Maternity rights and Premature Babies

When you have a premature baby, it's not fair that your maternity leave starts the day the baby is born, especially if the baby spends a long time in hospital. You get less time than everyone else even though you have more to deal with and more to come to terms with.

Financial constraints and Separation anxiety brought on by the thought of returning to work soon after a premature birth add to the trauma. There are more premature babies than you are aware of and employment law does not make any provision for the parents who go through this traumatic experience thereby penalising them for a situation they have no control over.

I am therefore requesting the House of Commons change the law to make allowances for this situation. In the case of premature birth, maternity rights should start on the original due date rather than the date the premature baby is born.