Working Mom Shared Tearful Photo While Advocating For Paid Maternity Leave In The US
If you're a working mother in the U.S., the decision of how soon to return to work after giving birth can be an extremely difficult one. It's difficult for both the parents and the baby to adjust to going back to work.
Four years after the birth of her second child, working mom Rachael Larsen shared a post on social media that resonated with parents throughout the country.
Working Up The Courage To Share Her Story
Recently, on LinkedIn, mother of two Rachael Larsen shared a photo of herself like many people do every day, but there was a story behind hers.
The photo she shared was actually taken four years prior and brought her back to a difficult time in her life.
A Photo From Four Years Ago
Rachael shared the photo on social media not so that she could garner sympathy or pity, but so she could shed light on a major issue in the United States: maternity leave—or rather, the lack thereof.
The photo in question was taken on the day that she went back to work after her second child was born, and she was anything but happy about her return to work.
The Shame Of The Working Mom
The mom started off her post by noting that "the shame around raising a family and working full-time is real."
Going back to work after your child is born is an emotional time, and it's something that many mothers (and fathers too) struggle with.
Her First Day Back Was Rough On Everyone
For her first day back to work, Rachael notes that "I wasn't ready. My daughter wasn't ready."
She knew that it was hard on her and on her daughter, who hadn't been sleeping properly and was "extremely" fussy, leaving both mom and baby exhausted.
She's Lucky She Got Time Off
Rachael was able to take a full 12 weeks off, but since she's the majority income source for her family, she couldn't afford any more time off.
In her post, she also comments that she knows she's "extremely privileged" to have been able to take time off, and she received partial pay during her leave, but it's still not enough.
It's Not About The Child Care Options Or Her Job
She had "a job I loved at an amazing company with great bosses," so it wasn't about Rachael just not wanting to return to her specific job.
She also said that she had found a daycare facility with great teachers that she trusted to leave her daughter with, but it's still not enough.
The Support For New Parents Is Seriously Lacking
"We need to do more to support parents and families," she writes.
It took her four years to work up the courage to share the photo that showed how she really felt about going back to her. Now that she's shared her story, she's realized she's not the only one who struggled with returning to work after a few months or even less.
There Was An Outpouring Of Support
After making her post, Rachael quickly learned that she was unfortunately just one of many mothers in the U.S. who felt unprepared after their maternity leave.
In the U.S., 12 weeks is the standard for maternity leave—but that's also not necessarily paid maternity leave.
Back At Work Doesn't Mean Ready To Work
Just because new parents are left with no choice but to return to work after a few weeks or months off does not mean that they're ready to.
One commenter, Katarina, noted that "At 3 months old, babies are just barely starting to learn to sleep through the night, which means a mother is returning to work sleep-deprived." She may be back in the office, but that doesn't mean she's at her best.
Resources At The Office Are Good, But It's Not A Valid Substitute
Many women who commented on the post also noted their struggle with being a new mom away from their baby while also trying to still work full-time.
Even if your company gives you all the resources (and not everyone's does), it'll still be difficult.
The Issue Should Be The Concern Of The Government
Did you know that the United States is one of only two countries in the developed world that doesn't have a national policy guaranteeing paid leave for new mothers?
In the U.S., it's left up to each individual state and employer to set their own policy for how long paid maternity or parental leave is—if it's offered at all.
It Affects Fathers, Too
According to a 2019 UNICEF report, the United States isn't just lacking in the maternity leave department, but it also lacks a standard policy for paternity leave.
The U.S. is one of only 15 out of the 41 richest countries in the world that doesn't offer any sort of policy for paternity leave.
The American Standard
As of right now, Americans are able to qualify for 12 weeks of parental leave if they: work for an employer covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act, work 1,250 hours in the previous 12 months, work at a location where 50+ employees work on-site, and they've worked for their employer for 12 months.
And that doesn't mean they're going to be paid for that leave, it just protects their job.
Do Other Countries Really Have It That Good?
In short, yes.
While Americans are appreciative of their country and often like to talk about how they're the best country in the world, this is an area in serious need of improvement.
Which Countries Are The Best?
The United States's neighbor to the north, Canada, is a country that offers a guaranteed 17 weeks of paid maternity leave by law.
Other countries that are leading when it comes to paid maternity leave include the Czech Republic (28 weeks), Hungary (24 weeks), and Italy (5 months).
As Usual, The Nordic Countries Are Doing It Right
If for some weird reason you somehow have a choice on where to have your baby, the Nordic countries are the place to be. Countries such as Finland and Sweden both offer extensive parental leave.
Starting in 2021, Finland announced that all parents regardless of gender would be eligible for 164 days (about 7 months) of parental leave, and single parents can take double. Sweden offers new parents 480 days of shared parental leave at 80% of their salary, with 18 weeks of that reserved for just mothers.
'You're Having A Ph.D.' This Woman Performed A Maternity Shoot With Her Completed Thesis
You've spent years of your life working towards this. Soon you'll be able to put those last three letters at the end of your name, but then you hand it in and you feel empty. Lost. With nothing to show for it but a lot of crumpled up pieces of paper (or deleted word docs, we have computers now.)
Well, this woman wasn't going to hand her Ph.D. thesis in and be left with nothing. She took the meaning of 'brainchild' to a whole new level when she did a maternity photo shoot with her 183-page thesis before handing it in.
A Very Long Labor
Sarah Whelan Curtis is a Ph.D. Candidate at Emory University in Atlanta, who decided to do a photoshoot with her completed thesis before submitting it. Along with multiple photos, she described it as the "longest labor ever" on Twitter.
Sarah is studying epigenetic variation and exposure to endocrine-disrupting compounds (just smile and nod, we don't know what that means either) and she felt like after four years of her life and 183 pages of writing, she deserved to have something to remember the experien
The Gene-der Reveal
Sarah's thesis took her four years to finish, whereas it generally takes 5.5 years to complete a Ph.D. thesis for her program, and the nearly 200-page document focused on how gene regulation changes.
Her shoot quickly went viral on Twitter, reaching 342K+ likes and 66K retweets in just a few days. Overall the response was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever idea, with some sharing their own 'I finished my thesis' photos, and others commenting on how they'll be stealing this idea for when they finish their own!
66 Months And Counting
Many responders kept up the 'congratulations on your new baby' vibes, making comments about their brainchild as well. @ProfAntMan on Twitter wrote ‘Congratulations! I am into the 66th month of labor and expecting soon." An elephant’s gestational period is only up to 22 months so that must be one seriously big baby...
Another user commented "I am 100% “borrowing” your idea (with APA footnotes of course…) Given the amount of thesis weight I’ve gained this seems entirely appropriate!)" Can't forget those citations!
Pain And Suffering
Dr. Jennifer Cassidy was one of the people who shared a photo of herself after completing her thesis, though hers was a little less… positive? She wrote on Twitter, "As I couldn't bear the smiley normal photo as if I just casually wrote 130,000 words. No I was showing the pain and torture too."
According to her Twitter bio, Dr. Cassidy is now a politics lecturer at the University of Oxford who has a Ph.D. on Digital Diplomacy so it looks like all her pain and torture was worth it!
Great Minds Think Alike
Twitter user @joydevision sent back a number of photos she had taken when she finished her thesis, which involved actual clothing. It's unclear whether this sweater was something she already had on hand or if she made it specifically for the occasion, but we're hoping it's the former. @joydevision tweeted out the pictures with the caption "I think we should be friends lol. Congratulations!"
We're looking forward to seeing if this actually becomes a trend, and hopefully, the creativity keeps on flowing.
