I never thought I'd get paid family leave as a freelancer. I then found a way to get $2,300 a week as a new mom.

The author earned paid family leave as a freelancer. Courtesy of Danielle Elliot When I got pregnant as a single freelancer, I assumed I wouldn't get paid family leave. But I learned that I could get paid maternity leave if I worked on a project for 22 weeks. When I finished my leave, I went to Germany, where I learned more about European family leave. In 2024, I made the potentially absurd decision to become a single mom without a full-time job. I didn't know how I'd handle the first few m...