Every Working Mom Needs To Know About The Pregnancy Pause ASAP

By Lauren Levy

Maternity leave isn't a break, a vacation, or an exciting sabbatical. It's when a working woman physically brings another life into this world and continues to sustain this life while physically recovering from something that only her sex can do.

Yet instead of being thanked for their incredible contribution to society, many working moms are greeted with obstacles when they return from maternity leave or are at a disadvantage in the workforce if they prolong their time away from the office.

In order to help moms who are trying to resume their careers after taking time off to have kids, Mother New York created The Pregnancy Pause.

Now, women can fill the "gaps" in their résumé in a way that accurately reflects what they were doing: birthing and raising a human.

All women have to do is add The Pregnancy Pause to their LinkedIn profiles under the experience section. When potential employers click this title, they are directed to a page explaining that many women feel forced to leave their jobs after becoming moms because of current maternity leave policies in the United States. This broken system, and not a lack of talent or drive, often results in résumé gaps.

"New mothers in the US often feel forced to quit their jobs due to a lack of adequate maternity leave policies, which leaves them penalized for the subsequent gaps in their résumés," Mother New York Chief Creative Officer Corinna Falusi said in a statement, according to Adweek. "We wanted to give working mothers in the US a simple tool and make it easier for them to own maternity leave as the full-time job it truly is."

If prospective employers call The Pregnancy Pause's phone number, they are greeted with a pre-recorded message:

Hello, you've reached The Pregnancy Pause. You must be calling about a candidate's résumé that has mentioned her time spent here. While here, she spent innumerable hours raising a child, which has surely offered her invaluable experience as a prospective employee. Visit our website ThePregnancyPause.org to learn more, and remember, maternity leave is a full-time job.