On LinkedIn, a mother and founder of the site Mother Pukka, pushed a rant over the clichés of maternity leave.
Motherhood is not easy. Even less when you have just given birth. All of a sudden, you go from living as a couple to caring for a newborn baby. And although it’s our baby, it’s not always easy. Indeed, there is no manual on how to become a parent. It takes all of our energy, even more so during the first few days of a newborn baby, so important for its development. Worse, we are often seized with doubts and fears, preventing us from moving forward calmly.
This is why we have to stop thinking that maternity / paternity leave is a kind of disguised vacation. This period allows you to bond with your baby and provide him with everything he needs… but never to rest! Those who have seen a mother / father in action after a birth know what we are talking about. Anna Whitehouse, founder of parenting site "Mother Pukka", got tired of hearing these kinds of clichés about maternity / paternity leave. On LinkedIn, the mother has thus decided to push a rant, in particular addressed to companies.
“A quick reminder to companies: Maternity / paternity leave is not a 'public holiday'. This is not a "pleasant break" and it is not a "vacation". It is a mix of anticipation, expectation, arrival and survival. It is returning to a primitive state and navigating on sight between engorged breasts, bloody sheets (hello lochia, editor's note) and broken spirits (…) We need you. Every second we need you – if not in person, at least mentally. Becoming a parent is a real job. Without sick leave. Without equitable remuneration. It is the most privileged position in the world, but it takes courage. Either guts, breasts and any other part of your body that you are going to put to work. It is the purest happiness. But it is also the greatest of contradictions. It's hobbling around in the park after childbirth, having hormones on fire, going home, getting into a fetal position, succumbing to a post-childbirth blues. This is life in its purest, ugliest, and most amazingly beautiful form. It elevates others higher, above your hunger, above your exhaustion, above your needs. She is raising the next generation. "
An inspiring text, which will undoubtedly speak to many parents.
See also: Paternity leave: how to ensure that everyone finds their place
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In France, maternity leave is 16 weeks. The government has also just extended paternity / parental leave to 28 days, to allow spouses to be as close as possible to their partner after childbirth. The opportunity to bond with their baby, but also to help the mother in a complicated period. Postpartum depression affects about 10 to 20% of mothers. Often, they feel alone, misunderstood and do not dare to ask for help.