It's no secret that having a baby is expensive; the out-of-pocket cost associated with pregnancy and childbirth hovers around $3,000.[1] That number is especially tough to swallow when you consider that many families get these bills right when their paychecks stop rolling in.
More than half of parents (51%) take some form of unpaid leave to care for their babies, a new What To Expect survey found.
The 2,275 moms surveyed report missing out on $9,480, on average, by taking parental leave. This financial fallout forced nearly half (43%) of these families to cut back on non-essential purchases and 37% to dip into their savings.
"I am using all of my savings to cover my expenses while I'm out of work," one survey respondent said. "In an economy that generally requires two incomes to afford housing, maternity leave and childcare are two very challenging obstacles to navigate."
Parents are already taking less leave than they need
The women in our survey reported taking nearly 11 weeks of maternity leave on average, and a concerning number (25%) took six weeks or less. (Fully recovering from childbirth can take months, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.)[2] Partners had even less time to bond with their babies, typically getting less than five weeks off — 29% took just a few days or no time at all.
Most moms (74%) agree this isn't enough, but many feel they have no choice but to go back to work before they're ready.
"I would just love to have more time to recover and bond with my baby," one respondent shared. "Six to eight weeks are not enough, and I do not have a choice to stay home due to the fact that it would not financially work for my family."
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Taking this insufficient amount of leave is still costing parents close to $10,000
Despite the fact that many parents head back to work sooner than they'd like, they're still suffering major financial consequences. On average, new parents are losing $9,480 in income — that's one sixth of the average American worker's annual salary, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).[3]
To accommodate for this nearly five-figure loss, 43% of families cut back on non-essential spending, 37% made budget cuts and 37% dipped into their savings. Nearly a quarter (24%) relied more on credit cards, and 1 in 10 stopped contributing to a retirement account.
Some parents try to minimize the financial impact by taking steps before their babies arrive. They stock up on essential household and baby products (53%), take advantage of coupons and discounts (51%) and proactively save money before the birth (44%).
"I sold off a lot of collectibles to save up money for my maternity leave," one respondent said. "I wish I had paid time off for my maternity leave and didn't have to."
The U.S. needs a federal paid leave policy so this doesn't happen
The U.S. is one of six countries in the world without a national paid maternity leave policy, forcing moms to cobble together time through their employers and states that's often unpaid.[4]
"The parental leave policy in the USA is insufficient and incomparable to other countries' policies," one respondent said. "I needed more than 12 to 16 weeks to bond with my baby and prepare to return to work."
Most moms we surveyed (86%) agree that they would support a federal paid leave policy.
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.
Methodology
The What to Expect Leave Survey was conducted by Everyday Health Group from June 24 to July 12, 2024. We surveyed 2,275 women ages 18 to 54 who are currently pregnant or have at least one child up to 5 years old.
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