If you've had a baby, you probably remember how much fun those first few weeks were, right? It is just so nice after being big, pregnant, and uncomfortable for all of that time when your body bounces back the day after you give birth, right? And let's not forget all that sleep you can finally catch up on after months of heartburn and restless legs that kept you up all night. There is nothing quite like that maternity leave vacation to help you start to feel normal again. Sorry, we just spit Diet Coke all over our computer screen.
This may sound like a big joke, and that's because it is. But sadly, some people actually believe that maternity leave is a vacation. They think moms are on some pleasure cruise and taking time off from their "real jobs" to care for their kids. The hilarious Kayla Marie Sullivan, @kaylareporting, posted her take on maternity leave in a TikTok that has moms everywhere saying, "Preach, girl!"
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Breaking news: You just gave birth.
Sullivan’s TikTok account is a parody of news coverage about parenting that is totally relatable. In a recent clip, she posted a breaking news story about childbirth and what a mom can expect after.
She says to the camera directly: “Even though you have six to 12 weeks of some of the hardest work possible, people will ask if you enjoyed your time off.” She looks at the camera, puzzled, and continues, “I can confirm maternity leave is not vacation.”
No, it’s not. A newborn is anything but a vacation. Honestly, it’s like having multiple full-time jobs where you are the boss of everything all the darn time!
And why is maternity leave not a vacation?
Sullivan knows why, and she gives us lots of reasons. First, there’s the sleep deprivation. Then comes the laundry, dishes, and house cleaning that never end. Add to that that you’re not eating anything but a bit here or there. This is undoubtedly not an all-inclusive resort. Well, it is for the baby, but not mom.
Oh, and then she mentions everyone’s favorite, the uninvited guests who drop by to see the baby unannounced. “Authorities are working to determine why people think that’s okay,” she says. For real, that should be at least a misdemeanor. But if they don’t show up with gifts like wine? Felony!
Self-care, schmelf-care.
Sorry, a new mom probably isn’t too worried about posing for Instagram, and Sullivan gets it. She warns that while we are rocking our messy buns, skipping showers, and going crazy with those postpartum hormones, something else is happening.
“You’re also falling so deeply and completely in love with your new baby. You don’t even care that there’s spit up in your hair!” Nope, sure don’t.
“Sources say you’ll melt with every little baby coo, all while obsessing over the number of times they went poo,” she jokes.
And before you know it, that vacation is over.
Sullivan ends her broadcast with a nod to those whose maternity leave is ending.
“According to your bank account, it’s time to return to your job outside the home. Our thoughts and prayers are for a smooth transition and patience as people are bound to say annoying things like ‘sleep when the baby sleeps’ or ‘when are you going to have another?'” she jokes.
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Yep, moms feel seen.
Unsurprisingly, the comments section is full of moms who think Sullivan is the real deal. “I felt that eye roll at the end in my soul. Lol,” a mom agreed.
And there were plenty of laughs. “Okay, You Made Me Do it With That Eye Roll When are You Going to Have ANOTHER ,” someone else wrote.
And then there is the poor mom who wrote, “My male manager asked me how my ‘vacation’ was my first day back and ‘must be nice to get 10 weeks off at 50% pay.'”
There were moms who pointed out that we really need to get it together here in the US. One commenter noted: “Canada has a paid year off, or you can spread the 12 month sum over 18 months. USA DO BETTER for moms & babies!! .”
Sullivan’s TikTok account is hilarious. Trust us, if you need a quick break to commiserate with a funny mom who gets us, check her out. Newsflash: We’re all out here just doing our best.
