By Anna Medaris Miller

(Excerpt)

Flantzer emphasized that she’s fortunate, and that she and her husband had all the help they needed. Low-wage workers are more strapped. with 93% lacking access to paid leave, according to CLASP, a nonprofit that advocates for policy solutions for low-income people. Those who take unpaid time risk losing their jobs.

It’s not a choice moms should have to make, according to CLASP, since not taking time off is risky too: When parents can’t afford to take time off, infants may miss critical doctor’s appointments and risk less-than-optimal cognitive and social development.