Of course, you wouldn't be surprised, if I told you that there was not a single "developed" country which does not provide paid maternal leave.But that would be a gross understatement. In fact, United States is the ONLY country IN THE WORLD that does not provide paid maternal leave, except for a few tiny nations (Papua New Guinea with 5 million citizens). Yes, you read that right. Congo has paid maternal leave, so does El Salvador, and Haiti has managed to pass that piece of legislation in between coups. Pakistan can afford it, but not the United States of America.
I've been thinking (and getting angry) about this recently because I'm in Europe visiting friends who just just had a baby. Let me tell you about her experience, and compare it with yours.
I was visiting my friends who had a daughter this past week. They both had paid leaves from work after her birth (not to mention the 3 month pre-birth paid leave with 100% salary compensation). He took his annual leave (one month). She took 12 months of PAID parental leave (2/3 of her salary), but they had the right to take 14 months together. So the father will take 2 months of paid leave after she returns to work. As we were watching the beautiful baby and talking about her, the doorbell rang. It was the midwife who visited them every day. She first talked to the mother, inquired about her health, her pain, her psychological state. Then she asked questions about the baby. Had she slept well? Were there any problems? Yes, she had dry skin and the parents were concerned.
So the midwive examined the baby. She gave them instructions on how to treat dry skin. She weighed the baby, measured her height and told us that she was doing fantastic. She spent about 30 minutes with the baby and then left. She was kind enough to say goodbye to us in English. She will keep visiting them for a month, and then some, if required.
These parents are going to receive a child allowance every month until the child is 18. No, they're not on "welfare". Every family receives a set amount per child. Their children will be covered for everything. They don't know what the word "pre-existing condition" means. They really don't. They will both have 1 month paid leave from work every year. They will also receive extra money for vacations.
After paid parental leave expires, one of the parents can stay at home to take care of the children for another 2 years. They will not receive money, but their job will be safe for another 2 years. They can also work part-time at their job. That is a total of 3 years parental leave. Right now, they don't know if they'll use this option. But it's there and they're happy to have the option.
Did I also mention that the new mother stayed four days at the hospital after the birth because it was very comfortable? Of course, she didn't have to pay a dime. It was all covered by her insurance. And sure enough, it was state insurance (although they were free to purchase private insurance).
So here's ONE reason why European babies have higher chances of living than American babies. Everyone has access to pre and post-natal care. Every parent has the option to stay at home to take care of a newborn without losing income or employment. Having good medical care matters. Having a midwife check up on mother's and baby's health after birth matters. Having parents stay at home to take care of their babies matters. Helping out families with children matters. But in America, women of reproductive age pay more insurance than men. In America, giving birth is expensive. If you don't have insurance, good luck. Post-natal care is limited. Parents are forced to go back to work immediately after they have babies.
So which country values families more? US or Germany? Talking about the value and importance of families and children is easy. Talk is cheap. American parents need a helping hand. Universal health care is a start, and it's a good start.
*My friends live in Germany.