Woman expresses horror upon discovering that maternity and FMLA are unpaid in the U.S.

Women have complete right to take maternity leave after they give birth. However, not every working mom has the luxury to sit at home and care for their infant because they have to worry about paying their bills. While many countries provide paid and even a whole year of maternity leave to postpartum mothers, America doesn't make it onto that list. Emily (@applebeeslover101 on TikTok) went on the platform to share her shock upon discovering that America has no such thing as paid maternity leave.

The video, which has reached over a million viewers as of now, shows Emily sharing her honest thoughts with her viewers. "I'm feeling quite silly because I did not realize—don't come for me I didn't know—I didn't need to know and I don't even need to know now but I didn't realize maternity leave, FMLA, is 12 weeks unpaid time off. Huh?" she exclaims, looking confused. "I'm so sorry my body's going through trauma. You're either pushing something literally out of you or you're getting it cut out. Oh, that needs time to heal and then on top of that, you have a whole new being that needs to be watched like a hawk for a while," she continues. 

Emily adds how she thinks it is simply unfair that the law has not taken any steps to protect the income of women during a period when they are pregnant or in a state of postpartum. "We're populating the earth. I don't, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm just, that's crazy to me. Who can I sue? The government?" she wonders. TikTok users who came across her video voiced their support and agreed with Emily's concerns. 

@vanjeveel wrote, "That’s crazy! We get 16 weeks of paid maternity leave in the Netherlands and I know some European countries get even more." @..kirie revealed, "In Norway, we get 12 months paid combined maternity/paternity leave. The US needs to take care of the coming generations." @alcoholicethanot added, "Girl where have you been? All the law is saying is that you are allowed 12 weeks off and you can’t be fired - not that they have to keep paying you." 

While Emily expressed her shock over the unfair system of maternity leave in America, another woman was actively raising her voice against it through her video. TikTok creator and mother, Anna Gantt—who goes by @annavgantt on the platform—pointed out how parents in America are suffering because of poor family and medical leave laws. She stressed the fact that the government is unempathetic towards parents who are expected to leave their six-week-old kid and come back to work to maintain their livelihood.

Gantt also points out the pressure it puts on the parent's mental and physical well-being. “I'm six weeks postpartum with my baby, and there's no way on earth I would be going back to work right now. The people who decided that it is okay to leave an infant at a daycare at six weeks old—jail,” the mom, who can be seen out on a stroll with her newborn and their dog, conveys. She also draws people's attention toward a particular law in the state of Georgia where she resides.

In the state, it is illegal to separate a puppy or kitten from their mothers before they are eight weeks old. “So how is it okay to leave a human at six weeks old?” Gantt questions. "I can't imagine being in the position where you must go back to work to survive, in order to provide for your family with dual income, or if your partner's not working and you're the one that's responsible, that must be awful. I thankfully work from home, but hitting six weeks and knowing that this is when most women return to work here in the United States is insanity," she further adds.

You can follow Emily (@applebeeslover101) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.