  Also, 6 weeks is typically not quite enough time for Mom's and babies (esp 1st time Moms) to have the whole 'breast feeding' thing down....oh and by 6 weeks is when you're really starting to feel the "OMG I NEED more than 3-4 hours straight sleep a night! crunch"  So no, it's not 'fair'  but it's the expected norm. 

Keep in mind, many companies, even if they offer maternity leave, if you need to stop working early (like you've been placed on bedrest for example), your maternity leave kicks in THEN, it doesn't start when you deliver...it starts the first day you need to take and extended leave due to your upcoming arrival (baby).  


I am one of the very lucky few.  I work for myself very part-time, but am mostly a stay at home Mom (I teach music from our home a couple hours a week).  My husband makes enough money that we can do this (and we budget accordingly).  We are lucky.  He also recently found out that the company he works for added Paternity Leave to their benefits package this summer.  It's only 10 days paid time off, and it MUST be used within the first 3 months of the child's birth, but it's 10 days paid that many mother's don't even have the luxury of, let alone Fathers.