Hazel was so devastated by the death of her husband following his due date that she would not have been mentally prepared to return to work nine months later. However, if this bill was passed and she had more time off for Paternity leave, she would feel less of a burden on business and friends.
Last year, Hazel Naghi had to split her time at the hospital with Oliver, her night-shift worker partner.
“When my son was born, he had to be transferred to another hospital an hour away because he was premature,” she tells BBC News. “He spent five days in the hospital and an additional month on a feeding tube.”
The babies that are being hospitalised make people not realise how common it is. You will get saved by the government and your employer if you are pregnant.
Giving parents the support needed in a time of great stress and trauma is a primary function of the proposal.
Other people shared the stories of their experiences, including David Linden, who remembers up until the day he died remembering seeing his daughter turn blue in a hospital incubator. Nurses rushed to resuscitate her while she was still in the incubator.
Mothers are entitled to 52 weeks of maternity leave, while fathers are entitled to 2 weeks of paid paternity leave.
With the option to split with their parents, those with kids would have up to 50 weeks of paid leave. A new law has passed allowing parents to take an additional 12 weeks of paid leave if their child has a premature birth.
The government is promoting a bill allowing parents to get one week of pay in addition to their maternity, paternity, and existing entitlement if they need to take their child to a neonatal hospital. This law requires additional support before it becomes a federal law, but it’s been accepted by both US parties.
Hazel Naghi had a son at 32 weeks and had to split time between the hospital with her husband, who worked nights. The extra time proposed in this bill would have given Hazel more time after Theo’s birth to feel more prepared before returning to work.
Having a baby prematurely is an experience different from having a full child term. The Imperial College London reports that more than 100,000 babies were admitted to neonatal care in the UK in 2016.
Mr McDonald told MPs his proposal would provide parents with the emotional and financial support they need.
Incubators are used for newborn babies with complications, like low weight and infections. Newborns may also require extended time in a neonatal unit after surgery or difficult births.
Mothers have a right to 52 weeks of maternity leave, and fathers can take up to 2 paid weeks of paternity leave. Parents can then divide the 50 weeks of enforced leave between them, taking up to 37 weeks at a time.
Are employers required to offer paid leave for premature births?
They have already voiced support for the law and have passed the second reading. It must go through a few more stages of parliamentary scrutiny before it becomes a law.
“Getting off to a good start.”
“We had an hour drive to the hospital; he was in an incubator for five days and then needed another month,” she told BBC News. “He did feed through a tube after that.”
Hazel says the nine months she spent away from work helped her family, and she hopes eliminating the minimum three-month waiting period would help other mothers feel they weren’t alone.
One way a baby prematurely differs from having a full child term is that it takes some time to process the experience.
Linden shared his experience; he remembers seeing his daughter turn blue in an incubator and watching the nurses try to resuscitate her.
What do you think about the new law? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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