Mom’s Emotional Tiktok on maternity leave proves that the US is failing, mothers

Marissa Jeanne, a working mother, becomes viral for sharing her rough and genuine response to her last day of maternity leave. With twins that slept peacefully on her chest, she opened over the emotional whiplash from return to work and the impossible pressure of “doing everything” as a mother.

“Today is my last day of maternity leave and I’m going back to work tomorrow,” she shared on Tiktok. “And I just feel that I didn’t have enough time with them.”

For mothers in the US, maternity leave is an emotional minefield. Three months can feel a lifetime when you wait until your baby arrives, but on the other hand? It is a wink. I had three months with my first, and although I soaked hug and milestone in every baby, it still felt too short. And yet I was expected to go back to work again, with the drop-offs for childcare juggling and somehow not torn in two by the transition.

Related: Do I have to stay at home or go back to work after the matter?

The impossible expectations of maternity leave

Marissa admits that although she is grateful for her time away from work, she could not help it, but the feeling she had not ‘completed’ enough – a sentiment that so many mothers echoed in the comments of her video.

“I know I got longer than many women with three months, but I just don’t feel physically and mentally,” she said. “There is so much that you think you are going to do on maternity leave … And then I am here at the end, such as:” I didn’t do that. “

Sounds known? Pregnancy leave is not a vacation – it is a whirlwind of sleepless nights, food schedules and healing your body while keeping a small person alive. And yet our culture treats it as a treat that mothers should feel happy.

The US versus the world: a hard reality check

Marissa’s video made an agreement, not only for the vulnerability she shared, but also for the grim memory of how broken the system is. In the comments, mothers from all over the world shared the policy of their country, so that the US shame:

• “3M is inhumane. In the UK I get full wages for 9 months and can take a tear, “ @Chaoshousewives said that more than 1.4k received likes.

• “In my country (Romania) you have 2 years of maternity leave,” @Leni added.

• “Germany has 5 years of maternity leave!” @Samanthacarolina noticed, causing American mothers to stagger.

In the meantime, here in the US, the Family and Medical Leave Acting only grants employees for 12 weeks of unpaid parental leave – a privilege that many mothers cannot afford to take. Only 13 states require any form of paid leave, and even then it is often too little, too late.

Why mothers feel that they are failing (but not)

The story of Marissa speaks to the feeling of universal debt acting mothers. She loves her career and feels proud of what she does, but the reality of spending only a few hours with her children after work is a gut pot. “There is always the mother to blame for you who don’t give your children enough time, but you can’t do it all,” she said. “You can’t give anything 100%.”

And that is the heartbreaking truth. Mothers are expected to work as if they don’t have children and older as if they don’t have a job – while they fight against upright childcare costs, reversing reproductive rights and social pressure to be everything for everyone.

But here is what Marissa remembered her followers: “You do the best you can do for your children, and that is all that counts.”

For every mother who is confronted with the bittersweet reality of back to work after the maternity leave, this knows: it’s great to mourn the time that has been passed on. It’s okay to feel unprepared. And it is great to demand better – for you, for your babies, and for every mother who earns more than 12 unpaid weeks to heal, bind and find her foot.

Related: This is exactly how you can negotiate flexibility after maternity leave

The emotional and long -term benefits of paid maternity leave

The viral video of Marissa Jeanne about the emotional toll to get back to work after maternity leave underlines an important point supported by science: paid family leave has long -term health benefits for mothers. A groundbreaking 2021 study about Norwegian mothers showed that those who gave birth after paid maternity leave in 1977 decades later, including improved mental health, lower blood pressure, healthier weights and less pain.

These findings are not only anecdotal – they are proof of the importance of giving mothers the time they need to recover from delivery and bond with their babies without the extra stress of financial uncertainty. Researchers speculate that reduced stress, more time to cure, and the ability to breastfeed longer, all play important roles in these lasting health benefits.

Related: Mother goes viral on Tiktok for data presentation that shows the reality of maternity leave

As Marissa said in her video: “You can’t give 100% to everything”, and the US does not make it any easier. With just 12 weeks of unpaid leave guaranteed by the law and minimal options paid, mothers are often forced to make impossible choices between their career and their health. Studies such as these prove that giving free time of paying time is not only a gift for the early postpartum period-it is an investment in their long-term well-being and, by extension, the health of their families.

While the US still has a long way to offer fair family leave, companies like mothers first work to move the needle. By making tools such as PaidLeave.ai, they make it easier for families to navigate about state -specific policy and gain access to the support they earn during one of the most critical and transforming times in their lives.

We hope that the story of Marissa and the science behind paid leave spark a bigger conversation about what mothers really need to thrive. Because when mothers are supported, everyone benefits.