NICU mom’s heartbreaking TikTok shows the frustrating reality of maternity leave in the US

In The Know by Yahoo
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NICU mom’s heartbreaking TikTok shows the frustrating reality of maternity leave in the US: 'This. Is. America'. When Rebecca Shumard posted to TikTok 12 days after giving birth, she was feeling frustrated, fearful, guilty and spent. While those feelings can happen to any mom, and do, Shumard's case wasn't exactly typical. The 26-year-old medical assistant/exercise physiologist had recorded herself sitting at her desk at work. crying because her daughter was being treated in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) after being born at 27 weeks — a mere three weeks past viability. "POV, you have to 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," Shumard posted. "You try to pump at work every three hours, but they're understaffed. Your milk supply is diminishing at eight weeks postpartum,". Will you even have milk available when she gets home?" she continued. Shumard, aka @edensmomma10_12, wrote "This. Is. America"

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