To ask who signed the extension of mat leave and why?

[Tjsmumma]

Self explanatory really..

If you signed it why? Why do you feel you and entitled to more time paid? Do you think being in lockdown is more of a right to more time of PAID than people who have babies who are delivered early or need NICU stays?

I am myself on maternity with a 19 week old and i still do not think its fair to say 'i need more time off paid because i wasnt able to go to a mother and baby group' theres plenty of time to go after.

I can sort of understand if you are due to go back and cant find child care but surely you can be furloughed or claim SSP/Benefits during this time like the rest of the country?

@bumptobean 😂😂 did you not get the irony in my comment? Take it then, like a LOT of women do, lock down or bloody not!

Either way my maternity leave is extended, I’ve even given in my notice to say I’m taking the full year. It’s unpaid and of course financially we will struggle, like anyone who isn’t getting paid. If they were to offer it paid following this petition, much to your dismay, why would I not take it?

As you say, you can extend your maternity leave.

Add in parental leave, Holiday etc and there it is.

So why is it signed it then? Because you already have it, so why need a petition?

Also I’ve never once even suggested or hinted I’m hard done by for sitting at home with my baby.. what a bloody comment to make not sure how anyone could they say are hard done by it, it’s the best months of my life with the best little person in my life. I’ve merely said I don’t feel my son is ready for nursery, pointed out a fact that there isn’t a nursery for him to even go to and confirmed I’ll be extended my maternity leave unpaid and would be thrilled if it came out that it doesn’t need to be unpaid. Can’t believe that nobody here would jump at the chance if you were in the same situation. I can’t fathom how it’s money grabbing, like I said either way I’ll be taking it off!

No, if we are out of lockdown (which if i use my full 9 months paid is Sept or 12 months with 3 months unpaid which i'd haply take is Dec) theres no need for it.

A lot of people are struggling due to Covid my DP had less than half a wage last month due to having to self isolate, then went on furlough never got the SSP he was owed. I get £550 a month from SMP. We are feeling it too, everyone is. Not just us on ML. Again, if you are taking this extra 3 months unpaid i really suggest you go to UC online and see if you are eligible for the time being. Yes it is claiming a benefit but a lot of people are claiming which havent been if i remember correctly, in one week nearly a million people signed up.

Again, i feel people in certain circumstances should be eligible to help, mothers going back in the next weeks/month or before Covid ending (well if necessary as if not they should be furloughed anway) the same mothers who are struggling to find childcare. Not people who want extra time to sit and go to baby class, not someone who has just gone onto maternity leave within the past few weeks as they will have more maternity leave left than what was taken.

If anything i would be more eligible because its been from my DDs

(sorry pressed to soon) 13th week to the forseeable (we went into shutdown earlier as im a vulnerable person with multiple health concerns) she is now 19 weeks. Yes im upset but i dont feel we need more money and more time just because of an inconvenience which is happening all over the country. We have rights which wont be affected due to this otherwise there will be a huge up f

@bumptobean so what? Im a shit mum who doeant care for my child or less than you because i dont want to add more strain on our economy for more time off than ive already had? No baby is ever ready! No baby ever wants to leave their DM's that's natural! He wont be ready at 6 months the never are, he will cry and scream and want YOU that is totally normal behaviour for a baby. You are his world, his everything. In an ideal world you could stay at home til he was 2 or 3 or 4 even then they will still want only you and not want to separate

I’m not entitled to UC unfortunately. You’ve really jumped the gun there, where have I even hinted that you’re a shit mum? I’m sure you’re a brilliant mum if I choose not to put my son into nursery at 6 months because he isn’t ready, that’s my choice as a parent, I know my son, my circumstances and I know what is the best for him. Otherwise why would I be actively choosing to go unpaid for 3 months when I could be at work?

To be honest none of this is even relevant to the actual post anymore.

