As my #maternityleave comes to a close, I want to reflect on how important this time has been for me, my new child, and my family as a whole. By no means were these 10 weeks a vacation (I think you have to sleep more than 3 hours within a 24 hour period for it to count as a vacation mathematically) and I have struggled with the 24/7 attention my children demand of me. But between physically healing from giving #birth and adjusting to life with #2kids I have been more than occupied. I feel immensely privileged to work for an employer who allows the type of paid leave I have enjoyed. Especially for my age group. So few millennials have a steady job with the kind of benefits that allow for paid maternity leave or even unpaid leave past the legal 6 weeks. This is obviously something that should be rectified. Nobody should have to choose between their job and child when deciding when to return to work. Six weeks is no time at all and if breastfeeding you have barely established a supply or schedule. Heck, at 10 weeks I am not on any kind of set schedule. Physically you are barely healed at 6 weeks. Women returning to labor intensive jobs at 6 weeks, too many returning far sooner, are forced to put their health at risk because our country has such apathy for maternal health. #Mothers are assets in the workforce. We are #multitaskers and #planners . We have conflict resolution skills that are the envy of world leaders and a capacity for patience only saints share. I am going back to work and I am lucky I can choose to work. But if the workforce wants moms, they need to start showing it. Also, #sahm ‘s are literal heroes. This is the hardest job (at least 20x harder than my day job, surgery and soldiering may be slightly more stressful) and the work you do is so important. https://www.instagram.com/p/B3c7QCiFwd-/?igshid=bqrmic1x1e3w
