Nurses and Maternity Leave

After reading the blog on KevinMD ‘s website about the research showing “It is not until about eight weeks of age that an infant has a fully developed capacity for mutual gaze”, we began to wonder how much time do nurses take for their maternity leave. 21 years ago I had to return to work after 4 months due to financial circumstances and with 2nd child I was lucky to have 6 months off but had to return on that day or not have a job. So we wondered how nurses today deal with this return to work issue.

Are the places they work flexible? Do the hours allow them to return after just 6-8 weeks? Do many take the 12 weeks unpaid that is now allowed by the law since 1993? (Family Medical Leave Act) Also do nurses work right up to the time they deliver their babies? Are they able to still perform their daily jobs or do they have to change jobs to keep on working?

Being on one’s feet all day is hard enough but adding 20 lbs of weight to the mix all day must be challenging. Other women who work at desk jobs can continue working right until the day of their delivery if all is well health wise and they don’t tire out from exhaustion in the last few weeks as I had. So we at FancyScrubs.com are curious as to how nurses today cope with the demands of job, pregnancy and a maternity leave.

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