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

[EveOnline2016]

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.

Yes, BusStopBetty, I think so. For a start, talking about extending maternity leave immediately puts this as a mother's problem (do dads not suffer by having to go back to work and sit behind a desk while their babies are in an incubator?). And, as others have said, there are many other families who need extra support (including multiples, those with life limiting illnesses) too

buttered my maternity leave started as soon as the babies were born (at 26 weeks gestation). Even if I had been on sick leave prior to that, the birth automatically triggers mat leave.

And that's where my point about not starting maternity leave until 36 weeks comes in. Starting it at 26 weeks is grim.

So what would the pay be between 26 and 36 weeks? If it were unpaid then that would be really crap because it's a period of unpaid leave which you couldn't have planned or budgeted for. In addition, parents with a baby in NICU face additional costs of £280 a week which is more difficult to cover if you're now not getting paid.

Sorry, that's on average £280 a week. It's not like they apply a set charge!

Ideally sick pay between 24-36 weeks; although I do appreciate that this is something that varies between employers & others may get way less. I get 6 months full sick pay then 6 months half pay (NHS).

Sorry mermaid I was replying to an earlier post that suggested mothers would be unpaid if they delivered at say 24 weeks. My argument is that most people would be. As in your case.

Would be paid that is

I don't know about this one as I don't have experience.

But I do think Paternity Leave should only start when the baby is born. When DD was born my DH started his leave the day I went into labour. I was in hospital, in Labour for four days, followed by an EMCS so a full week of his leave was taken up while I was in hospital. I then only had him at home for another week when I could hardly walk, let alone drive, shower etc. A few more days would have been helpful.

My DP's entire paternity leave was used up by NICU for both my DC.

Luckily his employers were very good & just paid him full pay for an additional month 1st time & a week 2nd time. We were very lucky in that respect.

But in both cases, when DC came home, he was straight back to work.

My DH was able to take compassionate leave for 7 weeks whilst the girls were critical/in intensive care; I then had to deal with 11 weeks of NICU on my own as he had to go back to work. He took one week of actual paternity leave when the girls came home.