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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
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Recession's Latest Victim: Maternity Leave

Struggling moms abandon plans for months, years off work with children

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(Newser) – Stay-at-home moms are becoming the next casualty of the recession, the Wall Street Journal reports. Women who hoped to take several months or even years of maternity leave are now scrambling to find work or increase their hours as the family finances crumble. One mom-centric staffing agency has seen a 79% uptick in web traffic this year, with many clients now asking for full-time hours.

"At the end of the day the kids have less time with us," says one new mother, who now puts in between 50 and 70 hours a week. "It just isn't what we planned."

Samantha Spragg drops off her daughter Reef Hall, then 16-months-old, at the McBurney YMCA drop-in day care center in New York. More mothers are returning to work to support their families.
Samantha Spragg drops off her daughter Reef Hall, then 16-months-old, at the McBurney YMCA drop-in day care center in New York. More mothers are returning to work to support their families.   (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff, file)
Many new mothers are cutting short their planned maternity leave in order to help shore up crumbling family finances.
Many new mothers are cutting short their planned maternity leave in order to help shore up crumbling family finances.   (Shutterstock)
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Shannonals
Mar 11, 09 3:39 PM CDT
Why would a Mother need months or years of maternity leave? Women in the Armed forces have six weeks, and than it's back to work. If it's good enough for our Armed Forces, than it should be good enough for civilian Mothers Reply
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Unaffiliated
Jul 15, 09 1:50 PM CDT
In other countries, women get months to a year or more BY LAW.
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