For all those campaigning for an extension to maternity leave - public consultation info!

[FeedTheFish]

This doesn't affect me personally and I know there have been threads discussing this topic this already but I didn't want anyone to miss this. Here's a chance to join in with a public consultation and share your views with parliament:

m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1129288250803626&id=183432182055909

I can't seem to copy the text directly but please see attached screenshot with details.

I think it's absolutely disgusting. I know it shouldn't be a race to the bottom but it just seems to be using this Pandemic, where people are really suffering to get something for nothing. Very poor taste.
My toddler is really struggling atm, and we're actually having to work at the same time as well as care for him. He's lost his Grandparents, nursery, friends, everything. Maybe it's us who should feel entitled to some time off to spend together after this - or is that not what Annual Leave is for?
Everyone is missing out on being able to do things.

Taking unpaid leave is shit can no one get their head around that?

Of course we can

However right now many people are taking pay cuts, being furloughed, being made redundant, about to be made redundant. The amount of people out of work in a couple of months is going to be eye watering.

I’m these circs, demanding extra paid leave so you can go to baby classes is staggeringly entitled.

I’m typing and thinking at the same time here (which is never a good combination tbh)

We’re about to see a likely increase in unemployment and increasing maternity leave might decrease the burden of that on the state (although tiny) as replacements are needed to fill their roles.

Also, longer maternity leaves might mean women returning having missed opportunities to progress (I know this is not supposed to happen but if you have 6 months less experience, you have 6 months less experience...) and some women will opt to stay at home if they loose enough confidence/have another child and can manage on a single salary.

An extra 3 months to take your baby to toddler groups where they smear saliva on one another and you? Cough and sneeze on each other? Would they even be open?

I think, on balance, this ISN’T a good thing for women but I’m happy for someone to shoot holes in my arguments!

There's a lot of important and very valid points being raised right here on this thread! Please do make sure you share these in the consultation. They are all important things that need to be taken into consideration. I'm sure the government will be bombarded with arguments to extend ML so it's all the more important they hear everyone else's views too.

I don't agree with it but wouldn't be surprised if it goes ahead in some, albeit, limited form. It will be a very cheap distraction PR exercise for them.

I love the way everyone has assumed baby groups translates to flouncing about and drinking tea.

Midwife run health checks at community centres aren't running.
Breastfeeding support groups aren't running (and we all know what a twat you are if you give up breastfeeding, mumsnet)
Swimming pools for babies with extra sensory and physical needs are closed
Babies not building relationships other than mum and dad, then thrown into nursery with buggar all settling periods
Babies who can't play on the grass in the park 'because it's not exercise' are confined to apartments.
The reality of child Separation anxiety...
Post birth physio sessions for those who suffered SPD and sciatica
And yes, all things child development. Learning, watching, mimicking, new things to touch and feel - learning to engage.

The list goes on. Call it baby yoga if you like, many women need genuine support and a little light at the end of the tunnel would go a long way to preventing PND

If you actually read the consultation survey, it's well rounded and I'm glad they are reviewing. Some women should have more time and their employment rights should be protected.

Why a bunch of women on a women's forum disagree with a temporary extension of women's rights is beyond me.

I sincerely hope they find a way of offering some sort of support.

I want my mat leave extended but wouldn't expect to be paid for those extra weeks. The last few months are unpaid anyway.

And yes, all things child development. Learning, watching, mimicking, new things to touch and feel - learning to engage.

A baby does not have to leave their house to do this!

A lot of your earlier points had merit but this kind of hyperbole diminishes the argument.

Finally a lot of offices will be shut for months. Extended time at home may come about by default.

Everything @StealthMama said, to be honest.

I'm on the fence about this, but one thing I would support is extending the free dental provision, as many won't have been able to access this. And it will save money down the line if new mothers and their children get dental care early.

Apart from the fact dentists are all shut.

Why a bunch of women on a women's forum disagree with a temporary extension of women's rights is beyond me.

What’s the implication of that thought though? We have to support every initiative tabled by women, regardless of how inappropriate or ridiculous it is?

Don’t be silly.

The petition was ill thought through, badly tabled, focused on frivolous things and made a ridiculous claim.

There were important issues to highlight, but it did a terrible job in doing so. If it had requested an extra 3 months unpaid and some additional support measures, then yes I would have been behind it.

But it didn’t.

And yes, all things child development. Learning, watching, mimicking, new things to touch and feel - learning to engage.

No baby needs classes for this. Lots of careful nurturing from primary caregivers is what’s required.

