In many countries, women are allowed to take maternity leave from their jobs during the first year after the birth of their baby. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

The increasing number of new mothers in the labour force accounts for much of the growth in female employment over the

last

30 years. Employers are required by law to allow one year or more to parental leave after the birth or adoption, but the time varies from country to country.

However

, the time mothers can nurture their infants without losing their job have sparked a controversial debate about whether the outcomes are more positive or negative. From my personal standpoint, the benefits of staying a long period are far greater than the drawbacks. Admittedly, there are some basic downsides of

this

situation and one concern might be related to financial and economic considerations that affect the mother’s working patterns. Many women are unlike to take long maternity leaves unless their leaves are paid.

This

policy may potentially lead to another negative consequence, which is staying away from her job for one year the mother might be outdated and be effortlessly replaced for another professional.

Nevertheless

, another angle on

this

discussion demonstrates that numerous studies have shown that allowing parents time with a newborn makes the child and the parents healthier, both physically and mentally.

Furthermore

, maternity leave policies may have long-term effects on a mother’s health by preventing or reducing psychiatric disorder,

such

as depression, posttraumatic stress, anxiety and postpartum psychosis.

Additionally

, it is crucial to foster a strong breastfeeding connection for the health and well-being of the baby. The World Health Organization says the minimum standard period of exclusive breastfeeding should be 6 months because breastmilk promotes sensory and cognitive development and protects the infant against infectious and chronic diseases. To sum up, despite the fact that there are some drawbacks related to the period women may be at home to care their child, supported by the fact some countries have unpaid family leave, the positive aspects have been proven clearly superior because in my view there is nothing more important than the mothers and child’s health.