UAE: New expat mums seek longer maternity leave; say current break not enough

maternity leave of 60 days, with the initial 45 days at full pay and the subsequent 15 days at half pay. However, new mums say the leave is not enough to recover, return to work while still grappling with significant physical and emotional challenges and struggling to balance the demands of a newborn with their professional responsibilities.
For many expatriate mothers, the standard 45-day fully paid leave often means meticulously saving every annual leave day to extend their time with their newborns.

One Indian expat, a senior software engineer in Dubai, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared her experience. “Maternity leave is 45 days for expat women, and we usually save all our annual leaves so that it can be stretched to the maximum. So even before delivery, there was stress to save all possible annual days,” she said.

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She worked through her entire pregnancy, avoiding even sick leave, only to deliver on a Sunday after working until the preceding Friday. Having delivered in March, she had to use all her annual leave at the beginning of the year, leaving no days for emergencies.

Returning to work approximately 2.5 months after a C-section, she was far from healed. “When I joined back office, I was still not healed properly and it would still hurt to sit on a chair for long hours, as a C-section is a major surgery,” she recounted. 

The emotional toll was equally severe. “Baby was still adjusting, and it was honestly emotionally and physically very difficult to leave such a tiny being at home. My hormones were all over the place and I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve locked myself in the office toilet to cry for some days. I honestly feel I didn’t get enough rest to recover, as early weeks are also sleepless weeks.”
Another woman, referred to as S., works as a content specialist at a private company in Dubai. Having returned to work just 40 days after her C-section, S. also echoed these sentiments, . “My mental health has not been good at all. I’ve felt overwhelmed and anxious about leaving my baby so soon,” she added.

With no family nearby, the added stress of hiring a nanny compounded her difficulties. “My body hadn’t fully healed by the time I returned to work. This made the transition even more challenging.”

Breastfeeding in the workplace

Breastfeeding presents another significant hurdle for new mothers returning to the workplace. The Indian expat (who wished to remain anonymous) said her company doesn’t have a dedicated room or any spare place to pump and out of desperation she "had to do it in the office toilet which is an unhygienic place to pump milk".

She added, “All new mothers in my office are managing the same, pumping in toilets and it’s just sad. Still gives me anxiety thinking about those days.” The stress, she believes, contributed to her milk supply drying up, leaving her feeling helpless as quitting her job was not an option.

S. faced similar issues. “My breastfeeding routine was significantly affected. I had to pump milk in the bathroom twice during the workday, which was both uncomfortable and stressful. The long working hours didn’t help either.”
L., a Syrian national working in content in Dubai, returned to work when her baby was just two months and 20 days old. She too had a C-section and is still recovering. “By the time I came back to work, the energy levels were different. But the recovery is ongoing. I do not feel like how I used to before,” she said.

Sleep deprivation was a major factor. “My sleep was interrupted, of course. My exhaustion was through the roof,” L. explained, as her baby needed feeding every two to three hours, a routine that hadn’t changed with age.
L. also highlighted the challenge of finding trustworthy childcare. She made the decision to continue breastfeeding and invested in an expensive pump, but still faced supply issues after falling ill, forcing her to supplement with formula, an experience she described as a “nightmare".
The cumulative impact on these mothers is profound. S. expressed a “sense of loss and guilt for not being present during these early months", worrying about the long-term effects on her bond with her baby.

The expat noted that two of her own team members, also Indian expats, had to quit soon after returning from maternity leave because the time was insufficient for their recovery.
These mothers believe that more support is crucial. “I feel mothers are all same regardless of nationality, religion and even social status and should be provided with equal opportunity to nurse our newborns and recover after childbirth,” the expat stated.
L. pointed out that longer leave isn’t the only necessary change. “Flexibility for work from home is not an option at all companies,” she said, questioning how mothers are expected to manage if a child is sick without depleting their annual leave. “Mothers don’t rest," she added.

She also suggested that women might need specific additional days off, which are currently not considered.

Written by

Ruqayya Al Qaydi

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Ruqayya Alqaydi is a Special Correspondent with an endless curiosity to learn. Like a journalist on a caffeine overdrive, she is fuelled by passion and on a mission to uncover every gem in the UAE.