If they live in an apartment block in south east London and you'd like your baby to experience grass, then they do actually have to leave the house @LittleBearPad

What about those who can't afford shit loads of toys and we're engaging in free playgroups and swap groups?

What about those mums suffering financial abuse or any abuse whose let out was going to free baby groups and church run support groups.

How are they all going to be left when they then have to jog on back to work with NO support in preparing or adjusting, for them or the child.

Don't be narrow minded about this and assume all mums are in a position to have a wonderful time lolling about with their babies.

How middle class had mumsnet actually become?

If they live in an apartment block in south east London and you'd like your baby to experience grass, then they do actually have to leave the house

I’d be a lot less concerned about the babies in this situation and a lot more about the young children cooped up with nowhere to exercise and let off steam.

Everyone is in a shit position right now. This is not unique to those on maternity.

@Sugarplumfairy65 lovely of you. Do you think everyone can afford to take full unpaid leave and just "tighten their belts"? And then call them cunts in the process? Do hope you don't have or ever have a daughter!!

@LaurieMarlow we're talking about the consultation but the petition.

'Careful nurturing from primary caregiving' only offers a small part of the list. And not all parents are in a healthy mindset to provide it, many struggling people n their own every day.

Corona could cause crisis all over the show. No person or group should be barred from a review as to how the government can help.

I think that employers should be pushed to consider offering unpaid extended maternity leave (I am sure at the moment most would be more than happy to oblige), but I think wanting paid is very tone deaf at the moment. There is no guarantee any of the groups will be back up and running anyway anytime soon.

It’s disgusting and self serving. Quite frankly there are a million and one things which are higher up the priority list for public funding. I’d far rather see money ploughed into the NHS, Social care, better pay for many hospital staff, businesses which are on the brink of collapse being helped out... and if anyone is going to start bleating on about ‘women’s rights’ - fucking hell, who do you think the couple of things I’ve mentioned above are helping if it’s not women?? Most care workers are women. Most nurses are women, along with many of the other hospital staff, cleaners, caterers Etc. Many small businesses are run by women and are having a really tough time and may go under... I would far rather see support channeled there rather than going towards paying a disgustingly entitled group of women get an extra 3 months paid leave from work.

Quite aside from the above, babies don’t need to be taken to god knows how many classes per week to develop. Talk to them, play with them, feed them, love them. That’s what they need.

All of us are affected by the pandemic. All of us are restricted in where we can go and what we can do. To see a small number of women complaining that they haven’t been able to go to classes Or meet friends for coffee for some Of their maternity leave is a real low in human selfishness and a sharp contrast to the selflessness we’re seeing displayed by many women who don’t get the privilege of spending all day with their babies or children because they’re key workers

Just because we've not been able to go to baby yoga maternity leave needs extending

Wouldn't they just do the baby yoga on Zoom like everyone else has been doing?

we're talking about the consultation but the petition.

Well you’re talking about the consultation, because you don’t want to engage with how badly whoever wrote the petition presented their position.

I don’t think anyone else is.

I've definitely seen other mums who desperately need this extended support, for the reasons given by @StealthMama above.

On the other hand I also acknowledge that this just isn't necessary for the majority of mums currently on maternity leave.

So perhaps the question becomes which is better:

• To invest the extra money now (though we can't afford it) and apply a maternity leave extension universally so that everyone who potentially genuinely needs it has access to it.

• To deny it to save money in the short term but then potentially be left to pick up the tab later when some mums need to access additional professional help because they lacked support at a time they were desperately in need. This is very real and I've seen it.

My daughter is 4 weeks old. She is my second so I do have parenting experience and don’t feel out of my depth like I did with my first. I’m not bothered about baby groups etc, some breastfeeding support would have been nice a couple of weeks ago but we’ve managed to get through the difficulties with telephone support and online videos/websites.
Adding another three months into the end of my mat leave isn’t going to change what’s happening now.

If they live in an apartment block in south east London and you'd like your baby to experience grass, then they do actually have to leave the house

It’s a beautiful day in London so they can go to the park today. There’s no need for extended mat leave

And anyone in an abusive relationship be it financial or violent is not going to be best served by three further months with little or no income.

Plus many more people will not be going back to work in the normal course. Offices will not return to normal for the rest of this year, if not longer.

I don't see how adding three months on to maternity leave because people aren't getting support with breastfeeding now is helpful.

I feel awful for new mums at the moment but I don’t think extra 3 months paid maternity leave is going to fix things.