After giving birth, new moms are faced with the struggle of balancing the physical needs of their recovering bodies, emotional needs of being a new mother and the financial needs of returning to work. With one in four women returning to work just two weeks after delivery, it is past time for the U.S. to prioritize paid parental leave. Taking care of mothers, who make up 57 percent of our workforce, is the first step towards a safer and healthier tomorrow.
Author: Sara Mirza
Dr. Sara Mirza is a pulmonary and critical care physician at Rush University Medical Center. She is also a wife, mother and caregiver. This year she is serving as a Public Voices fellow with the OpEd Project.
Before Burnout: The Price Women Pay To Have It All
“How could I, a highly-trained physician, not recognize the symptoms I taught trainees everyday?”
Society has convinced women we have to do it all: be successful in the workplace while fulfilling the lion’s share of care work at home. Women overcompensate by outperforming in both their fields and families—but the cost many face to their personal well-being is not worth it. Women must forgo this illusion and work to find balance in their life that works for them, accepting that they themselves have to be their own top priority.