Parents in countries like Sweden and Bulgaria can receive months of paid time away from work when they welcome home a baby. Sweden provides 480 days of parental benefits per child, of which 390 days are based on the parent’s income. In Bulgaria, insured mothers can receive pregnancy and childbirth benefits for up to 410 days, generally paid at 90% of their average insured earnings.

In the U.S., the story looks very different. The U.S. remains the only OECD country without a national paid maternity leave program, which means many parents are forced to rely on employer benefits, state programs, or unpaid federal leave.

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), eligible workers can take up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave after the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child.

However, FMLA does not require that leave to be paid. Eligibility is also limited: employees generally must have worked for their employer for at least 12 months,

completed at least 1,250 hours during the previous year, and worked at a location where the employer has at least 50 employees within 75 miles.

Some workers have access to paid leave through other programs, including:

 Federal employees: Eligible federal employees covered by Title 5 FMLA can receive up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave.

 State programs: As of April 2026, 14 states and Washington, D.C. have enacted mandatory paid family leave (PFL) programs.

 Voluntary state programs: An additional nine states have established voluntary paid leave insurance programs.

Paid Leave and Maternal Health

For new mothers, time away from work postpartum is not just about bonding with their baby. This period also allows physical recovery, encourages breastfeeding, ensures follow-up medical appointments, and accommodates sleep disruption and changes in mental health.

A recent study examining U.S. state PFL policies found that these programs were associated with about half a week longer breastfeeding duration and a 0.93 percentage- point reduction in postpartum depressive symptoms. A separate systematic review of 23 studies also found that paid and longer maternity leave was associated with fewer symptoms of postpartum depression in high-income countries.

While these studies do not suggest that paid leave alone can prevent postpartum depression or guarantee better outcomes, they add to growing evidence that leave policy can play a role in maternal health. Despite expanded access through state programs and employer benefits, postpartum coverage policies lack consistency.

For many new parents, the time available to recover and care for their newborn is contingent on where they live and work, and whether they can afford to take unpaid time away from a paycheck.

Economic Impact 

Paid leave can also affect a family’s financial stability and a parent’s ability to remain in the workforce. The Clark-Fox Policy Institute cites evidence that PFL can reduce mothers leaving the workforce by nearly 20%. For businesses, retaining workers can also reduce turnover costs, which can amount to around 20% of an employee’s annual salary.

The financial effects often extend beyond employment. A modeling analysis highlighted by the Washington Center for Equitable Growth estimated that a proposed federal paid family and medical leave program could reduce poverty by more than 16% among households receiving benefits.

Paid parental leave is not just a workplace benefit; it can influence maternal health, household financial security, and parents’ ability to remain in the workforce after welcoming a child. Despite expanded access through state programs and employer-sponsored benefits, there are no standard policies for paid parental leave, which leaves families to simultaneously navigate recovery, caregiving, and lost income. Expanding access to paid leave could help narrow these gaps and give parents the time and financial stability they need during one of the most demanding periods of family life.

About the author: Parker Lynch holds a B.S. in Global Public Health and Applied Psychology from New York University and currently works as a Psychiatric Technician at Huntsman Mental Health Institute. To pursue her passion for public health and health education, she wants to be a physician.

Image source: Pixabay