“I am a first time single parent to a 17 month old. During my pregnancy and even now I refer to discussion boards on the What to Expect When You’re Expecting app when I had/have questions about dilemmas I face as a parent, how-to’s, and inquires on whether anyone else was going through what I was going through. My January 2020 Moms board consisted of approximately 50,000 users from several countries around the world. I knew the childcare assistance in the US was garbage, but experiencing it firsthand was unbelievable. There I was, a single RN with 10 years of experience, preparing to leave my 3 month old at a daycare facility because my FMLA had reached its end. My job position was no longer protected, and I was running out of savings. Meanwhile I’d read about non-American mothers having anxiety about leaving their babies in a year! I’d read, “I don’t know how Americans can just leave their babies to go back to work” from people in other countries. Sadly I’d also read threads in which mothers were finding out in real time via these discussion boards that there is no such thing as maternity leave, let-alone paid maternity leave. I’m so glad there is a podcast addressing this issue. We need a change, and our children deserve it.”
jkwellin__ via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
05/24/21