There are few times in people’s lives when they think to themselves, “I’d rather be in the hospital.”
One of those times is what a woman experiences several days after her due date when her stubborn baby is still refusing to come out and meet the world. At least, that’s what I’m feeling.
I was really hoping to use this column to announce the birth of my daughter, but since that doesn’t quite seem to be in the cards for me now (maybe later this weekend), I thought I’d use this extra baby-less week to express my love for the Army’s paternity leave policy.
While I’ve expressed my distaste for the unpredictable quality of the military when it comes to making a birth plan, there are few employers that offer husbands such great leave for the birth of their children.
Josh’s upcoming 10 days of leave are an essential part of what’s helping me keep hold of my sanity in these past few — or not so few — days.
Years ago, long before the 10-day paternity leave was a thought in some lonely wife’s mind, it wasn’t such a big deal for soldiers to be around during the first days of their children’s lives.
Now, in a culture where we know a father is every bit as important as a mother in the lives of children, this leave opportunity is priceless.
Each time I start to worry about adjusting to motherhood, my husband reminds me that he’ll be around to help with the transition and my worries are gone.
I know I can be a little critical of the military, but when it comes down to it, changes continually are being made to improve support for families.
There are so few employers that will go to such great lengths to help families.
And I think that’s fair because there are few families who go to such great lengths to support their country.