Reflections from a ‘Mom-to-be’: The U.S. Needs Paid Leave

I’m so excited to start a new chapter in my life! I’m heading to my delivery day, coming up next month, and between visiting the doctor, eating healthy, taking walks – it’s a lot becoming a Mom!  I went to the hospital tour and got my birthing plan. I’m in a high risk category so we had to also develop a plan B, just in case. There is so much to consider on the birthing journey. And now I have to think seriously about care: care for myself while I heal, care and bonding for my baby and eventually childcare for when I return to work – not as exciting as my birthing journey. 

I’m trying to navigate my job’s short term disability program and although it isn’t comprehensive I will have several weeks off to care for myself and the baby. My partner doesn’t have paid leave and so any time he takes to help us – and I will need his help – will be unpaid time. He drives a bus for a living and I’ll be on my own when he has to return to work. While I feel fortunate that my employer offers a short term disability policy, I’m not as fortunate as someone who lives in a state with care policies. 

We live in Florida which is NOT one of the 14 states including DC with a paid family and medical leave law. 

In Florida, the Governor has a paid leave law for his cabinet and through executive order there’s a program for public employees. But for people like me and the millions working for a non-profit or the private sector there is not much and you have to hit the “boss lottery” to have any time off. In fact, there isn’t even a paid sick days standard in Florida. So people who don’t have paid sick leave will go unpaid if they need to take a few days off to care for a sick child, or take a parent to a medical appointment. Why don’t our national policies address the basic needs that every family has?  Why are we so hard on ourselves? Our time on earth should be meaningful especially with our families and we should be there when they need us. 

It’s unfair that we have so little consideration for families – It’s my first time, I have no idea what to expect – people say no sleep, feeding every two hours, on automatic pilot. It’s a bit scary. I could get help from my Mother- in-law but  her coming here from Cuba is not simply a visit to help her daughter-in-law, son and grandson but it’s an immigration issue. We have to get approval and we’ve filed the paper months ago but are still waiting for Cuban Relief Parole to come through so that my Mother-in-law can get a visa to travel to Florida and care for her family. This would be a tremendous help – especially in the beginning.  

The alternatives are not good. My best friend worked for a real estate company when deciding to start a family. She had to make the decision to just quit her job – they didn’t have paid leave, They didn’t pay into short term disability and she’s been a stay at home mom ever since. Because they were struggling financially, she and her husband eventually started their own business and built it off the ground. It was very hard at the beginning and imagine if you don’t have that option. You’re just out of luck and with one income.

As a nation, we need national paid leave law and childcare for everyone. With our legislatures and congress composed mainly of men, I see just how important it is to make sure that these leaders understand the importance of care issues. That is why I have lobbied for paid leave on a state and national level and why I testified in my state for SB 7050 which empowers voters so we can elect leaders who care about children, families and even a first time mom like me.

This Mother’s Day – I’m fighting for all the policies that mothers need and deserve!