Maternity benefits for non-working women: how much they pay, how to increase

By law, the father has the right to parental leave until the child turns 3 years old. The main reasons why a man can take a vacation: the child’s mother earns more and has gone to work, or has become ill and cannot care for the child. An employer may start asking questions if the father has written an application for maternity leave, but the mother is not working and is healthy.

• What is maternity leave
• Can a man receive maternity benefits?
• Maternity leave for men
• How can a father apply for parental leave?
• Features of vacation registration up to 3 years
• Child care leave for a male military personnel
• Child care allowance for father

The law does not prohibit a child's parent from taking parental leave if the other parent is not working.

In order for a parent to be able to take maternity leave (Order of the Ministry of Health and Social Development No. 1012n), the other parent must provide a certificate from their place of work or from the OSZN (for the unemployed) that they do not receive benefits and do not use parental leave. From this we can conclude that the law provides for a situation where the father can receive benefits and care for the child, while the mother may not be employed.

The father has the right to take leave and care for his baby, while working on a shortened day, at home or remotely. In this situation, the man has the right to receive a monthly child care benefit for up to 1.5 years.

Any relative of the child has the right to leave and childcare benefits for children up to 1.5 years old if the mother:

• Is on BiR leave for my second child
• Is on maternity leave for my second child
• Gave birth to twins

What is maternity leave

Maternity leave consists of 2 leaves:

• Maternity leave (Maternity leave)
• Parental leave for children up to 3 years old

Women go on BiR leave at the 30th week of pregnancy (Article 255 of the Labor Code), leave is provided only to employed women. If you are pregnant with one child and without complications, the leave lasts 70 days before the birth and 70 days after the birth. In case of complications or multiple pregnancies, the duration of leave increases.

Maternity benefit

After completing the BiR leave, the mother can take leave to care for a child up to 3 years old. Vacation can be used in whole or in part; during vacation, the parent can (paragraph 2 of Article 256 of the Labor Code) be replaced by another relative, for example, a father, grandmother, grandfather, guardian, adoptive parent or trustee.

Child care allowance up to 1.5 years old

Regional payments

The regional government has the right to assign additional types of financial assistance for the maintenance of children. For example, in Moscow and the Moscow region, large families are provided with compensation for expenses associated with the rising cost of living. The amount of payment for a family is 1315 rubles. (three children).

This also includes compensation for the cost of food. Payments are made for children under 3 years of age. The amount of assistance is 740 rubles. The full list of payments is enshrined in the Moscow PP dated 12/16/2020 No. 2260-PP.

Similar payments are made in St. Petersburg. You can find out more about the types of financial assistance on the City Administration website.

In some regions they make an additional payment to maternity capital. For example, in Nizhny Novgorod, citizens are paid 100,000 rubles. for the third child. The government is encouraging an increase in the birth rate in the region. The program is valid until December 31, 2026.

Thus, citizens receive double subsidies from the state (federal + regional payments). The procedure for receiving financial assistance is determined by the subject of the Russian Federation.

Can a man receive maternity benefits?

An employed relative caring for a child has the right (No. 81-FZ) to receive benefits for caring for a child up to 1.5 years old. Payments of benefits for employment and child care are often called maternity benefits.

Birth benefits are paid only to the mother of the child, this applies to both the birth and adoption of the baby. The law (Article 6 No. 81-FZ) lists the categories of women who can receive benefits under BiR:

• Officially employed
• Dismissed due to liquidation of the organization, cessation of business activity or private practice. Less than 12 months have passed since the date of dismissal
• Full-time students
• Military personnel and law enforcement officers

Child care benefits for children under 1.5 years of age can be received not only by the mother, but also by another relative or guardian caring for the child. If a citizen is officially employed and is on parental leave, he has the right to child benefits (Article 13 No. 81-FZ).

Monthly benefits

All types of financial assistance are divided into two groups - one-time and monthly. Monthly payments are mainly due to large families. The types and amounts of benefits are approved by the regional government. Monthly payments are compensatory in nature. Citizens can reimburse:

• expenses due to rising costs of living;
• costs due to rising food costs;
• expenses for the purchase of children's goods;
• costs of maintaining the apartment and paying for utilities;
• costs for using a landline telephone;
• costs of purchasing a set of children's clothing for school.

A list of available benefits and payments is usually presented on the local administration website.

