To think France's plan to write to every 29 year old reminding them to breed is patronising nonsense??

[Designless]

Nobody alive is forgetting to do this

A lot of people don't want to because in the modern era it's not necessary and a lot less fun than other stuff

Some people DO want to but can't in which case idk give them the missing tools or funds

But nobody is forgetting

Why does this whole topic seem to bamboozle policymakers so hard?

Birth rates won’t reverse, it’s never happened in any country once below replacement rates so we need to acknowledge the changing demographics and plan for some of the economic impact. Now I can’t tell you what the true fallout will be as it’s unprecedented but we should be changing some things imo.

I prefer the French healthcare system rather than the NHS & I would pause the triple lock. Care in the home would also include house value rather than just care out of the home. If workers need to be working until 70 then employers need to change & allow for this etc.

But the UK doesn’t have a high birth rate?! What do you think it should be?

I don’t understand what you are asking, it’s such a bizarre style of discussion. What is it you think I’m trying to persuade you to think? 😆

You said a shrinking but older population is a good thing so you persuade me why that’s a good thing & how that works in our economic model?

I live in France and will soon go on maternity leave and it's absolutely shocking to me that I only get 10 weeks paid leave post birth. This is from the government, and cannot be extended. I also can't take any unpaid leave after 10 weeks.

The creche system is great here, the less money you earn, the less you pay for childcare. But only 10 weeks of maternity leave after the birth is a disgrace.

Governments would be better off spending their time figuring out how to make things work with an ageing population and fewer children being born, because that trend isn't going away

Exactly! but i think a lot of the electorate don’t want to hear it.

Well I agree with this so it was worth a post defining it. But I’m not sure what you mean on house value and care in the home, can you say more?

ETA just saw your emoji post which was still combative. I have no issue with preparing for a changing demographic.

So more older people have care in the home vs going into a care home. This is expensive & care in the home doesn’t include house value currently. I would put a charge on the home so some of the care costs are recovered after death as it’s not sustainable. Maybe not a flat rate cost but a percentage so it allows for differing house values.

But Teresa May tried to do the above & was ousted for it.

Which comes back to my point that the electorate needs to wake up to the issues & acknowledge them otherwise we are stuck in a doom loop.

ETA just saw your emoji post which was still combative. I have no issue with preparing for a changing demographic

You don’t think your posts to me were combative?! Are you ever going to explain why a smaller but older population is a good thing & persuade me? I’m ready to listen 🙄

@08p what are breastfeeding rates like in France? Or do you get extra breastfeeding breaks during the working day (officially I know you do in Italy, I don't know how it actually works in practise)

Maternity pay in the UK may rubbish but I appreciated that the DC could go a whole day without milk by the time I went back to work.

Nonsense! The only requirement was to have blood tests. Maybe you mis mistranslated the documents!

She was and I’m sure politicians have remembered that.

I was just listening to the radio which covered Reeves response to high graduate payments by referring to the NHS needing it. I’m fine to discuss this incredibly onerous impact on the young, people who least benefit from the NHS. And just what to do generally.

As for emojis etc in your posts I’m not even disagreeing with the subsequent points you’ve made. The demographics are changing and that is difficult. Planning for that will be needed.

Paid leave is 16 weeks, and up to 3 of those weeks must be taken antenatally, so you’d get 13 weeks post natal leave if you wanted. If your baby was late, that is added on.

I think the words were quite clear. My ex is a native French speaker. I also showed the documents to my future SIL (French, lived in the same area) and she confirmed it for me and was a bit shocked.

I know most French women have an annual gynae check up anyway, but to have to provide proof of this as part of the marriage dossier was utterly bizarre to me.

Even if the requirement was only blood tests that is still disgusting.

The UK’s birth rate is not too high, it is actually too low to sustain future generations

I suspect the subtext is they want nice "French" babies, rather than the alternative.

Isn't this a Tory and Reform shibboleth ? Breed for Britain ?

She HAD to produce a male heir. Her only purpose in life was to have at least 1 boy. If they had discovered that she was infertile before the wedding the whole thing would have been cancelled . No good crossing their fingers and hoping for the best.

Why? Have a look at the historical reasons behind it - across many countries BTW. It’s linked to diseases that may not be obvious that could be passed on to any future children so it was a kind of screening.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premarital_medical_examination

The world is hardly underpopulated.

Wasn’t that examination to ensure she was a virgin? There’s no way they could have known for sure she was fertile just through a gynae examination. They (she and Charles) could have had unexplained infertility.

The medal still exists for those who have four or more. And have brought them up properly.

Mussolini had "The Battle for Births" ....

But this wasn’t the legal requirement. From the document:
*I, the undersigned, Doctor of Medicine, certify that I have:

✔ Performed a clinical examination of the person named below.
✔ For a woman under age 50: reviewed the results of serological tests for rubella and toxoplasmosis, unless the patient could prove immunity.
✔ Reviewed the results of a blood test including determination of blood group (A, B, O), Rh factor, and, where relevant, irregular antibody screening.
✔ Discussed with the examinees and offered a test for HIV, after informing them of risks of contamination (this is included in the legal text on the form).
✔ Commented on the official health information brochure that was handed to the future spouses*

There is no requirement for a gynaecological examination specified.

Unfortunately, the change to France's default pattern of 6 weeks pre-birth + 10 weeks post has to be medically validated by a doctor. I asked for more leave post-birth and less leave before, and they said no. So it's not something everyone can do.

My baby is still cooking so no personal experience there, but my friends and coworkers have all had very positive experiences breastfeeding at work and when out and about. Where I am, it is generally viewed very positively to breastfeed and there are lots of initiatives to help people breastfeed when and how they like. Sounds similar to Italy, which is really positive.