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MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII - Active-duty Marines and Sailors who are new mothers are now considering another addition to their lives: longer maternity leave.
Earlier this month Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced his authorization to increase maternity leave for Sailors and Marines. Female service members now have 18 weeks of maternity leave extended from the previous six-week limit. The new mothers are also allowed to use the additional leave at any time up to one year after their child is born. The new policy applies to any woman who has taken convalescent leave for giving birth since Jan. 1, according to the official announcement in a July 2 article written by the Office of the Chief of Information.
“It’s helpful in every aspect,” said Sgt. Rita Bates, an embark chief for Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367 and a new mother who meets the criteria of the policy. “After having a newborn, it can be tough keeping up appointments for them and yourself. With the additional time we have, we can do medical follow-ups for ourselves now too. Without that time, it’s hard to take leave.”
Bates, of Malaeloa, American Samoa, recently gave birth to her second child this year. During her first pregnancy, Bates recalls the pressure she felt to get back to work and into weight standards while recovering from a caesarian section. She said she appreciates how mothers can use the additional time for health concerns with less pressure from
their workplace.
“You’re worrying about work if you’re out for a while, especially if it’s a high-paced operating tempo,” she said. “With that extended leave, not only do I have time for taking care of my child but I can use that time to take care of my health. It makes it easier to get back into shape for Marine Corps standards.”
Although many U.S. workers have access to 12 weeks of job-protected leave through the Family and Medical Leave Act, the leave is unpaid. Several states have crafted their own laws to reform parental leave, but just 12 percent of surveyed workers have access to paid family leave, according to the March 2013 National Compensation Survey compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For Sgt. Brandi Cain, who is due to give birth in three weeks and is an embark chief at Marine Aircraft Group 24, the new policy will help ensure her whole family’s health post birth.
“This provides some good flexibility,” said Cain, of Fayetteville, N.C. “A lot of times in the first year your child is more prone to get sick. If you are dual active-duty, like my husband and I am, it’s hard not to take them to daycare.”
A total of 22 percent of employees who needed to use leave provided by the FML Act did so to care for a new child, according to a March 2014 report on paid parental leave by U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau.
Both Cain and Bates said the extended maternity leave will make the balance of serving in the Marine Corps and being with their families a little easier to manage.
“You can use that time for looking at (your baby’s) overall health so they develop needed skills and really be there for them,” Bates said. “That’s critical. Getting back to work, there is pressure for getting your unit ready for deployment and having to work a certain number of hours. It can strain time for your family.”
The two new mothers also said they can see how the additional time would help active-duty mothers who are also enrolled in school, changing duty stations or undergoing other military-related life events requiring additional attention.
Longer maternity leave is associated with healthier child development, better maternal mental health and increased breastfeeding duration, according to reports in Child Health USA 2013 published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration.
Both Bates and Cain said they welcome the new policy but also hope the days of paternity leave for active-duty Marines would increase or be shared. However Cain said the maternity leave she’ll have access to is already a great benefit.
“(I can use the time to) get my affairs in order,” Cain said. “It’s great because I can do whatever need to do, and then I can have peace of mind.”
| Date Taken: | 07.17.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 07.21.2015 18:20 |
| Story ID: | 170381 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, US |
| Hometown: | MALAELOA, AS |
| Hometown: | FAYETTEVILLE, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, SecNav extends maternity leave, by Christine Cabalo, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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