Lauren Smith Brody

I want to say.

Oh, I might get that wrong.

I think it's 93.

And it had been proposed for nine years prior to that.

And when it was originally proposed, it was supposed to be six paid months, which I think a lot of people don't realize.

But even back then, we knew that six months was most protective of mom's physical health, mom's mental health, baby's physical health, dad or partner's bond with the baby.

mom's ability to maintain her income and her status at work, all those things.

And yet we ended up with this sort of Band-Aid placeholder that was supposed to be improved upon that so far has not been, except in several states where it has been, and except by private companies where it has been.

But then you have to have a job at one of those companies.

So anyway, there's this whole...

I think that this is where the root of mom guilt comes from, working mom guilt in particular, that if you go back and it feels hard, there must be something wrong with you.

No, not at all.

So instead, the real advice is to link arms with others who have similar needs and to call out and see the business case behind calling out the needs you have.

Because if you help your employer help you,

you're ultimately creating a better culture and a more profitable company.

So it's really that reframe.

And then how you apply that, like you can apply that in, you know, like the ways that you ask for flexibility in your day.

And I have sort of negotiation tactics around that in how you, how you organize your mornings, how you organize your childcare, how you sort of orient your feelings about that childcare, like how you make childcare decisions in a way that ultimately helps you feel good, which then comes back to your child.

Anyway, all the research had been sort of previously focused very much on what's good for baby.

I like to look at what's good for mom because when you look at what's good for mom, ultimately, that's good for baby, too.