If women got workers comp for pregnancy, birth, and the labor of mothering, how much would that add up to in USD?

an estimation

Pregnancy and Birth

Medical Costs: In the U.S., the cost of prenatal care, labor, and delivery can range from $5,000 to $30,000 for vaginal delivery and $10,000 to $50,000+ for C-sections, depending on insurance coverage and complications.

Lost Wages: The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides 12 weeks of unpaid leave. The average U.S. weekly wage is about $1,000, so this could equate to $12,000 in lost wages during leave.

Recovery Time Post-Birth

Recovery time varies but can range from 6 weeks to 6 months or longer. Workers’ comp would need to account for this time at the average wage, adding $6,000 to $24,000.

The Labor of Mothering

The work mothers perform at home includes caregiving, cleaning, cooking, and emotional support. According to Salary.com, if stay-at-home moms were paid for their work, their salary would be approximately $185,000 per year (2023 data).

If we consider the first year of a baby’s life as the most intensive, this alone would total $185,000 for that period.

Health Impact Compensation

Workers’ compensation often accounts for physical and mental health impacts. For pregnancy-related…