Mom cries watching baby sit up for the first time through baby monitor at work: '6 weeks of maternity leave is inexcusable'

Author image for Ally Perry
Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Aug 1, 2025 9:00 PM EDT

Having a job may be hard, but holding one down while being an active parent is even harder. This is especially true for moms, who more often than not have to go through the ordeal of pregnancy and birth alongside all the other duties of parenting. 

In a just world, this would be properly recognized in workplaces, where allowances would be made for those trying to raise children while also earning the money to support them in the first place. Unfortunately, this is only true of a minority, at least in the US.

This often leaves working moms in the unhappy situation of having to return to work before they are ready. It is something that many struggle with, but this isn't always illustrated publicly. The occasions when it is can give people some serious food for thought about all the ways in which the workplace could better accommodate parenthood.

 

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  • Many people on Twitter were stirred by a revelation from one working mom who shared her sadness as her baby sat up for the first time while she was at work, watching on the baby monitor. If the majority of reactions were anything to go by, the popular opinion was that this was something that no parent should have to experience.

  • 01
    Andrea D. Huberwo... @thegenesisblock This is so sad.
    via thegenesisbl0ck
  • 02
    me at work because I'm watching my baby sit up for the first time through the monitor
    via thegenesisbl0ck
  • 03
    wil michael @wilplatypus O crimes against humanity
    via willplatypus
  • 04
    Tetsuo @tetsuoai This shouldn't happen. Society has failed.
    via tetsuoai
  • 05
    TobySkyline (Human) >> @TobySkyline It happened when they forced two incomes to survive and pay bills. It's not right.
    via TobySkyline
  • 06
    Equites ❤ @Equites333 "I know your baby was just born and you heard her first words through a baby monitor, but these Excel spreadsheets need to be updated or else corporate is gonna be ped, get to work wagie"
    via Equites333
  • 07
    Cheezburger Image 10537135616
    via Natalia Blauth (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 08
    nunaga @nunaga_x my politics are whatever not leads to this
    via nunaga_x
  • 09
    ste.respect @sterespect there should be way more of a lobby for 2y paid maternity leave, we dump money into every other issue except the most important one
    via sterespect
  • 10
    Fish Fry @sixspacedeep Dumb. What if Mom missed it because she stepped out of the room to get a basket of laundry or while she was making lunch or carrying water. Fathers have been expected to miss milestones for the entirety of humanity, even in modern times. Now get back to work!
    via sixspacedeep
  • 11
    Hannah Berrelli @HannahBerrelli The fun thing about Americans is that they will take examples like this to advocate for some batshit insane, backwards idea that women shouldn't work, rather than just implementing maternity leave like every other civilized nation on earth.
    via HannahBerrelli
  • 12
    v.@whndidyougethot i genuinely cannot believe that there are countries that do not have 2 years maternity leave
    via whndidyougethot
  • 13
    Nora @noradottcool i'm calling bulls on this. sitting isn't like walking. they have to do it supported for weeks. my son gradually got better at sitting and one day i was like "oh, you like, really sit now. that's cool."
    via noradottcool
  • 14
    @90sLØKI “feminism was the force that allowed women's labor" no babes, women always worked, the difference is that, at least now, they get paid for it
    via 90sL0KI
  • 15
    Cheezburger Image 10537142784
    via Bastien Jaillot
  • 16
    Jill @JillianHuther 6 weeks of maternity leave is inexcusable. I worked for a European company and I got 6 MONTHS with each of my kids. Went back to work and had unlimited pumping breaks throughout my shifts in a private room. Burn this whole place down fr this country is cooked
    via JillianHuther
  • 17
    Echo -☀ @TheEcho13 It's typically illegal to sell a puppy younger than 8 weeks old because it's deemed cruel to separate it from its mother but corporate America expects women to return to work 4 weeks after giving birth.
    via TheEcho13
  • 18
    teatimeadventures @teatimeadventur Hello if you had MATERNITY LEAVE you would be at home. America is a ah le country
    via teatimeadventur
  • 19
    Connor Fowler ❤ @cfowlerdesign Goal of mine is to make sure my future wife never has to have a job unless she wants one. Zero moments like this in my household.
    via cfowlerdesign
  • 20
    Ashley Fitzgerald @RizomaSchool Do anything it takes to be with your babies while they're babies. Life is so long. This is such a short period, relatively.
    via RizomaSchool
  • 21
    Oh-livia @hardy_soup99 one time while nannying for teacher parents, their daughter took her first steps while they were at work so i panicked and pushed her back down
    via hardy_soup99
  • 22
    blink pantheress @sohosultry A reminder that we are human beings and not a machine smh
    via sohosultry

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usa twitter maternity leave baby employee job Twitter Thread work working parenting american milestone mom
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