Maternity leave for men

The main reasons why the father of a child can take parental leave:

• The child's mother earns more than him
• The mother is unofficially employed
• Mother needs rest after childbirth
• The mother cannot care for the baby due to health reasons
• The father is the only parent for the child

Any relative can take parental leave until the child turns 3 years old. If necessary, relatives can replace each other on vacation and receive maternity benefits.

In order for the father to receive maternity payments, he must provide a certificate from the mother’s place of work that she does not use vacation and does not receive maternity payments. If a relative takes a vacation, then a certificate is needed from the place of work of both parents.

If the spouse does not work, but studies or works unofficially, she needs to contact the OSZN for a certificate.

Certificate of non-receipt of benefits for up to 1.5 years

At the birth of twins, parental leave can be taken by the father and mother at the same time (or 2 other relatives), for this they both need to provide certificates from their place of work that they do not use leave and do not receive payments (the mother takes care of the first, and the father for the second child).

Results

Women registered for work in accordance with labor legislation have an undeniable right to receive maternity benefits. The following persons will also receive payments of this kind:

• those who lost their jobs due to the liquidation of their employer;
• full-time students with the aim of obtaining a profession;
• contract employees in the armed forces or holding positions as privates or commanders in government agencies.

When assigning and paying benefits for them, rules are applied that differ from those in accordance with which maternity payments are received by women working under an employment contract.

Sources:

• Law “On compulsory social insurance in case of temporary disability and in connection with maternity” dated December 29, 2006 N 255-FZ
• Labor Code
• Law “On State Benefits...” dated May 19, 1995 No. 81-FZ

You can find more complete information on the topic in ConsultantPlus. Free trial access to the system for 2 days.

How can a father apply for parental leave?

To apply for leave, a man needs to write a leave application and provide it to the employer, along with other documents. If a citizen has several places of work, then a vacation application must be written in each of them.

Documents submitted along with the application:

• Child's birth certificate
• Application for child benefit (submitted to only one employer)
• Certificate from the mother that she does not receive benefits and does not use vacation (from all places of her work or OSZN)

After submitting the application, the employer issues an order to provide parental leave, indicating its start date and the assignment of benefits.

How to write an application for child care benefits up to 1.5 years old

Social assistance for unemployed mothers

Unemployed people have access to different types of social assistance. This includes:

1. Unemployment benefit.
2. Payments upon birth of a child.
3. Help for single parents.
4. Social mortgage.
5. Providing housing for temporary use.
6. Maternal capital.
7. Special food for children.
8. Old age pension.

The procedure for providing assistance and the amount of payments depends on the date of birth of the child, the number of children and the specific region.

Features of vacation registration up to 3 years

The father or another employed relative can go on parental leave, and he has the same rights as the child’s mother. Leave is granted until the child reaches 3 years of age, and benefits are paid until the child reaches 1.5 years of age.

Parental leave can be taken from the next day after the end of the BiR leave.

While on leave, a parent can work part-time (no more than 60% of normal hours) or from home. However, the payment of benefits will not stop.

During vacation, parents can take turns replacing each other; for this, one of them writes an application for early leave from maternity leave, and the other writes an application for leave.

Does a man’s maternity leave count toward his length of service?

Yes, but only 1.5 years of maternity leave will be taken into account in the insurance period, although in general, leave calculated until the child’s third birthday is included in the total length of service. This issue is regulated by Article 256 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. Here, for example, it is said that this period will not be taken into account when calculating preferential length of service. Not only teachers and doctors, but also persons who apply for a reduction in preferential length of service by 2 years have no right to count on this period.

It is worth noting that during this time a man, like a woman, has the right to receive pension points. Their amount increases in proportion to the number of children. At the same time, the employer does not calculate dividends to the pension fund from maternity leave. That is, a man who raises a child on his own retains all the rights that a woman has.

Child care leave for a male military personnel

The law does not provide for parental leave for contract military personnel. The law provides for leave for relatives, including the father, but military personnel are limited by federal law, which imposes special responsibilities on them (Clause 2 of Article 1 No. 76-FZ).

Women military personnel have the right (clause 13 of Article 11 No. 76-FZ) to leave for labor and labor and child care. But this law says nothing about a man’s right to receive parental leave.

