Dreaming of prenatal leave

Yet another way being pregnant in America sucks

I, too, have been falling asleep at my desk lately [Vitaly Gariev, Unsplash]

My recent Google search history is filled with profound queries like “why so tired pregnancy,” “third trimester exhausted,” and “pregnancy fatigue normal?” Even basic life maintenance tasks feel hard these days.

I felt validated, then, when I had dinner with a French friend who was surprised to learn I was still working and planned to keep doing so until roughly a week before my due date. “At home, you’d already be off!” he told me.

Once I got over my jealousy of those French women easing into motherhood – no wonder French moms are so chill! – I got curious. Had I discovered yet another way the U.S. lets parents, and especially birthing parents, down?