Thank goodness I live in Ontario.  I got 6 months maternity leave (although now you can take up to ONE WHOLE YEAR).  By six months, the baby is sleeping through the night pretty much all the time.  My sister, in NY state, had to go back at six weeks (4 weeks short term disability (??) and 2 weeks vacation).

During mat leave you can collect employment insurance (54% of your earnings) which your employer can decide to top up to 100% of your earnings (mine didn't ).  When you get back to work, your employer is obligated by law to give you back your same job.  If it is no longer available they have to give you an equivalent or higher position.

I put both my kids (now 4 & in in-home daycares.  I liked this arrangement because you got personalized service but there were still enough kids for you child to learn how to socialize.  Once again in-home daycares in Ontario are regulated by law.  No more than two kids under the age of 2 or three kids under the age of 3.  Maximum of five kids in the house.

I worked through an agency.  The agency was able to provide nutrition, health and safety, and other courses to the in-home daycare providers.  Also, the agency did background police checks on all people in the house over the age of 18, they did surprise inspections and they were able to loan the providers big ticket items (cribs, highchairs, double and triple strollers).  The other thing the agency was good for was, if the provider was unable to provide care for a day (i.e. she was sick) the agency could find a back-up person.