We examine the association between leave length after childbirth and health outcomes among new mothers. Data come from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study � Birth Cohort. The sample is limited to mothers who worked during pregnancy and who returned to work by the first follow-up interview, about 9 months after childbirth. We use standard OLS and ordered probit models, as well as two-stage least squares and two-stage residual inclusion methods which address the potential endogeneity of leave length. Findings from the OLS and ordered probit models indicate that taking less than 12 weeks of leave and less than 8 weeks of paid leave both are associated with increased depressive symptoms. Less than 8 weeks of paid leave is associated with worse overall health. Findings from models that address the potential endogeneity of leave generally support these results, and suggest that longer leave may improve the health of new mothers.