Having a baby is not an easy feat no matter which way they come out. The pregnant person is either laboring for hours and then pushing for what feels like even more hours, or they’re getting cut from hip to hip to bring about their bundle of joy. (Unless you’re one of those lucky—or rather not-so-lucky—folks who get to labor for hours only to still end up in surgery.)
Giving birth is hard and healing afterward can feel dang near impossible, especially given that most states in the U.S. only offer six weeks of maternity leave and it’s typically unpaid. But did you know that not everyone has that experience?
A mom who had her first child in the U.S. before meeting her current husband and relocating to Germany is shedding light on postpartum care in her new country. The stark contrast is beyond shocking to women living in the U.S. and she’s got a few considering crossing the ocean for a better quality of life.
Aly, whose TikTok username is @usa.mom.in.germany, took to the platform to explain the resources provided to postpartum moms provided completely free. “Daily in-home visits with a nurse-midwife to check on me and the baby, up to three years parental leave while my job is protected, mental health therapy appointments every other week,” Aly recounted.
Wow. Just those few things are beyond impressive, especially given that they’re free, but she wasn’t done. The list seemed neverending and people who live in the U.S. had some feelings about it.
“Every video you make gets me closer to actually moving to Germany,” one woman said.
Another wrote, “Why did this make me sob. It feels like I was robbed of the early years living with my babies in the US.”
“Sobbing as I’m currently pregnant with my second, and I need a break to love my kids the way they deserve,” one mom shared.
Honestly, I relate. My third child spent the first six months of his life in an airplane hangar because I had to return to work, still swollen from my c-section, and my husband was out of paternity leave. We had to work opposite shifts to make it work and the hour overlap meant my son got to watch F-15s take off wearing noise-canceling earphones much too big for his tiny baby head. Not the ideal situation, but who knew there was another way?
Germany, apparently. They seem to have some things figured out over there. See for yourself below:
@usa.mom.in.germany Postpartum Resources as a U.S. American 🇺🇸 in Germany 🇩🇪 In the wake of the news of Lindsay Clancy, it becomes overwhelmingly obvious how many of these resources are unavailable in the USA. We need so much more for postpartum mothers. #livingingermany #germanyvsusa #postpartum #lindsayclansy
Source: https://www.upworthy.com/mom-germany-postpartum-support