Leavitt Quits White House Role, Ocasio-Cortez Freezes Eggs as US Mothers Face Leave Gap
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 15
Leavitt Quits White House Role, Ocasio-Cortez Freezes Eggs as US Mothers Face Leave Gap
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 15
Summary
Karoline Leavitt said she is leaving as White House press secretary because she cannot meet the role’s demands and be the mother her two young children need.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said this week she has begun freezing her eggs, a process that can cost more than $10,000 and is rarely covered by insurance.
Those back-to-back disclosures reignited debate over how US women manage career timing, childbirth and parenting in a country that does not mandate paid parental leave.
Less than a quarter of US workers have paid family leave through employers, while more than 120 countries provide paid maternity leave and the average US birth age rose to 29.6 in 2023.
Sara Jacobs, 37, said two rounds of egg freezing gave her a backup plan as cross-country congressional work makes motherhood logistically difficult, underscoring how workplace structures still lag family needs.