A pregnant woman in the United States reportedly tried to delay giving birth until after midnight in order to secure full maternity leave from her employer, according to a social media post that has gone viral.
The woman, identified as Ola, shared a video on TikTok explaining that she was already in active labor but consciously held off going to the hospital before midnight. She said giving birth earlier would have made her ineligible for paid maternity leave and limited her time off to six weeks.
In a follow-up post, she confirmed that she successfully gave birth at 3:15 a.m. the next day, ensuring her eligibility for the more favorable leave terms.
The video has sparked widespread discussion about the limitations of U.S. maternity leave policies, which vary by employer and often tie paid leave to strict timing or eligibility rules. Health experts say the case highlights ongoing challenges for working mothers and the need for broader leave protections.
-Mom.com
Sunday Buna Ibrahim is a seasoned journalist with Daily Frontier (dailyfrontier.com.ng), where he reports on security, conflicts, and humanitarian issues across Nigeria’s Middle Belt, particularly Plateau and Benue States. He also serves as a News Producer at Vision FM Radio in Abuja. Prior to joining Daily Frontier, he worked with Radio Nigeria, Fombina FM Yola in Adamawa State between 2019 and 2020.
