Why should women take maternity leave?
TV rent-a-villain, Katie Hopkins, continues to upset womankind with her ‘controversial’ views on maternity leave in the workplace.
Famous for being a former Apprentice contestant, business women Katie, regularly pops up on TV shows to denigrate the stay-at-home mother, or anyone daring to take more than a few weeks of maternity leave.
This May, On BBC’s The One Show, she called mothers taking 12 months leave ‘bloated, brainless version of your former self’. She believes the stay-at-home brigade are lazy and can’t be bothered to drag themselves away from the biscuit fuelled playgroups.
Katie also has the view that the very laws put into place to protect pregnant women in the workplace are helping to discriminate against them. This is a valid worry. But, removing those rights and benefits that enable families to have children without ending up in poverty is a dangerous one.
Really though, who is getting the last laugh? Inflexible working hours, the cost of childcare or simply wanting to stay at home with the children is prompting thousands of women across the UK to ditch employment and set up their own businesses.
Other than the smarting women are suffering having just pushed something the size of a watermelon out of their rear end, here are some more reasons why ‘bloated’ and ‘brainless’ mothers might well dare to take more than one month’s maternity leave.
6 – 8 Week Check
A postnatal check for women and their new baby will come between four and eight weeks after birth – depending on in which area you live. Women may still be experiencing problems or pains after this time related to childbirth which will be necessary to discuss with a GP.
Caesarean Cection
Women who have had a caesarean section must not lift or carry anything heavier than their baby for six weeks after the operation. And, any moderate exercise should be put on hold until the GP gives the all clear.
Special Care Babies
Very sick or premature babies can end up staying in hospital for many months after they have been born. Some may have additional needs or require operations.
Physiotherapy
Women who have suffered conditions such as symphysis pubis dysfunction or carpal tunnel syndrome may need further physiotherapy, postnatal care or even operations. It can take a long time before they are physically ready to cope with returning to work.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding can be terribly difficult for some mothers to establish with their babies, even if it is the second time around. It can take several weeks and many exhausted nights to get it right. At this point, all a mother needs is some sleep, not boardroom meetings. Current advice recommends women exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first six months. Not awfully convenient in the workplace.
Bonding
Not every mother loves their child the second it pops out. Taking time to bond with your new baby, however long it takes is vitally important. Maternity leave is also a great opportunity to use the one-on-one time you have with your baby to help with their development by reading, playing and taking them to fun classes.
Healthy Work-life Balance
Unless you run your own business or really, really enjoy your job – more than your children – having a healthy work-life balance is essential to your family’s happiness and well-being.
Networking with other parents
Parenting does not come naturally to all. New skills need to be learned and endless late nights and interrupted sleep would test the patience of a saint. Allowing parents time to network with other parents through toddler groups or children’s centres can help them get support and ride the rough patches.
Can’t afford to return to work
A full time nursery place for a child under two can cost around £50 a day. For some women, the cost of childcare makes it impossible to return to work.