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Original poster

Parliament debate to extend maternity leave

179 replies

ejmay90 · 01/05/2020 14:39

Not sure if this has been posted already but please see this debate to extend maternity leave for 3 months.
Please sign if you agree :)

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/306691

OP posts:
Jesskir89 · 01/05/2020 16:18

@PurpleDaisies I think some of you need to stop being keyboard warriors. Op has put it on for those who want to sign it not for everyone who doesn't to have a go at people that do

PurpleDaisies · 01/05/2020 16:19

I’m a keyboard warrior for disagreeing with the op? Hmm

babycakes1010 · 01/05/2020 16:19

Taking the piss!

Fedhimtotigers · 01/05/2020 16:20

@Jesskir89 what about us BF?
It's perfectly possible to and past 9 months. You just do it.

You don't need to scrounge off the Government to do so.
Covid has not stopped people BF.

HasaDigaEebowai · 01/05/2020 16:20

Grabby and ridiculous.

SaltySeaBird · 01/05/2020 16:21

I had 12 weeks and then needed to go back to work (DS is 4, I live and work in the UK). This is ridiculous!

Jesskir89 · 01/05/2020 16:21

@Fedhimtotigers if you read my post I said it needs looking at overall not because of covid. Some women can't express to continue breastfeeding once they return to work.

SaltySeaBird · 01/05/2020 16:22

Oh and I BF him for a year, expressing at work as necessary!

Jesskir89 · 01/05/2020 16:23

@SaltySeaBird as I said above not everyone can....

stopandListen · 01/05/2020 16:24

Not a hope in hell of me signing!

yukka · 01/05/2020 16:27

If you follow the petition link through to the survey a whole range of questions are asked which broaden the justifications.

I would welcome some amount of additional days that I could use to settle baby into nursery when the time comes, where my employment rights are protected. I will have returned to work full time by then.

Baby groups are one thing - if you have no family nearby they can be a god send. As can going swimming and other experiences that get you both out of the house.

Many new mums will be at home on their own as their partners a key workers. Remember how hard that can be. PND is a real risk for the first year.

Knowing you may have a little more 'normal time' with your baby could be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Given SMP is fuck all anyway, I don't see why this would be considered so unreasonable given what the government is doing for everyone else.

Signed.

Moondust001 · 01/05/2020 16:30

Also what about women who want to breastfeed for longer than 9 months, I agree we shouldn't just on the covid grabbing band wagon but maternity allowance does need looking at overall
I'm unclear what prevents any woman from breastfeeding for longer than 9 months. She can continue until the baby is 36 years if she wants. The choice to breastfeed, and how long someone does that for, has nothing to do with paid maternity leave. Why do you think that everyone else should pay for that choice though? If we were not now facing the worst recession in history, and a bill for all the costs of this pandemic that the country will still be paying for in future decades, I might agree with you that the amount of maternity allowance is very low. But equally, I am afraid that nobody should expect that everyone else is around to pay for their reproductive choices. There are far too many people who think that having children is a right, and that they have no responsibility for working out whether they can afford those children.

Jesskir89 · 01/05/2020 16:34

@moondust001 you're preaching to the wrong person here. This is the first time in my life I've claimed anything and I'm only getting SMP and child benefit for my 1 child who is 7 weeks old. I pay 800 pounds a month in tax and national insurance which is more than I'm now claiming! So yes I've signed the petition as yes I do think women like myself should be entitled to longer with their baby in general and not just during the pandemic. Also as I've said 3 times now, not everyone can express. So for women who don't want their baby on formula, they have to bf for the first 12 months

Blackbear19 · 01/05/2020 16:34

All I’m hoping for is that they extend the free dental

Now that is something that I would support. TBH you should start a petition on it because I'd bet if nobody does it will be forgotten about.

But extending maternity leave, sorry I can't see the need or who's going to pay for it? At absolute most I'd support an extra 3mths unpaid. A year off is actually quite a long time anyway.

mynameiscalypso · 01/05/2020 16:38

Hang on, why should people who either have to or want to FF their babies be penalised by less time off?!

Jesskir89 · 01/05/2020 16:39

Noone said that.... It'd be interesting to see if this petition goes through, if everyone who disagrees with it will take that extra 3 months...

Original poster
ejmay90 · 01/05/2020 16:41

This is just for anyone who may want to sign. Not forcing anyone to sign it and don't care if you dont.
Everyone has their own opinion on it so like I said if you would like to sign it please do if not that's fine.
I'm not responding to comments about it as I'm not here for a ridiculous mumsnet debate!

Thanks everyone

OP posts:
mynameiscalypso · 01/05/2020 16:41

Well I don't think it's got a chance in hell of going through (and I say that as someone currently on maternity leave and who is planning to take an extra three months unpaid)

Lala241280 · 01/05/2020 16:42

@Jesskir89

If you planned to breast feed for 12 months and we’re only taking 9 months off you would have been taking 3 months unpaid , would you not ?

I’m sure most mums would have have wanted extra time with their kids at home and to settle into nursery and school why do you feel because of COVID you are entitled to it more than others
I know when I had to do this I had to take holidays / days off to do it

Original poster
ejmay90 · 01/05/2020 16:42

I'm merely forwarding on the petition link I got sent.

OP posts:
Jesskir89 · 01/05/2020 16:45

@lala241280 where have I said because of covid? I've said throughout my posts that it needs looking at overall. I'm not getting into debates on here. If people don't want to sign then don't but stop slagging people off that do

GoudaGirl · 01/05/2020 16:47

I am all for women being supported after the birth of a child but the rationale of missing baby groups is ridiculous and makes a mockery of serious issues that may warrant an extension such as illness or prem babies.

What about those who live in areas without such groups? Do the petitioners expect those to be exempt then? Will a baby group/activity have to be attended, how often and if so is there a specific quality required? Otherwise its just an excuse to have a chin wag and a coffee. We need to be addressing the have to have, not the nice to have.

Nearly everyone has felt impact of the virus, life isn't 'fair'! There are better things to focus energy on such as better post natal care, more help for the very vulnerable groups, than just a general lack of opportunity to visit baby groups!

You cant even be sure people would want to go to baby groups post lock down for a while! It is failing to recognise that life will change, not just revert back.

SkelingtonArgument · 01/05/2020 17:02

I predict that with the double whammy of covid and Brexit, maternity leave is going to be curtailed rather than extended ...

LalalalalaLlama · 01/05/2020 17:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Lala241280 · 01/05/2020 17:12

@Jesskir89

The whole post is about maternity leave extended due to COVID ?????

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