In a recent viral TikTok video, a working mother captured the absurdity of the U.S. parental leave situation by filming herself drafting an email to her boss while in active labor. This incident is indicative of the deep-rooted issues within American work culture and the glaring absence of comprehensive paid parental leave policies. When Jenna Foster entered labor this past summer, her focus should have been on welcoming her new child, but instead, she found herself preoccupied with the task of notifying her employer.
“Labor is stressful, but calling in sick is even more nerve-wracking,” Jenna noted in her TikTok caption, which garnered over 5 million views. In the video, she lies in a hospital bed, reading from her phone, “I am in labor. I just got admitted to the hospital. ☺️ Would it be alright for my sister to pick up my paycheck tomorrow?” Concerned about how the message would be received, she turns to her partner for reassurance, who responds, “It’s perfect.”
Jenna explained to BuzzFeed that labor began unexpectedly early in the morning on a day she was scheduled to work later that day. “I went into labor at 2 a.m. on a day I was supposed to be at work by 10 a.m.,” she said. “I was overanalyzing this text to my boss mainly because I have anxiety. I was a week and a half early, which caught everyone off guard.”
Despite her partner’s confidence that her boss would be understanding, the pressure of having to reach out to work added to her anxiety during such a significant moment. “Being a young parent giving birth during a pandemic added to my stress. Having to call out of work felt like the final straw,” she shared. Shortly after, she welcomed a baby boy named Max.
The United States has some of the most inadequate paid family leave policies in the world. Additionally, the work environment often punishes employees for wanting to spend time with their newborns and stigmatizes men who take parental leave. During labor, the last thing anyone should be worrying about is how their boss will react to their absence while they bring a new life into the world.
Many viewers resonated with Jenna’s experience, commenting with both humor and sadness about their own struggles. Some even highlighted the need for comprehensive family leave policies for everyone, not just new mothers or fathers.
“I relate to all of the comments about the lack of parental leave,” Jenna said. “I’m really disappointed in the U.S. for not offering adequate maternity and paternity leave. Most people I know worked right up until labor, as I did. I know individuals who returned to work just weeks after giving birth. My partner didn’t receive any paternity leave and went back to work less than a day after we got home from the hospital.”
For those interested in learning more about home insemination and related topics, check out this article on pregnancy and home insemination from WebMD. Additionally, you can find resources on parental leave policies from Intracervical Insemination. If you’re looking for more information on becoming a parent, visit Make a Mom.
In summary, Jenna’s experience sheds light on the systemic issues surrounding parental leave in the United States, highlighting the need for reform in how we support new parents both in and out of the workplace.