Male military personnel under contract can receive additional leave for a period of up to 3 months (Clause 7, Article 32, Presidential Decree), in the event of:

• Wife's death during childbirth
• Raising children without a mother (up to 14 years of age or up to 16 years of age for disabled children), if the mother: Died
• Deprived of parental rights
• Stays in a medical organization for a long time
• In other cases of lack of maternal care

When is maternity benefit paid?

Only a woman can count on a subsidy for pregnancy, because she will have to give birth. This benefit is paid to officially employed citizens. The main provisions on benefits are set out in Federal Law 81 of 1995. Here are the categories of recipients:

• Working.
• Unemployed.
• Full-time students.
• Contractors.
• Adoptive parents.

Assistance for pregnancy and childbirth is calculated precisely for the period of incapacity when the expectant mother is pregnant. All pregnant women have the opportunity to arrange this vacation, but she can continue to work.

“Women began to write that I am not a man” What is it like to be a father on maternity leave in Russia

In Russia, almost half of men say they are willing to take maternity leave instead of their wives, but only six percent actually do so. For most, the decision to take care of a child should only be made as a last resort. But while some are embarrassed by the fact that they have to perform women’s duties, others write blogs and enjoy life. Fathers on maternity leave told Lenta.ru about why a man needs to go on maternity leave and why this is absolutely normal in the 21st century.

Evgeniy, recently returned from maternity leave, @papa_paap

Before maternity leave, I worked as a manager in a large development company. I had good career prospects. The wife worked in a communications agency.

We began to dream about children and family life as soon as we started an affair, but the too intense rhythm of work did not allow these dreams to come true for a long time. Each time we put off planning for a child “for another year.” As a result, pregnancy came unexpectedly, at the very height of our careers.

I, like many, believed that a man on maternity leave was abnormal. The gigolo husband chuckled to himself about families where the wife earned more. When we found out about the pregnancy, everything went as usual. The wife went to apply for maternity leave, as expected. And then they started asking her to stay and work some more. The pregnancy was easy, and she agreed to work until the birth. Moreover, she was given a flexible schedule, which gave her more energy. She showed excellent results, and it was fun.

Photo published by @papa_paap

Immediately after giving birth, she wrote to me: “Bring me a laptop.” I got scared and decided to consult with the attending physician whether she could work in the ward. Imagine my surprise when the doctor replied: “Yes, of course you can, there is free Wi-Fi on the territory of the maternity hospital.” I realized that, apparently, my wife is no exception and many women work during this period.

But after discharge, the circumstances turned out sad. The wife became very ill and could not care for the child. Poor health and constant hospital procedures made happy motherhood impossible. There was no time to think, and I decided to quit my job and help take care of the child. So I became a father on maternity leave.

At work, I tried to hide the reason for leaving as much as possible, because I didn’t want unnecessary rumors and gossip. We didn’t widely announce this decision at all, only very close people knew, and given our situation, they were understanding. Of course, there was some banter... For example, when calling me on the phone, friends asked: “How is our young mother doing?” This meant me, of course, and not my wife.

Until 2024, the national project “Demography” will be implemented in Russia, which includes the federal project “Support for families with children.” It is aimed at involving parents in the educational process and creating conditions for increasing their competence in matters of education and upbringing. For this purpose, help centers will be created in all regions of Russia, where, as a result of the implementation of the federal project, at least 20 million fathers and mothers will be able to receive psychological, pedagogical, methodological and advisory assistance.

But I don't regret my decision at all. Since I went on maternity leave, I have a lot of free time. I started writing a blog, thanks to which I met other fathers on maternity leave, and radically changed my point of view on maternity leave: a father is as full-fledged a parent as a mother, and if the family is comfortable with the father sitting at home, why not? In general, the cases of fathers going on maternity leave are different: someone made this decision because the wife’s salary was higher and the mortgage had to be paid, someone already worked as a freelancer, and so on. We even created a club for young dads - @papasclub.ru. This is the first “papal” community in Russia.

I must say that there were no difficulties in our family, however, when I began to actively cover this topic on the blog, many women (note, NOT men) began to write me offensive messages from the series “you are not a man”, “a man should earn money, and not change diapers”, “how only your conscience allows you to sit on your wife’s neck” and so on. I realized that we have a very old-fashioned society that is slow to accept the realities of modern life. Most women are waiting for princes on horseback who will make their lives easier financially, and for this they are ready to play the role of a housekeeper. And when these women start staying at home, they become wild, and family scandals begin.

