Image zoom Credit: Getty Images. Whether caring for a newborn baby on temporary maternity leave or as a stay-at-home mother for the long term, the demands of new motherhood are immense. Often, mothers are left to face them alone, struggling to figure out how to care for a tiny human while still physically recovering from childbirth. Even then, women are taught to be thankful for the opportunity to spend time with our babies—it's not a guarantee, after all. Due to our country's patchwork parental leave policies, the ability to take paid leave to care for a new baby depends on a variety of factors like what state you live in and what company you work for. Only 55 percent of U.S. companies offer any paid parental leave at all, and 1 in 4 women return to the workforce within 10 days of birthing a baby.