It Takes a Village: Maternity Leave and the Importance of Employer Support

20% of women experience a post-partum mental health issue. Here’s how perinatal support can provide critical resources for parents in your organization.

Delivering a baby is one of the most common reasons women file a disability claim. While some might consider the claims process to be straightforward, there’s a lot that happens during the post-pregnancy perinatal period that can have substantial impacts on maternal mental health.

During the perinatal period, 1 in 5 mothers experience a perinatal mood disorder, such as postpartum depression and anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic, bipolar disorder, and psychosis.¹ While these conditions aren’t uncommon, only 40% receive a diagnosis, and of those, only half receive treatment. 

1 in 5 women experience a perinatal mood disorder, but what’s even more alarming is that 1 in 19 deaths related to pregnancy are the result of suicide.¹ Suicide is most likely to occur between nine and 12 months postpartum, making it even more paramount to screen mothers for clinical symptoms throughout the entire perinatal period. Unfortunately, screenings only tend to occur at two weeks and possibly six weeks.

Adjusting to the new “normal”

Typical psychological adjustment after having a baby can take many forms, all of which are normal and experienced by most women. Here are some examples of common mental health issues many women may experience after the birth of a child¹: 

• 85% of women experience the “baby blues;” while this typically only lasts a few weeks, some women may seek out clinical support if it lasts longer.
• 70% or more of women experience unsettling thoughts, like “what if I drop the baby?”
• Some women don’t feel an immediate connection to their baby, which often results in feeling inadequate

New moms may attempt to push these feelings away, but they often remain distressed. This can be fueled by the societal assumption that having a baby is supposed to be a primarily joyful experience and that a little distress is normal. Additionally, stressors such as breastfeeding, daycare, and new financial responsibilities can be overwhelming and put new mothers at risk for clinical depression, anxiety, and feeling inadequate.

Key Findings from Prudential’s Survey

To better understand the perinatal experience, Prudential surveyed nearly 800 U.S. employees. Respondents were all women who were birth parents, 55 or younger. Here’s how they responded:

When asked about returning to work, nearly half of the employees were with another employer during their maternity experience, and 37% felt very supported by their manager. 63% also noted their return-to-work process was somewhat or very difficult.

Five pillars of perinatal care to help you support your employees

Prudential’s research uncovered five common themes emerged from Prudential’s research interviews that illustrate how employers can help address employees’ needs during the perinatal period: 

1. Managers can either make or break the experience. Manager support is vital to productivity and retention. Participants who had children after COVID indicated that more flexibility is necessary when kids are sick because daycares are more strict. One participant suggested the option of remote work for up to one year due to the unpredictability of first-year illnesses. 
   “I almost didn’t take my current job at Prudential, which was a significant pay raise, because of how great my manager was during my pregnancy and my return to work.” 

2. Education is vital. Most participants and spouses didn’t know what to expect once their baby was born. They knew sleep would be a challenge, but they had no idea just how hard it would be. In addition, all but one shared they had no mental health education related to their postpartum experience. 
   “I thought they might be better off without me because I (felt) I had no idea what I was doing.” 

I did not have the capacity to understand what I was going through. I was in a hole. I thought, “Where was my husband in this?” 

3. Community. Participants talked about the need for community and someone they can relate to. One spoke of a parent chat at work that happened organically. Because women tend to minimize their feelings, needs, and symptoms, a community or support resource that allows for regular check-ins can be impactful. 
   “It was nice to be able to hear what others were going through; that it was normal.” 

4. Resources. Adequately advertising resources—and how to access them—came through as an important need. One participant suggested a platform that would serve as a navigation tool to help employees know where to go, what exists, and when to access services. Some also mentioned a navigator to help with the return-to-work process. 
   “It’s all overwhelming to think about how to pump and remain productive.”

5. Mental health resources and a digital application. We also asked about the impact of a digital mental health/holistic wellness tool during the perinatal period. Respondents emphasized the application should be customized to include local resources, such as lactation and postpartum education, and the ability to engage with the community. 

What you can do next 

The assumption that the perinatal experience is completely joyful is just that—an assumption. About 20% of women will experience a postpartum mental health condition, four of which can be devastating to their overall well-being and potentially even prevent return to work. Ultimately, these types of mental health conditions can leave mothers feeling lost and alone. Employers can take various steps to support their employees’ mental, physical, financial, and social health and retain this valuable portion of the workforce.  

Read the full article to learn more about how you can support mothers in your organization. 

Learn more about Prudential.

Footnote
¹ Waller, Hillary. (2022). Postpartum Depression and Related Disorders. Clinical strategies to identify and treat mothers who are suffering in silence.