Longing for Maternity Leave

Disclaimer: This post is in no way a stuble hint about the near future.

Last year at this time I was able to snuggle my sweet Hannahbelle 24/7. She was a cute little 3 mo old bundle and I get to experience every minute of her day and night; missing nothing and worrying only about new mommy stuff. Then came week sixteen, and Mommy had to enter back into the working world, as a mommy. Luckily I was able to cut down my hours by 10 and my days by two. It has been a blessing to be with Hannah four days a week, but I am really missing maternity leave. I think that once a year mommies (and daddies too) should be able to take three whole months off with their kids. No cares but what adventure to have that day. In Canada you can have a whole year off for maternity leave. In the US the law is 6 weeks, though many states due have Family Leave of 16 wks.

Early bonding is essential for child and caretaker(s), but what about the other 18 - 20 yrs your child lives with you? Wouldn't it be nice to have the opportunity to be with them in larger chunks of time? Some of us are lucky to have jobs with the summers off, or have the ability to be stay-at-home parents but for those of us who need to work, and may like to work couldn't a "floating maternity leave" policy be helpful?

Maybe it is just the stress of the holidays? Being a therapist during the holidays is interesting to say the least. I forgot how "everything magnifies, blows up, etc" at mental health clinics during this time of year. Last year the bliss (and sleeplessness) of being a new mommy really did erase all memory. I guess maybe I am seek that sort of existence again...blissful naivete?

My three-day weekends are as close as I get right now to maternity leave. I can immerse myself in my daughter, who is a laugh a minute. No need to check email, voicemail, complete progress notes, photocopy records for court, call countless other providers who are experiencing the same challenges with your mutual client, except you are supposed to be the miracle worker! No, my daughter is just happy if I can make animal sounds with her and provide what seems like an endless supply of "o's" (ie Cheerios) whenever she wants them.

For now, we will make due with our own make-shift maternity leave. It will be chunks, and bits and pieces here and there but we will loose ourselves in the bliss of being a family and let the outside world disappear.