For the Americans We Forget
A powerful reflection on how America fails its youngest—babies—and the mothers they depend on. This is a call to protect the mother-baby bond and speak up for those who can't.
MATERNITY LEAVE ADVOCACYSYSTEMIC FAILURE AND FAMILY POLICYMOTHERHOOD IN AMERICAMODERN MOTHERHOOD CHALLENGESFAMILY RIGHTS AND PUBLIC POLICY
5/15/20251 min read
A dream showed me I had something on the tip of my tongue,
ready to be removed.
When I awoke, I knew my voice was reclaimed.
Not to speak for myself,
but to stand for what is right.
To advocate for the ones brought into this world and then forgotten:
babies.
Babies are the most vulnerable members of our society.
They depend entirely on their mothers—
for nourishment, safety, comfort, and love.
A mother is a babie’s whole world.
And yet, American policy does not protect that bond.
It does not prioritize a mother’s time to heal.
It does not provide space to connect.
It does not honor the sacred arrival of new life.
We are the only developed nation that does not guarantee maternity leave.
Not paid.
Not unpaid.
Nothing.
There is a lot broken in America.
But when our policies harm babies,
that’s when I become vocal.
Babies cannot speak.
So I will.