Question

Research the pros and cons of a six (6) week maternity leave on the nutritional needs of a new mother.

Answer 1

The positive impact of six week maternal leave on the nutritional needs of a mother are:

• This duration offers a mother time to develop a good bonding with her child, It helps her to understand her own body requirements and thereby to assess the nutritional needs of a mother.
• During maternity leave, she can maintain the adequate intake of calories, proteins and vitamins needed by her body during postpartum.
• During the initial month after delivery, the maternal body undergoes a wide range of changes in order to regain its prepregnant state. This increases the body requirement of calorie and proteins. So adequate nutrition will help in quick involution of uterus.
• It is said by the old age people that if a women receives good nutritional care after pregnancy then she remains healthy and have strength to carry out her household works.
• It keeps the mother stress free as she is on leave, which provides her time to take care of her own health.

The negative impact of maternity leave on nutritional needs of a new mother are:

• The women who have a sedentary lifestyle during postpartum period tend to gain weight and become obese.
• The intake of calories become high during leave with a thought that more calorie intake of mother will keep the baby also healthy.
• Although the maternity leave gives her time to take care of her nutritional needs but this may also lead to excessive intake of nutrients which may develop health issues.
• The maternity leave sets a specific schedule of timely food intake which may be disturbed once the work is resumed. This may also result in health issues and stress.