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Original poster

Debate:- should parents of premature babies get additional maternity leave.

86 replies

EveOnline2016 · 28/09/2016 16:16

www.change.org/p/extend-maternity-leave-for-mothers-of-premature-babies?recruiter=57510919&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink

Had this emailed to me today.

I need help deciding whether to sign or not.

My reason for is that the parents will get the time to bond and get to know baby away from the hospital environment.

My reason for against is where would the cut off be.

OP posts:

Ausernotanumber · 28/09/2016 16:39

But what about those of us who have a full term baby with medical issues that means they're in and out of hospital or come home on oxygen or whatever?

MrsHiddleston · 28/09/2016 16:40

No. This is what special leave and parental leave are for.

MrsHiddleston · 28/09/2016 16:41

That's assuming BTW baby is still in hospital care when maternity leave ends.

Sirzy · 28/09/2016 16:43

I think it would be impossible to do really, where is the line drawn? What about what children are very ill at other points? It would just get complicated.

Ds was critically ill at 7 weeks old. He is still having effects from it at nearly 7. Would that have got extended maternity leave?

PenguindreamsofDraco · 28/09/2016 16:53

No. As the mother of a 26 weeker.

Mother gets her maternity leave. It might not be doing baby groups and fun stuff, but it's still leave to concentrate on the baby. There should not be any entitlement to extra time as 'compensation' for a rough start. Utterly unworkable.

Comejointhemurder · 28/09/2016 16:56

I also think it would be unworkable.

expatinscotland · 28/09/2016 16:58

No. Unworkable. Long leaves are already a reason I think a lot of women of childbearing age are discriminated against already.

mycatwantstokillme1 · 28/09/2016 17:00

My maternity leave ran out when my son was still in NICU. For weeks I wasn't even able to hold him he was so ill - had to put my hands through 2 portholes in the incubator.

I would sign it. I didn't get to spend any time alone with my son for over 3 months, I'm suprised some mothers of premature babies have said no.

BusStopBetty · 28/09/2016 17:01

Parental leave can be taken for, I think, 12 weeks? So between them parents could taken an additional 24 weeks, although likely unpaid.

Bear2014 · 28/09/2016 17:06

Ideally yes, but it would be unaffordable for the Government and companies, and too difficult to put in place, where to draw the line etc. as people have said. Friends with premature babies have been given extra flexibility and time off at their companies' discretion though.

Unfortunately maternity leave isn't technically about 'enjoying' your baby and them being at home, although I do really feel for parents who don't get that.

maybethedayafter · 28/09/2016 17:06

I'm not sure if a lot of company's would grant parental leave in lieu of time the child was ill during maternity leave if they're not actually ill at the time?

PersianCatLady · 28/09/2016 17:10

I would actually say there's a greater need for paternity leave to be extended
Personally I don't agree with more paternity leave but I do think that if a father wishes he should be able to add all of his holiday for that year onto the end of his paternity leave.

Crazycatladyloz82 · 28/09/2016 17:12

No and I am the mother of a premmie

BusStopBetty · 28/09/2016 17:12

I don't think you have to specify a reason for the leave?

Anyway, it's 18 weeks per parent, so potentially 36 additional weeks.

maybethedayafter · 28/09/2016 17:14

Personally I don't agree with more paternity leave but I do think that if a father wishes he should be able to add all of his holiday for that year onto the end of his paternity leave.

It was towards the end of the leave year and my husband had only 2 days leave left.

PersianCatLady · 28/09/2016 17:15

I would sign it. I didn't get to spend any time alone with my son for over 3 months
I am sorry that your son had such a rough start to his life and for the effects that it must have had on you and your family but I don't understand how more maternity leave would have made a difference to how you feel about his first three months of life.

HalloToJasonIsaacs · 28/09/2016 17:16

I think there's a case for enhanced paternity leave of some sort, especially with twins, who are so often premature. I have no idea how families in that situation cope when they're finally released from hospital.

PersianCatLady · 28/09/2016 17:17

It was towards the end of the leave year and my husband had only 2 days leave left.
So my idea would not have worked in your situation but if you had known that he could have done this would he have been likely to have saved up his leave for this purpose?

maybethedayafter · 28/09/2016 17:19

So my idea would not have worked in your situation but if you had known that he could have done this would he have been likely to have saved up his leave for this purpose?

Well no because who assumes they're going to have a premature baby? I, naively, thought I'd never have to prepare for such a possibility.

hellswelshy · 28/09/2016 17:40

Yes. I had premature twins, 8 weeks early and they were in scbu for 5 weeks. Only when they came home did it feel like my maternity leave started. It was, for me, an incredibly stressful and traumatic start to parenthood and I know that there were parents at the same hospital with even more dire situations than my own.

Mermaid36 · 28/09/2016 17:46

So my idea would not have worked in your situation but if you had known that he could have done this would he have been likely to have saved up his leave for this purpose?

I only knew I was going to have my twins at 26 weeks gestation, 6 hours before I had an emergency c-section. I didn't go into labour, my waters didn't break. There was no way we could have planned for that!

PersianCatLady · 28/09/2016 17:53

Well no because who assumes they're going to have a premature baby?
I didn't explain that very well. What I meant was if it had been possible would you have preferred that your husband tacked his holiday leave onto the end of his paternity leave?

PersianCatLady · 28/09/2016 17:54

I only knew I was going to have my twins at 26 weeks gestation, 6 hours before I had an emergency C-section
Goodness that must have been a bit of a shock.

mycatwantstokillme1 · 28/09/2016 17:56

Persian CatLady, it wouldn't have changed how I felt about the first 3 months of his life, but as my maternity leave ran out while he was still in an incubator, I made the decision not to return to work as I didn't want to be behind a desk while he was in an incubator on his own. If I had had to go back to work while he was still in hospital it would have been unbearable. If maternity leave had been extended I could have had that extra time to settle him in at home etc

mycatwantstokillme1 · 28/09/2016 17:58

And like Mermaid I had no idea I was going to have an emergency c-section, the day before I was at work as normal and completely oblivious that my son was going to be born 24 hours later weighing 1 lb 12 oz!

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