The Important Benefit The U.S. Denies Its New Mothers

For many, Mother's Day means gifting the maternal figures in our lives with cards, flowers, breakfast in bed, and other tokens of affection. Yet, for all of our appreciation of mothers, they are still denied a vital benefit in this country. Of 185 countries around the world, the U.S. is one of only three that do not guarantee paid maternity leave. (Papua New Guinea and Suriname share this non-honor with us.) For Mother's Day, parenting website The Bump created an infographic on the experience of motherhood around the world. It highlights the U.S.'s lack of a paid-maternity-leave policy — alongside cheerier aspects of parenthood, such as which foods new mothers around the world prefer. (In some communities in China, for example, red, hard-boiled eggs are eaten for good luck when a baby turns one month old.) Peruse the details below to discover the most popular baby names by country — and why parents-to-be might wish every government were more like Finland's. You may not be able to guarantee all American mothers paid maternity leave and affordable c-sections (yet), but you can at least give the mother figures in your life a call, card, or email on Sunday. Gratitude's a powerful thing.