Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth will make history as the first senator to give birth while in office. However, during a recent interview, Ms. Duckworth said she doesn't plan on taking typical maternity leave following the birth of her child, according to Yahoo Lifestyle.
During a recent episode of Politico's Women Rule podcast, Ms. Duckworth attributed her decision to forgo maternity leave to her duty as a U.S. senator.
"I can't technically take maternity leave because if I take maternity leave, then I won't be allowed to sponsor legislation or vote during that time period," Ms. Duckworth said.
However, she noted she is working with Democratic leadership within the Senate to "change some Senate rules" to allow her to take 12 weeks of leave and still maintain the ability to vote on important legislation. Current Congressional rules stipulate senators are not allowed to vote by proxy, which makes showing up in person for a vote crucial, the report states. While Ms. Duckworth is allowed to have a nanny with her in a Senate building, under no circumstances can she use a staffer for childcare.
Ms. Duckworth joins scores of other female professionals in various fields who have found their organization's maternity leave policies inadequate or challenging. The American Academy of Physicians supports an average of three months of paid family leave, allowing new mothers time to breastfeed if they so choose and to ensure newborns receive all their necessary vaccinations and checkups.
However, recent research suggests medical professionals in academia aren't even able to obtain the amount of medical leave suggested by most healthcare experts. Maternity leave policies at some of the nation's top medical schools provide roughly two months of paid maternity leave, about four weeks less than the physician recommended amount of time.