Comments on: Six weeks Paid Maternity Leave is not Enough

By: Kevin H - Disability Maternity

Kevin H - Disability Maternity — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:13:33 +0000

Things are even worse in the U.S. Most women get no paid time at all. For those who do, most get six weeks of partial income replacement via disability insurance. Sometimes the income replacement is far less.

By: Yellow Days

Yellow Days — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:35:39 +0000

Thanks so much for this Liz. There’s such a disparity between society needing us to have enough kids to support the older generations and the way Mat leave and childcare is funded.

Some companies do offer better leave than the legal minimum. I’m really lucky that the NHS gives you up to 6 months on half pay and because I’ve worked for them for a long time I have extra holiday as well which I tacked onto both ends of my leave. It’s not why I started working for the NHS but it’s a good reason to stay until I know I don’t want anymore kids.

I bet it’s something that most young women don’t look at when they make career choices in their twenties but it can make a huge difference when you come to have kids.

By: @the_last_slayer

@the_last_slayer — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:43:48 +0000

I was heavily sleep deprived for the first 9 months after my first son’s birth – only getting 2 hourly chunks through the nights. There’s absolutely no way I could have performed my job in that time. I was barely functioning! I agree – I don’t think maternity leave is valued here in the UK. I think it’s perceived as being a “holiday” and it’s sad that the physical and mental toll that giving birth and looking after a baby takes on you isn’t really understood.