The United States in particular is a difficult place to be a mother. It has inaccessible, expensive healthcare; no paid leave from work; crumbling infrastructure (including public schools); and little by way of a social safety net when things go wrong. Every attempt to improve our policies is met with resistance. Instead, women are fed messages that all will be okay if we just dig in a little harder, give up some sleep, get an extra job, and sacrifice for the greater good—while also looking totally gorgeous, obviously.