In our family everything is different. My wife lived abroad for a long time and has a Western worldview. I was surprised how on the first date she offered to pay half the bill. Of course, I didn’t allow it, but I was amazed: for the first time in my life, a girl on a date extended her hand to the bill. It’s funny, but at that moment I could not even imagine that this would soon become the norm for me. Now we share all household responsibilities equally. I also do cleaning, cooking and other household chores. We don’t have a joint budget—if we go somewhere, both she and I can foot the bill. The previous vacation was paid for by me; before that, my spouse was the sponsor. If we are planning large purchases, we discuss the amount of savings and add them up.

Photo published by @papa_paap

Six months ago I went back to work, but at a different company (at my previous place it was customary to work from morning to night). At the interview, I talked about family circumstances, but asked not to disseminate this information. I was surprised that going on maternity leave did not alert the employer. They treated us with understanding. I communicate little with my colleagues and only on professional matters. The emotional uplift that occurred as a result of communicating with the child not only did not interfere, but, on the contrary, inspired growth and effort. I work less time, but this does not affect my career, since I manage to do what others cannot do even on a full-time basis.

Now I work the first half of the day, my wife the second. We don’t get tired, we have more free time and we happily devote it to our family. I get up at five in the morning, until half past six I do self-development, read, and take trainings. Then I prepare breakfast for myself and the baby. While we are having breakfast, our mother is sleeping. I leave at eight in the morning. After lunch, I return home, take the child and go for a walk, and my mother goes to work. Then we have dinner. By eight o'clock in the evening the wife returns. We play with the baby, bathe him and put him to bed. And we still have time for ourselves.

I used to work 14 hours a day and constantly complained about the lack of time. And now I have time, inspiration, and successful steps up the career ladder. It turned out that maternity leave was not an obstacle to all this.

I can definitely say that I don’t regret anything. Moreover, I think our maternity leave format is an excellent solution for a modern family. It does not interfere with the self-realization and self-development of both parents. The baby is already eight months old, and during this time my wife and I have become much happier. He spends less time with his mother, but perceives her in the same way as children from ordinary maternity stories. Our parents tried to actively help and were glad to have a grandson, although their health and age did not allow them to spend much time with him. We recently hired a nanny to help us care for our baby, and we have even more free time for ourselves.

Victor, father on maternity leave, @dekretnyi_papa

Before going on maternity leave, I worked as a specialist in the corporate client development department. My wife is a specialist in consumer psychology. In terms of demand, these are approximately the same specialties.

It always seemed to me that having children is a completely natural continuation of family life. I knew for sure that I wanted a big family and children. Therefore, I chose a woman as my partner who had the same values ​​and outlook on life as me. I was already looking for a life partner, and not just an acquaintance. And I found it on a dating site.

We discussed all the intricacies of living together even before the birth of the child and in general before marriage. That is, we discussed in detail the development of events from different angles on the shore. Wedding, real estate, children... It turned out that the most economically beneficial for both of us was to switch places, because my wife’s salary was higher. For me this was not a stumbling block. I decided that this option was right for me. After the birth of the child, the wife spent six months on maternity leave. Then I wrote the application for parental leave.

Colleagues at work were mostly surprised, of course. This is not as common a practice as we would like. "Is that allowed? Will you go on vacation as a mom? Can you handle it? What will you feed?” — these are the questions I was asked. Although the manager understood me perfectly - at that time she herself had recently returned from maternity leave to work. Therefore, she reacted adequately, told me how to arrange a vacation, and let me go.

Photo published by @dekretnyi_papa

Friends might joke, but not maliciously. Although there are also guys of other nationalities for whom this is not accepted. One of my friends always teases me: “Well, mom, how are you?” And since he never officially worked anywhere (although he was the breadwinner in the family), I can also answer him. These are just friendly jokes, I didn’t have any conflicts with anyone on this basis.

The Russian people have it in their hearts: “A man should earn money, and a woman should look after the children.” Many fathers on maternity leave are embarrassed by their position because they worry what people will think about them. And this is how the people were raised - this is how life developed over the years. And there were no breakthrough ideas or bills, like in Sweden, where a man is required to go on maternity leave for 90 days. There this is a normal practice, which was voluntarily and compulsorily introduced at the legislative level. In our country, this idea was not promoted or supported by the state in any way. On the contrary, it has always been believed that for a man to sit with a child is shameful. All kinds of support and compensation programs began to appear in our country not so long ago.

