Many countries have various legal regulations in place to protect pregnant women and their children . Maternity Protection Convention ensures that pregnant women are exempt from activities such as night shifts or carrying heavy stocks . Maternity leave typically provides paid leave from work during roughly the last trimester of pregnancy and for some time after birth . Notable extreme cases include Norway ( 8 months with full pay ) and the United States ( no paid leave at all except in some states ) . Moreover , many countries have laws against pregnancy discrimination
Maternity Protection Convention
Maternity Protection Convention, 2000
Pregnancy