John-Lewis 1

Jennelle John-Lewis
Mrs. Pettay
ENG 111
20 October 2015
Four million, the number of babies born each year. Every ten seconds a baby is born in
the United States. Women are leaving the work force because they are less likely to return after
unpaid leave it has also been shown that mothers need more time to recover after child birth and
it is healthier for a baby to spend more time with their parents right after birth.
Women are leaving the workforce without access to paid leave. According to the Center
for American Progress, In 2010, among families with children, 49% were headed by two
working parents and 26% by single parents. In 2009, employed wives of dual-earner families
contributed 47% of total family earnings. When new mothers have access to paid maternity
leave, they are more likely to return to work than women who do not have access to it;
consequently, women with access to paid maternity leave are less likely to rely on welfare after
birth.
Mothers need recovery time. After holding a child for 9 months and then giving birth, it is
not hard to see why mothers need time to recover after childbirth. According to the University Of
Maryland School Of Public Health, maternal leave of up to six months is most beneficial. When
it comes to paid parental leave, the United States is of the largest countries that doesnt offer any
paid leave at all. Recovery time for the mother is another important aspect of postnatal care that
is often overlooked.
The well-being of the infant is also a major factor in the length on maternity leave. It is
mentally beneficial for babies to be acquainted with their parents for the first few months of their

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lives. According to Human Impact Partners 2011, the top three reasons for returning to work
early were that parents could not afford to lose income; they thought they might lose jobs or
business, and they thought they might hurt their job advancement. Because parents are so
troubled by the possibilities of pay loss, the needs of the baby are being placed on the back
burner. It was found from the same source that parental leave results in better prenatal and
postnatal care and strengthened parental bonding over a childs life. This provides long-term
benefits that improve a childs brain development, social development, and overall well-being.
Maternity leave is not a novel idea, but there are many factors that go into deciding care
for newborns and their mothers. Paid maternity leave has been proven to be beneficial to mothers
who intend to go back to work. However, longer length of maternity leave, both paid and unpaid
has been proven to benefit both mother and child.

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Works Cited
Glynn, Sarah Jane. "The United States Needs to Guarantee Paid Maternity Leave." Center for
American Progress. Center for American Progress, 8 Mar. 2013. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.
"Parental Leave to Care for Children." Babies and Bosses - Reconciling Work and Family Life
(2007): 103-26. Nov. 2011. Web. 15 Oct. 2015.
Popovich, Nadja. "The US Is Still the Only Developed Country That Doesnt Guarantee Paid
Maternity Leave." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited, 3 Dec. 2014. Web.
15 Oct. 2015.