@bumptobean making comments like 'i dont see why anyone wouldn't want it' makes people who dont feel its necessary feel like it, or maybe just me. No definitely, that is your choice entirely but, those choices also come with different consequences. Please read that maternity thing i linked you though it really does have a lot of information i think you would be interested in. No, it's totally off topic and i apologise, just a hard day i guess so i apologise again

@Shitsgettingcrazy with everything added all together that is the 3 months paid extra really. Just dad gets near on a month of it aldo which imo is a nice idea

@bumptobean

Your child isn’t ready for nursery because he’s 6 months old. That’s a baby. You are trying to make that the govt’s fault for some reason by introducing nonsensical arguments eg about weaning. I didn’t wean my child because I stayed at home with him and have been for 2 years so didn’t need to - but if needs must and he went to nursery they would have had to introduce a bottle (of expressed or otherwise) alongside food and he would have ended up drinking it 🤷🏻‍♀️ Then he would have had morning and night feeds at home.

Babies adapt.

FYI separation anxiety is normal. You’re his mother and he wants to be with you.

You’re clearly a First time mother if you think this is all to do with lock down. Sheesh.

@Tjsmumma

You don’t want the extended leave because you aren’t an entitled scrounger! It’s amazing how some people think they should get something out of this horrendous situation. Everyone is suffering - help should be protected for those who really need it.

@crispysausagerolls made me feel like an awful mother for not wanting to spend more time at home with DD, of course id love ebery minute extra with her, especially paid! But know ive had my time and id feel for motjers who didnt get the opportunity

I'm not in favour of the petition at all I gave it a bit of an eye roll and moved on.

I feel a bit irritated by the people saying it's ideal for new mums though. I'm a FTM and DH is a key worker having to work all hours. So I am spending 90% of my time completely alone with a new baby with no access to face to face support. I love my baby she is wonderful but if that ain't a recipe for PND I don't know what is. I'm so bloody lonely.

@Tjsmumma I’ll read it now, I am genuinely interested and mean no harm feelings to you in the slightest. I’m just a mum replying to the question of why I signed the petition and why it would benefit me personally. M

@crispysausagerolls I don’t think it’s all to do with lockdown at all, he showed signs of anxiety before coronavirus even came about in my opinion, but I do believe some things are incomparable and the lockdown has amplified it all to become worse. How for example can we compare things that are going on to normal life? I’m not sure how I’m making it the governments fault either? Please could you explain? Is everyone who signed it making it the governments fault in your opinion then? As you’re not speaking from experience RE breast weaning I’m not really sure what to say to you.

I can’t understand how anybody would refer to maternity pay as paid leave.

@bumptobean

I am speaking from experience. The reason he never took a bottle was because I was always with him and no need. But my paedatrician and grandfather who was a paedatrician both said (as everyone does) that if I left him with someone else and a bottle, he would eventually get hungry and take it. So that would happen with your child. You don’t need extra paid leave for that.

6 months old is a separation anxiety age. As is 1 year. There are high and lows.

@Tjsmumma

Fully understand you! Don’t feel bad x

Is everyone who signed it making it the governments fault in your opinion then?

Sort of. They are trying to get money for something which everyone is suffering from and there are people who need the money a lot more. It’s selfish, narrow minded and entitled.

I never said I needed ‘extra paid leave’ for that. You really have taken apart everything I’ve said on this thread and turned it into something else, or you’ve completely not understood. Not sure which one it is.

@bumptobean

Could be I misunderstood. But several others seem to have misunderstood you in the same way so could be your wording 😊

Your view that people who signed the petition are all scroungers is a joke and says a lot more about you, you really have no clue.

🤷🏻‍♀️ I stand by it- people wanting more than agreed for no good reason when others are going without is scroungy

Also, as a SAHM, are you on any kind of benefits? Do you claim anything? If so, you are more than a scrounger than me. I’ve worked since I was 15, never claimed a sausage. It would be SO much easier to be a scrounger and give up work, in all honestly I’d probably be better off financially too!

I really think the wording on it is completely ridiculous imo, its not for people who are struggling to find child care nor are struggling to go back to work it states basically its just for us to go to mother and baby groups like its a human right. Maybe id be mroe inclined to sign it if it was about the other x