The Law of Pregnancy and Parenthood with Professor Katharine Baker

In this episode of Plugged Into Public Health, Lauren sits down with Professor Baker from the University of Iowa College of Law to unpack the complicated legal framework surrounding pregnancy, childbirth, parental leave, and workplace protections in the United States. Together, they explore how pregnancy became treated primarily through discrimination law, why the U.S. differs so dramatically from many other industrialized countries on paid parental leave, and how policies like the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) came to exist in their current form. The conversation digs into the tension between gender equality and biological reality in public policy, including whether treating everyone “the same” under the law always leads to equitable outcomes in practice. Professor Baker also explains how unpaid leave disproportionately impacts lower-income workers and single mothers, why many employers structure leave policies the way they do, and what realistic policy reforms could look like in the future. Throughout the episode, listeners are reminded that public health is shaped not only by healthcare systems, but also by labor policy, economics, law, and the broader social supports available to families. This episode offers a thoughtful and accessible look at an issue that affects millions of Americans, while also showing just how unusual the United States is compared to much of the rest of the world when it comes to supporting pregnancy and early parenthood. A transcript of this episode is available at https://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/news-items/plugged-in-to-public-health-the-law-of-pregnancy-and-parenthood-with-katharine-baker/ Have a question for our podcast crew or an idea for an episode? You can email them at [email protected] You can also support Plugged in to Public Health by sharing this episode and others with your friends, colleagues, and social networks. #publichealth #healthcare #familyandmedicalleaveact #fmla #collegeoflaw #pregnancy #parentalleave #publicpolicy #genderequality #childbirth #iowacity