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If you could choose to give birth anywhere in the world, it would be smart to head for Sweden. Maternity benefits are better there than anywhere else on earth, according to a study released in early January. New mothers receive up to 96 weeks off from work, more than any other country.

For more than half of that period, Swedish mothers also receive 80% of their salary, according to a poll conducted in 33 countries by New York-based Mercer Human Resource Consulting.

Benefits aren’t too bad in neighboring Norway, either, where mothers receive 52 weeks' leave. A Norwegian mom earning $25,000 a year would get $12,500 in state maternity pay during the first six months of her leave.