Baby started daycare and I think that the USA maternity leave is dystopian

I am overwhelmingly jealous of other developed nations getting 12-18 months of maternity leave. I got 12 weeks which is good for the US but I had to leave my baby prior to him turning 3 months.

Now a stranger gets to raise my child and see him more each week than I will ever get to. Babies grow and learn so much in the first year and I feel like I will be missing out on so many of his firsts. I’m heart broken and just keep crying. Others keep telling me that I will get used to it but I don’t think we should have to. I wish I was born into a country with universal healthcare and longer maternity leaves. My healthcare is connected to my job and with some chronic conditions it is so expensive that I need to work along with my husband.

That is all, just need to commiserate with someone. I miss my baby and I don’t understand how we are expected to leave our children so soon 😭