Who looks after the child? I don’t understand how this is possible?

Um, depending, either nuclear family, extended family, friends, or other caretakers. Generally involves either pumping or using formula to feed the baby.

This is one of the many reasons why multigenerational households can be a benefit to the individuals within.

When there's a will, there's a way.

Simple, you just pay 1500/mo to someone else to look after them at some sort of group child care company.

Now around $3000/mo in Manhattan/Brooklyn!

https://twitter.com/markpopham/status/1189253197841350661?s=...

We've got three kids in the US, they all started daycare when they were 6-8 weeks old so we could return to work. I don't think there was serious physical recovery still happening then (they were uncomplicated births), but the sleep deprivation is very rough.

Sometimes a family member such as a grandparent, sometimes a company who the parents of the child pay to look after the child. Businesses which provide this service are called "daycare" in the US.

Daycare workers, grandparents, etc?

and you think that's normal?

Yes? Its routine in traditional societies for non-parents to raise children. The idea of "intensive mothering," where mom is stuck taking care of the baby alone for months or years, is a blip in the history of time. (In Europe, lengthy maternity leaves are also financially costly for mothers. While European countries generally offer "paid" leave, the salary caps are pretty low. France offers up to $650 per week. The median woman working full-time in America makes $800 per week.)

"Under the current system, France offers employed mothers 16 weeks’ paid congé maternité (three to six before the expected date of birth and 10 to 13 after). The total allowance increases to 34 weeks for twins and 46 for triplets.

Women receive 26 weeks, instead of 16, from their third child. They can choose to return to work sooner, but must take a minimum of eight weeks, including six after the birth, to receive pay.

The leave is paid at 100 per cent of salary, capped at €540 net per week. This is the equivalent of a €2,885 gross monthly salary."

2855 Euro gross is fairly normal in France for the bulk of the people who would need this assistance. The $650 is net take home, not gross. You also have to take into account that in France lots of things that are very costly in the USA are free and so you can't directly compare the compensation for paid maternity leave with the income of the median woman in America, that's apples and oranges. You should compare it with either the median pay in France or with the average paid leave compensation in the USA.

Finally, there is the duration of the leave to take into account 16 weeks is going on three months, which compared to the 6 weeks (or less) of maternity leave in the United States is pretty generous.

Is it costly for mothers? Well, that depends on the income of the mother before the maternity leave. But France has figure out - rightly - that if you earn lots of money that you need this assistance likely a lot less than if you do not. And so there is a cap.