Opinions on maternity leave and general sentiment toward pregnancy/motherhood in US vs. Canada, UK & others?
I never really thought about it until I started reading comments on here from posters in Canada, UK and other countries about how good they have it when it comes to pregnancy and maternity leave. In America most people who rely on work for the money and cannot afford to take much time off only get six weeks maternity leave mainly because a great part of maternity leave for American women is unpaid. That doesnt count for any extra time off before the baby is born if you run into pains or complications before the birth. This makes breastfeeding which is so highly recommended during the first year a big challenge when going back to work so soon. I have heard of year long and even longer maternity leaves. How does this work if you live in one of those countries? Is is paid, unpaid, gauranteed etc? I think US maternity leave takes away from potential bonding time for the family. Does anyone else feel that women in the US get the short end of the stick when it comes to pregnancy and maternity leave?