I have been, for the past 7 weeks on maternity leave. One of the good things about being an expat in Germany is that our options for Maternity leave here is a lot better than what is available in the US.

In Germany, working women are entitled to 3 1/2 months of paid maternity leave (6 weeks before birth and 8 weeks after birth). Women are also given the option to take unpaid leave for the next 3 years without losing their place at work.

In the US, on the other hand, paid maternity leave is unusual. It depends on what each company offers. So, most mothers who would rather stay home longer use a combination of short-term disability, sick leave, vacation, personal days and unpaid family leave.

All other countries have different laws about maternity leave. Sweden tops the list of having the most generous maternity benefits. Imagine, parents are entitled to 18 months of paid maternity leave per child.

Curious how it is in other countries? Check out this site.