Paid maternity leave is imperative for your child’s health — you can continue to breastfeed, bond, and nurture your child without interruption during this time. Today, we're taking a closer look at what maternity leave is like for moms across the world!

Maternity leave overseas

In Sweden in 1974, a bill was passed to allow both parents to take a shared 12 months leave after the birth of a child. Britain followed suit in April, 2015. This trend is gaining popularity around Europe (shared parental leave) and more men claim to take part in caring for new babies. Some countries, such as India and China, allow no leave for either parent. A UK plan allows the mother to take the first two weeks, and any time past that to be transferred to the other parent. This is great for working moms — if mom is the primary breadwinner, dad can take paternity leave and care for baby.

Paid leave around the globe

Paid leave is guaranteed in at least 178 countries worldwide for mommies, and more than 50 countries provide paid benefits for fathers (as shown in a report by the International Labour Organization, or ILO).

Maternity leave in the United States

The United States is sadly behind in the times as far as maternity leave is concerned, and many families are left to fend for themselves. There is a federal law in place to protect a woman’s job postpartum, but nothing is written to ensure paid leave.

In America, the states are sovereign, which means they can ensure and enforce their own laws (to some extent), and many states such as California, New Jersey and Rhode Island have paid family leave insurance programs added to disability insurance, which allows contributing employees to receive a portion of their earnings for up to 6 weeks postpartum. The FAMILY Act was introduced and is currently under review at the Federal level to provide families with at least 12 weeks of partial income post delivery.

How a breast pump can help after maternity leave

If you have to return to work, you may want to consider a breast pump so you can continue to provide your child with the best possible nutrition (and even save some money on formula). Aeroflow also has a great line of breastfeeding accessories on our online store to help make your journey as a new mom easy and successful.

Your insurance company may cover breast pumps at little to no cost to you per the Health Care Reform Act — find out if your policy is compliant by completing the simple Qualification form and a Breastpump Specialist will contact you within 3-5 business days with your breast pump options! If you need more immediate assistance, you can call Aeroflow Breastpumps at 844-867-9890. We look forward to hearing from you!