Generous paternal leave policies improve maternal and newborn health, family finances and workplace equality

A family life educator surveys research showing that paternal leave, especially two weeks or more, improves maternal mental health, extends breastfeeding, and strengthens father-child bonds for up to nine years. Swedish studies found flexible paternal leave reduced postpartum complications, and countries like Sweden and Norway earmark 90 non-transferable days per parent specifically to push fathers to take time off.

In the U.S., the Family and Medical Leave Act guarantees unpaid time off only in limited circumstances, and many parents return to work sooner than researchers consider healthy because they cannot afford unpaid leave. Infant childcare, meanwhile, costs nearly $200 more per month on average than toddler care, leaving many families caught between the cost of leave and the cost of care. Some private employers have begun offering paternal leave anyway, simply to compete for workers, since the government isn't requiring it.

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