New mom on the need for paid family leave

Brut America

"I would cry like that every single day for 10 weeks."    To save up maternity leave days for when her daughter would be out of the hospital, this mom went back to work 12 days after prematurely giving birth.   Here's her message about paid family leave in America ...

Transcript

00:00P.O.V. You have to return to work 12 days after having a premature baby at 27 weeks.

00:07I would cry like that every single day for 10 weeks.

00:18So that when she is eventually discharged from the NICU,

00:22you can spend what little maternity leave you have with her.

00:25That was just one vulnerable moment that I caught on camera.

00:29She wasn't supposed to be due until January 11th of 2022.

00:35So just a couple of weeks ago.

00:37But she decided to come 13 weeks early.

00:40So if she was born at 27 weeks, she was 2 pounds, 1.9 ounces.

00:59I had to go back to work just 12 days after I had her.

01:07So then my routine turned into, now I have to pump at work.

01:12I have to get ready to go to the NICU after and see her.

01:17I have to drive home and then I do it all again the next day.

01:21It should have just been, I am sitting here in this hospital room right next to her,

01:27reading her a story while I'm pumping, focusing on us being together.

01:33But there was so much added stress because we don't have that option

01:38to have the extended parental leave.

01:41So

01:56part of being a parent is this in the United States.

02:01When I went back to work, I was still bleeding.

02:04And yeah, I had all these cramps and,

02:06oh, you know, she would wake me up in the middle of the night

02:09and then I'd have to go right back to work two hours later.

02:12Why is that part of having a newborn baby?

02:26So I saw a lot of NICU moms commenting like, this is my story.

02:39The exact same thing happened to me.

02:41I went back five days after, I went back seven days after.

02:47I saw countless and countless comments of people just relating so much to that exact story.

02:56Because we had no other option than to save our time.

03:00Or there were parents who just weren't ready to go back,

03:05and they didn't have the additional struggle of a NICU stay.

03:11But they just weren't ready to go back.

03:25I don't think six weeks is enough to get to know a brand new human being.

03:32Like, and figure out their routine and really be there and nurture them.

03:38But I don't know that businesses and our government really cares about us being able to

03:46nurture our children, at least in the United States.

03:50And that's a big part of why I'm here.

03:52And that's how I have felt through this whole endeavor is that

04:01the people that are supposed to advocate for us are not advocating for us.

04:07I mean, I was completely shocked when people started to be like,

04:11how can we help you and this and that and so appreciative.

04:16I will forever be thankful and I don't want anyone to think that I'm not.

04:20But I want to make sure that it's different for everyone that doesn't have that.

04:24And I want to make sure that it's not just for me.

04:27I want to make sure that it's for everyone that doesn't have that.

04:29And I want to make sure that it's for everyone that doesn't have that.

04:33But I want to make sure that it's different for everyone that doesn't have

04:37the ability to go on TikTok and receive help like that.

04:41I don't want her to have to go through this.

04:44If and when in the way future she's ready.

04:47I never want her to have to experience this.

04:49I want her to be happy and just love that baby.

04:55Even my best friend and my sisters and everyone.

04:59I don't want them to have to experience this.

05:01But I know it's going to take time for change.

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