Motherhood is challenging, tasking, and takes a toll on even the best of mothers. No mother should be forced to return to work just days after giving birth to her child. Maternity leave is essential; babies need their mums to grow and nurture.
Today’s story is about Rebecca, a 26-year-old from the USA. She recorded a video and shared it on TikTok, a genuinely heartbreaking video showing her working and inability to be with her baby in the NICU because of how the system works.
A Mother’s Love, Tested
Rebecca’s baby, Eden, was born prematurely at 27 weeks. Because of her premature birth, Eden was kept in the NICU to help with her development. That, in itself, is enough for any mother to bear and go through. But things took a turn for the worse when she had to go back to work 12 days after giving birth to Eden!
This gut-wrenching video really shows how distraught and troubled this new mother is, unable to take care of her baby while trying to pay the bills.
In her video, Rebecca writes:
“You return to work 12 days after having a premature baby at 27 weeks, so that when she is eventually discharged from the NICU you can spend what little maternity leave you have with her.
“You try to pump at work every three hours, but they’re understaffed.
“Your milk supply is diminishing at 8 weeks postpartum.
“Will you even have milk available when she gets home?
“What do other NICU parents do? How can anyone afford to stay home during an NICU stay?
“How can anyone handle the guilt when you have to work and can’t be with your baby?
The sheer trauma and sadness can be seen so clearly on Rebecca’s face as she tries to get on with her day at work. Postpartum is a difficult situation for mothers – it can go from anywhere to depression, decreased milk production, and much worse. But this young lady didn’t give up.
Humanity Lives, Help Swiftly Arrives
After her video went viral on TikTok, showing the true power of social media – Rebecca received tremendous support from all over the world. People asked if they could send her money to help, strangers, friends, people who’d never met her chimed in to help out in any way they could – a pure showcase of humanity in the digital age.
In her video, looking much less stressed and calm, she thanked her supporters wholeheartedly:
“So many of you have shown support, reached out, donated, which is crazy to me. It is absolutely not the responsibility of generous people like you to take on something like this on.
Jessica Reunites with Her Eden
Finally, after going through an incredibly tough time as a first-time mother, Jessica could hold her baby and be with her in the NICU. She posted a video, thanking everyone for all of their love and support. Baby Eden can be seen blissfully sleeping and making cute baby sounds as her mother embraces her.
She wrote in her video:
“TikTok… Because of you, I will not be forced to choose between being with my daughter in NICU or paying the bills. I am eternally grateful.”
Eden Comes Home
After ten long weeks in the NICU, Eden is finally home! Jessica shares their updates regularly on her TikTok – you should follow the mother-daughter duo here.
Sources:
- Jessica’s TikTok
- Images, Quotes & Featured Image via Jessica’s TikTok
What are your thoughts on this young mother’s incredible journey? Let us know in the comments below!
I’m old fashion I believe that women should be married before having children. That way the mothers don’t have to work, they can stay home with their child. Back in the 60s 70s and 80s, 75% of people with children were married. That has changed now it only 47%.
I know women that have 4 or 5 kids to different dads.
Because there are many instances that the fathers of the baby act like the women are a burden when they don’t help out with the bills and there are also times that the husband control their wives because “they’re “ the ones making money[if a woman become a stay at home mom]. There also many instances that the father of the child cheats when they get the woman pregnant. So if we become a stay at home mom and not work because we should let men be the man of the house and work them ass off because of course they made us preggy. What’s gonna happen to us when they ass cheat? Live on the street? Starve? Stay and suffer because we’re nothing without the man you’re talking about? So yeah as much as marriage is sacred even I would love to be married. Things happen. We make mistakes. Make poor choices. And we learn. Sadly, Marriage don’t last.
Great! Then don’t get a woman you are not married to pregnant and keep your judgmental attitude to yourself. But of course you think the world just HAS to know your opinion on the matter. Why don’t you spend your time helping show some fatherless boys how to be a father instead of criticizing people in situations you have no idea about?
In today’s economy, it is not always possible to live off of one income, so even married couples have thus same issue. I saw it all the time when I worked in the NICU, so don’t assume that it’s only unwed mothers returning to work early.
It’s hilarious how you think being married would automatically mean a woman doesn’t have to work, or that the household can sustain feeding minimum 3 mouths on one salary in 2022. Maybe you should go back to the 40’s and 50’s when this was more of a reality.
Sincerely, a working mom running her own businesses, while breastfeeding and supporting my husband as a stay at home dad. PS, we weren’t married when we had our first either!
This is my exact story! Back in 2007 I had to have an emergency C-section with my daughter at 34 weeks. I was the only one working in the family (lazy bum ex wouldn’t work) and I didn’t have enough leave time built up to take my full six weeks. Ex wouldn’t go to work, even temporarily, to help pay the bills, so I had to BEG my doctor to give me a note saying I could go back to work because my employer wouldn’t let me return without it. She didn’t want to because I’d just had major surgery and she was afraid I wouldn’t be able to drive myself (ex wouldn’t drive me, either) and apply the brake in an emergency if needed. But she reluctantly agreed. So I went back to work, 10 days after having a C-section with my premature baby, while her lazy, good-for-nothing “dad” got to stay home with her.
That’s good you left him. Obviously you don’t need someone like your ex. Just a waste in the earth.
I’m so happy for her. The system is screwed up. God bless her.
She is loved by humans and we also care 😘😘😘😘😘😘😘 about you and your baby please take care of yourself and her, welcome to motherhood
This is the USA , Why is this still happening ? Cañada gives one year to new parents , yes men are included ! So this never happens , it’s the voters that cause this