Since I went on maternity leave, I have primarily “improved” as a father. At first, I naively believed that maternity leave was a vacation. I thought I would finally rest. I was sure: the child sleeps every two hours, he just needs to be changed and fed sometimes. That's all. I planned to watch TV series, sleep and walk... I had a lot of fun! With a stroller. For two or three hours.

It took me probably three months just to get used to his schedule. For me it was education. I imagined it in more colorful pictures, but it turned out to be very difficult, because you have to not miss anything, you have to follow the regime, you have to make sure that he doesn’t get into anything, doesn’t fall off this changing pad, so that he doesn’t spend half a day crap and his ass didn’t get sore afterwards, after all... My attentiveness definitely increased. Now I know: if a child is quiet for five minutes, it means he is eating a pen somewhere or drawing on the wall.

Life has changed dramatically, of course. Previously, for example, when leaving home, I took my phone, headphones, credit card with me - and that’s it. You may not return home for at least two days. And now you always need to take a whole backpack with you, which contains at least wet wipes, a change of clothes, water for your son, a supply of food for almost a day, because you can get stuck in a traffic jam or stuck in an elevator - and the child needs to be fed. You must be prepared for any, no matter how minor, disaster when you have a child.

I believe that a man’s maternity leave greatly strengthens family relationships. There is less misunderstanding because the man realizes that staying at home with a child is also work. Many fathers cannot spend even one day with their young children while their wife is getting a manicure. I even have such a friend - his son is now one year old, and this year he recently spent more than four hours with the child for the first time. It was so stressful for him - he didn’t know what to do at all. He called me and said: “I’m worried - will I be able to cope?”

Photo published by @dekretnyi_papa

It is very easy to work when you are given certain tasks. You work as directed, you know that you have a salary, that there may be bonuses, you know the system and you just have to do what is required of you on time. When you work for yourself, you work 24 hours a day, all responsibility is on you. It's the same as being on maternity leave. This means that your director is always nearby. He won't even let you go to the toilet in peace. You don't have any business lunches. You can't go out to the smoking room with your friends. Now I don’t have business lunches, and I quit smoking.

Few men are mentally ready to go on maternity leave - it’s harder than it seems. Not everyone can really take on this responsibility. It is easier for a man to carry out tasks in the professional sphere than to be responsible for a defenseless creature, which he has not yet understood as a mechanism. A man needs an engine and a gearbox, but here is some little man who can scream and demand his mother. In this regard, dad's time begins when the child can more or less speak. That’s when a man buys toys for a child that he didn’t have: he bought them for his son, but he plays them himself. You can’t play with a small child while on maternity leave, of course. When a child is small, he needs to wash his butt 15 times a day, and know what to sprinkle where, and have time to take him to the pool, and read a book to him, instead of sitting on the phone - he needs to know the letters! Otherwise, grandparents will come and say: “But your child is developmentally delayed, in my opinion; I don’t understand, either he’s very fat, or he has a pimple popping up somewhere on his ass.” Not everyone can withstand all this.

I may have lost my working skills, because I don’t really sharpen my saw in this direction. I lost one commercial proposal because I didn’t even turn on my brain to properly remove a business card - I was specific! Previously, of course, I would have approached this in a more structured manner. I would write the text, choose the background, at least shave. But I still want to help my family financially; the mortgage must be paid.

My wife works 5/2, full time. For many, such a schedule becomes a reason for a quarrel, because sooner or later we all burn out, get tired and begin to pull the blanket over ourselves, trying to determine where is a man's business and where is a woman's. No, in my opinion, in a family union we need to support each other in any household matters. You can change places, for example. This doesn’t mean that I always run around in an apron, but if my wife asks, I’ll happily cook something. Moreover, I love to cook, this is my second education. And I understand how tired she is, because I was also in her place. My wife also cooks when she sees that I’m tired. The dishwasher washes the dishes.

My wife and I always agree on the distribution of household responsibilities. For example, I’m not very friendly with the washing machine - I can wash the wrong colors together or overdo it with the powder. But I can get things out and hang them up.

My wife wanted to stay on maternity leave longer, we planned for about a year, but, unfortunately or fortunately, after six months she returned to work, and I wrote an application for maternity leave. Although I can see how much she misses her son. And I really want to help her, so I’m now trying to prepare the ground for earning money at home.

