New Mom Says Maternity Leave Is 'Lazy' — Don't Let Motherhood 'Take Over Your Life'
She says moms who take leave are "lazy" and should go to the gym.
Instagram One mom has some of the most unconventional advice for new moms. She thinks they need to just get over childbirth and get back to work ASAP because maternity leave is basically for slackers.
That's certainly one way to look at it!
Mom Jaelyn Cox says women who take maternity leave are 'lazy.'
Cox is a 29-year-old mother of two from Glasgow, Scotland who just gave birth to her second child in January 2023. She says she went back to work just five days after giving birth and thinks other mothers should do the same.
Cox works as an exotic dancer and OnlyFans model and wants to give her two daughters the best life possible, so went back to work immediately. Her boyfriend doesn't approve, but she got back to her job right away anyway and says other moms should do the same.
She told UK's The Sun that she thinks mothers who take maternity leave "are just lazy and looking for an excuse."
Cox also warned moms that letting motherhood 'take over your life' will make mothers depressed.
"Every kid needs a happy mum and having a break from your kids is [a] good thing," she told The Sun. "I think it’s important to get back to your old life and back into a work routine."
She went on to say that "sitting about the house and letting ‘being a mum’ take over your life is only going to make you depressed."
Of course, conditions like post-partum depression might have something to do with depression too. It's literally in the name.
And post-partum depression is extremely common — 1 in 7 mothers experiences PPD, and as many as 80% will experience some feelings of depression or anxiety after giving birth. Even if they go back to work immediately.
Cox also says women should prioritize losing weight and maintaining their figures after giving birth so their partners don't cheat on them.
"I think getting to the gym the second week and dieting is a must after you give birth," she told The Sun.
While doctors say moms can begin doing light exercise after birth basically as soon as they feel ready, many recommend waiting six to twelve weeks after childbirth before doing anything strenuous. That's if you had an uncomplicated pregnancy and delivery — otherwise, you may need to wait longer. And as the video below shows, new moms should only resume exercise only when their bodies are ready.
But Cox disagrees, saying moms should prioritize their looks after childbirth. It's important "for your relationship to start looking good again for your partner," she says.
Otherwise, she says, "their partner ends up cheating on them" because they "let themselves go after giving birth and put weight on."
Experts say post-partum life is best handled with a gentler approach.
In 2018, psychologist and post-partum expert Dr. Robyn Stein DeLuca told YourTango that being "generous" toward yourself is the key to surviving the early days of parenthood.
"There is no getting around this," DeLuca wrote, "it’s hard to learn how to take care of a newborn who can only communicate by crying or not crying."
"It’s hard to live on only a couple of hours of sleep. And more so while you are recovering from birthing a baby, especially by Cesarean section," she went on to say.
DeLuca recommends giving yourself as big a break as possible as you recover and leaning on your partner for emotional support, not trying to please him or her at the gym.
And speaking of the gym, DeLuca also says that yes, exercise can help, especially if you suffer from post-partum depression. But "20-30 minutes of brisk walking 4-5 times per week" will suffice for most moms.
Different approaches work for different mothers, of course, and all choices in how to handle post-childbirth life are valid so long as they're healthy and safe. But there's nothing "lazy" about taking time to let yourself recover or to spend time with your baby. Parenthood is hard enough without trying to adhere to those standards!
John Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer who covers pop culture, social justice and human interest topics.