Kayla Sullivan’s news anchor reports capture all the ups and downs of parenting, and this one about maternity leave is no exception
Anyone who’s taken maternity leave in the U.S. knows it’s no picnic—but also knows that not everyone gets that. You might already recognize the viral news anchor mom from TikTok: Kayla Sullivan, a toddler mom who uses hilarious “news reports” to capture all the ups, downs, and in-betweens of parenting. She’s back with another video you won’t want to miss, and this time, it’s all about the chaos of maternity leave.
“Breaking news: you just gave birth, and even though you have six to 12 weeks of some of the hardest work possible, people will ask if you enjoyed your ‘time off,'” Sullivan says in her video, where she reports from her car using a toddler teething toy as a microphone. “I can confirm maternity leave is not a vacation. You’re 100 percent sleep deprived, drowning in baby laundry and dishes, and you’re living on a few quick bites of reheated casseroles or takeout.”
@kaylareporting Send this to a new mom in your life! #fyp #postpartum #maternityleave #newmom #newsvoice
♬ original sound – Kayla Marie Sullivan
She continues, describing one of the absolute nightmares that new moms often have to deal with: “This just in: someone dropped by to see the baby without asking first. Authorities are working to determine why people think that’s OK.”
But as Sullivan notes, maternity leave, for all its hard parts, can also be absolutely wonderful.
“In other news, while you’re rocking your daily messy bun, have no time or energy to shower, and are dealing with extreme post-pregnancy hormones, you’re also falling so deeply and completely in love with your new baby,” she says. “You don’t even care that there’s spit up in your hair! Sources say you’ll melt with every little baby coo all while obsessing over the number of times they went poo.”
Sullivan, a former reporter and PR pro, has built a following on TikTok for her humorous videos where she strikes the perfect news anchor voice and uses household items as microphones. She’s gone viral for reporting from the middle of her toddler’s tantrum, from outside the bedroom where the kiddo is “detained” for nap time, and from the aftermath of a trip to Grandma’s house, where her child was fed nothing but sugar and indulgence (and it shows).
@kaylareporting Anyone else’s mom get soft once they became a grandparent? 😂 #parentinghumor #newsvoice #FastTwitchContest #grandma
♬ original sound – Kayla Marie Sullivan
But her new video on maternity leave might be her most real one yet—and with nearly 30,000 likes and counting, it’s clear that many moms agree.
