Your Ultimate Guide to Paid Leave
Here’s How Much Leave Parents *Actually* Need
by Caroline Picard
Fact-checked by Dominique De Lope | September 17, 2024
If you need a sign that parental leave is necessary — and definitely not just a vacation — this is it.
What to Expect surveyed more than 2,000 moms about their families' paid leave experiences. As it turns out, parents in the U.S. don't get much time off after having a baby. On average, moms take about 11 weeks — and 25% take six weeks or less.
of moms agree they didn't get the time off they needed to recover before returning to work.
Dads and partners tend to take an even shorter leave: less than five weeks, on average, and 29% took just a few days or no time at all.
By analyzing more than 2,000 parents' survey responses, we were able to determine when certain advantages tied to taking a longer leave became statistically significant — and we mapped them out on the timeline below.
Length of mom's leave
Weeks
11
weeks
(about 2 months)
Average amount of leave moms take
42% of moms take some unpaid leave — 6.8 weeks, on average
13
weeks
(about 3 months)
13 weeks is a big inflection point when moms are more likely to:
Feel bonded with their babies
Successfully accomplish their breastfeeding goals
Feel the length of their leave positively impacted their physical wellbeing
17
weeks
(about 4 months)
When moms are less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions
21
weeks
(about 5 months)
When moms have had enough time off to adapt to their new role as a parent
(about 7 months)
31
weeks
When moms feel adequately prepared to return to work
Length of partner's leave
Weeks
5
weeks
(about 1 month)
Average amount of leave partners take
32% of partners take some unpaid leave — 2.7 weeks, on average
7
weeks
(about 1 months)
When moms are more likely to say they got all of the support they needed from their partners
8 weeks of partner leave is a bit of a magic number. It's when partners are more likely to:
(about 2 months)
8
weeks
Have a stronger bond with their babies
Share in family responsibilities
Say their moods were positively impacted by their time off
9
weeks
When moms are more likely to rate their mental health as good or excellent during their maternity leave
(about 2 months)
14
weeks
When moms feel able to properly recover and support their families' needs
(about 3 months)
of moms say they would support federally guaranteed paid leave in the U.S.
Methodology: What to Expect surveyed 2,275 women from June 24 to July 12, 2024, for its paid leave survey. Respondents were U.S. women, age 18 to 54, who are expecting or have a child 0 to 5 years old.
If you're among them, visit the What to Expect Project to contact your representatives and let them know why passing a law to guarantee paid family leave is so important to you and your community.
Your Ultimate Guide to Paid Leave
by Caroline Picard
Fact-checked by Dominique De Lope | September 17, 2024