Now my wife is pregnant with a girl. And everyone asks me the question: “Who will be on maternity leave next?” If necessary, I can continue. This is why I do everything now. I’m actively working on my blog and opening a children’s clothing store so that I can work remotely without going to the office. But if I have to go to the office to earn money, I will go and work. I am ready for any development of events. But it will be difficult for my wife alone on maternity leave, and she will need my help here too.

Photo published by @dekretnyi_papa

Now I'm still on vacation. I’m not going to return to work yet, although initially it was planned that I would be at home for about a year and a half, and then we would hire a nanny and involve grandparents. But, as practice shows, in order to maintain a normal relationship, it is better to keep the latter away, and a nanny is too expensive. At Moscow prices, during my maternity leave we save about 100 thousand rubles a month on the services of a nanny and housekeeper.

And in general, I don’t want to go back to the office. I want to mind my own business and spend more time with my family. If I go back to the office, I'll lose sight of them. This is thankless work that is only valued as long as you bring value to the company. But as soon as they no longer need you, they simply say goodbye to you, despite all your merits. I think I would have gradually come to this even without maternity leave, but not right away. The birth of a child became an incentive. Without him, I would continue to simply dream of making money remotely.

Many colleagues from their old place of work have already become managers... And I was also offered a position. But I knew that once I became a leader, I would completely stop seeing my family. I would have to be responsible for people and on Saturdays prepare strategies for the quarter, for the year... Who needs this? Well, the company will pay me some bonuses - so what? Will I be as happy as I was now happy that my child has already called me a folder? This is my enterprise, this is my business. I do not regret anything.

Dmitriy

,
wants to go on maternity leave and replace his wife
, @ne_prosto_papa

Now I work as a recruiter, my wife is on maternity leave. Before that, she worked as a psychologist in an educational institution. About two years ago we realized that we wanted and were ready to become parents. We prepared, tried to give up all bad habits, and underwent various tests.

But psychologically, perhaps, we are only now, give or take, becoming ready for this. To be honest, I’m not at all sure that it’s possible to be one hundred percent prepared for the birth of a child in advance, although my wife and I have psychological education, younger brothers and sisters, and so on. It's a completely different experience. I wouldn’t say that professional skills help me in any way. Sometimes I act as an outside observer, I see how the child develops, and I rejoice, realizing that, according to one or another theory of child psychology, there will be a future. So my profession is a good help, but not a panacea.

Photo published by @ne_prosto_papa

While I'm working, I don't have enough time to raise a child. His wife, while on maternity leave, spends most of the day with him. I can only do this in the morning while I'm getting ready for work. After work, I only have an hour and a half left, because I arrive quite late, and all I can do is bathe the child and babysit with him a little. And my wife and I began to communicate little, because we were both tired. The wife is overworked because she is with the child 20 hours a day. There is sorely not enough time for anything.

Today, for example, I am working from home because I am sick. At the same time, I help my wife and see that she is no longer so tired and even manages to do some of her own things. By going on maternity leave, I will be able to devote much more time to my family.

In our family, I brought in most of the income even before the child appeared. Now, with this money and my wife’s maternity allowance, we are a little tighter, but for now we exist normally. So, hypothetically, if my wife comes out of maternity leave, and I go on it, we will lose much more money, but at the same time we will be able to devote more time to each other and the child. And she will spend less time on the road, since, unlike me, she works nearby. But the main thing is that, unlike standard situations, when the mother is on maternity leave, and the father works and often starts working even more, completely ceasing to see the family, male maternity leave turns out to be a much more advantageous solution.

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Vasily, 28 years old, psychologist

Photo: Maria Gelman

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In some countries, the father's obligation to go on maternity leave with his wife for at least 180 days is enshrined at the legislative level. This is exactly the time that mother and father should spend with the child. If we ever have something like this in our country, it will be very cool. In a global sense, such a law could help us raise healthy, strong families.

The state and I now have a kind of conflict of interest: I want to go on maternity leave, but I can’t, because I need to earn money. This problem can be solved, for example, by completely maintaining the mother’s salary at least for some period of time. Then the child’s father will be able to at least take some of the pressure off himself in order to spend more time at home. And maternity benefits are very small. Now anyone can go on maternity leave: mother, father, grandmother, and grandfather. This is a question of social insurance provided by the state. Often, unfortunately, maternity leave is a big burden for families. And it’s great if you have grandparents nearby. And if not, then you can go crazy, to be honest.