Overdoing It: Skipping Maternity Leave Can Mean Big Long-Term Problems

Overdoing It: Skipping Maternity Leave Can Mean Big Long-Term Problems


The amount of time a woman chooses to take off after the birth of her child can reflect, for some, how dedicated they are to their career and the company they’re working for. For many career-driven women taking less maternity leave isn’t a problem, but it may have adverse health effects in the long run.

According to the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, maternity leave is job-protected leave for both women and men if certain qualifications are met. Madame Noire details the risks associated with new mothers, especially black women, who don’t take an adequate amount of time off after giving birth.

“Women are competing for job security, and proving to the world that they are just as capable as men to do it all and break through the glass ceiling. The real problem is women are not men and we have certain hormones, which need to normalize after pregnancy not to mention the high rate of post-partum for career women,” says Karen Taylor Bass, author of The Brand New Mommy: From Babies To Branding To Bliss. “Women must not allow HR directors to dictate the terms of their maternity leave; it’s critical for women to take time to heal, reinvent as ‘brand’ moms and bond with their children.”

Read more at Madame Noire…


×