According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, less than 30% of the US population has access to paid family leave. Some employees have access to paid maternity leave through short-term disability insurance, but many mothers need additional time to bond with their baby. This is top of mind for many families. For instance, Good Morning America recently featured a mother emotionally returning to work following a complicated birth with twins, drawing attention from 2.6 million viewers. Meanwhile, companies like Starbucks have implemented more generous policies, offering up to 18 weeks of paid maternity leave. There is also a growing movement for state-supported, paid family leave programs, with 24 states enacting laws.
As members of the CDIA’s Research Committee, we wanted to share our own maternity leave experiences—and those of friends and colleagues—to show how deeply this issue impacts working families.
Kerri, Researcher: Having a baby is the most difficult thing I have ever done. While all the cliches are true and I love having my cute baby to stare at, I can best describe having a baby as being an extreme triathlon. I was lucky, though, that my work offered 16 weeks of maternity leave. After an emergency c-section, I spent much of my leave relearning how to sit up. I was paid by my state’s paid family leave plan and my work, but to receive my benefits, I had to submit paperwork, get forms notarized, and follow up with multiple systems the week I gave birth.
Laura, Actuary: All but 4 weeks of my maternity leave were unpaid, and my husband had 12 weeks of paid leave. During that time, we relied on my husband’s income and our savings. I could have stacked my paid leave with disability benefits to receive a few more weeks of pay, but I did not enroll in short-term disability coverage during annual enrollment. It took several weeks to begin physically feeling better postpartum – I could not imagine being physically comfortable returning to work for at least 2 months. I went back to work after 3 months. Even with all of the help from our families, the first few months after bringing home a baby were stressful and exhausting. Having time away from work was crucial to adjust to all the new challenges and heal from giving birth.
Anne, Project Manager: I worked up to the day I gave birth. After birth, it is a big adjustment and very scary. I cannot imagine working during this time; it was so taxing to heal while keeping the baby healthy. My work offers 9 weeks of paid maternity leave. During the first few weeks, I had to file paperwork and call various claim offices to prove that my baby was born and ensure all the dates match up. The paperwork filing was confusing and made me nervous that I might have missed something. My husband had 12 weeks of paternity leave, which was game-changing, and his paperwork was minor compared to mine. But in the grand scheme, I am grateful we both were able to stay home for some time to bond with our baby and get used to the new life adjustment.
Alicia, Computer Programmer: When I was job searching, a quality maternity leave benefit was a major consideration. As the sole earner of the family, I had to balance our financial welfare with time spent with the baby. When I was pregnant, I was the first person at my company to apply for maternity leave. Leadership and human resources (HR) were friendly and willing to figure out the paperwork, but it was not all smooth sailing. Luckily, because it was a small organization, I was able to easily call the HR staff to fix any problems.
Sarah, Therapist: I had 8 weeks of maternity leave: 2 weeks from paid time off and 6 weeks from short-term disability insurance. Thankfully, that was a single page of paperwork, which I brought to the hospital. Processing was taken care of by my doctor and HR director. Even with excellent insurance, the hospital stay was a considerable cost, so it would not have been a good time to be without my income. Having my husband home for the same duration was essential, not just to help with the baby, but with my recovery; I didn’t have a c-section, but complications from delivery meant that I could barely walk for weeks postpartum. I felt ready to return to work full-time after 8 weeks, and the accommodations my employer has provided since returning have made all the difference, including two pump breaks per day and the ability to switch my hours to accommodate daycare drop-off and pick-up.
These stories reflect just a few of the many ways working families navigate the challenges of new parenthood. While some were fortunate to have paid leave or supportive employers, others faced difficult choices and unnecessary stress during a vulnerable time. As more states and companies explore paid leave solutions, systems must evolve to ensure parents don’t have to sacrifice financial security to care for their families and recover from childbirth. Paid leave isn’t just a benefit—it’s a necessity.
