how long can you stay home, before you must go back to work? How long is you'r maternity leave?

We have one year with money. But we must have been woking for 6 month if we want monthly payment. If we don't have a job we can apply for "one time support" (don't know a nother word for that ) That means we will receive about $5000 and we can start working when ever we want to

In my area (South Dakota, USA) there are no companies that support paid maternity leave. You can take up to 6 weeks without pay and without fear of losing your job. However, if you choose to stay away longer than 6 weeks it is up to your company whether you will have a job to return to. There is no leave for fathers, at all.

When my husband told his employer that our son was born, they told him that if he requested time off (more than rearranging his 2 days off that week) he could start looking for another job. I ended up quitting my job because they wanted me back the day my 6 weeks was up and I was in school anyway so I didn't see the point.

I live in a "right to work" state, which is different than some others. There is only one company that has a union here, and that's barely functioning. And employers don't have to have a reason to fire you or give you any notice. So I think it all has an impact.

FMLA for moms is 6 weeks. Im in Texas. I happen to have a pretty good job that let me take 3 months off. I wasnt paid for it though. It just depends on where you work.

Most companies allow you to have 6 weeks under short term disability with reduced pay (most employers it's half your regular pay) or 6 weeks unpaid under FMLA. And depending on the employer you may have to be at the job for a certain amount of time before you qualify.
My employer required for both short term disability and FMLA that you work there for a year. I ended up pregnant just after they hired me, so I was just short of 9 months on the job when I delivered. I was eligible... if... and that was a big if.. my employer decided to be generous and allow me 4 weeks/no pay personal leave, which they tried to say I might not get due to certain quality standards that I was not meeting. If I didn't show improvement before giving birth, I would not have been guaranteed a job on returning.
In the end the granted me the personal leave, and I quit before the month was up.

You can't get unemployment benefits in most states for maternity leave because it's handled under short term disability and FMLA.

So in short... American companies are really bad for pregnant women. Okay, most are, but I have heard of a few good ones. It's not government controlled, though, so the companies make up their own rules. I used to work for a company that did short term disability for maternity at 75% pay and you only had to be employed with them for 90 days to take it.... I really wished my pregnancy was at that job.

I must say we are lucky in norway.. We have free dentist (when we are kidds and until we turn 18y), doctor, hospital, one year free when we have a baby with pay..

And to say that he had to look for another job if he wantet to spend time with his baby and girlfriend.. Arrrr.. They would never say this in here. It's really unfair for you

In Chile there are two months of paid prenatal leave and 3 of postnatal leave, also paid. There are several regulations to make sure no pregnant woman can be fired, but there are companies that prefer not to hire women in fertile age because of the "risk" of pregnancy. Also health insurance plans are more expensive for women for the same reason.
In Israel there is no prenatal leaving as such, there are 3 months of paid postnatal leave, but you basically have to work until delivery(you can also leave a month earlier but overall you have only three months paid) You cannot be fired within a year after delivery and if you decide to quit your job to take care of your child, the company has to pay compensation as if they had fired you. Legally, also, you have to work 9 hours to be considered a full time worker, after delivery you can work 8 and get paid for 9.
Sorry for you guys on the States

I don't think that there is any law that a company must give maternity leave. Some companies although not many will provide paid maternity. Alot of women return to work 6-8 weeks after the babies born. Most daycares won't take children under 6 weeks old

Maternity falls under FMLA.