Early days 'most important' for parental input

25 Jul 2008

It is very important for parents to have input in their babies' early days, a midwife has claimed.

Mervi Jokinen, a Royal College of Midwives officer, explained that in the past, women were made to return to work earlier than six weeks after giving birth.

"This made continuing breastfeeding very difficult," she said, adding that the government's decision to recommend a minimum of six months breastfeeding time has been greatly beneficial.

"It's also just a very different time of your life," Ms Jokinen added. "There are a lot of adjustments to make and you have to get to know your baby… It's important to start the baby's life on the right footing."

She concluded that although maternity leave can present a dilemma for some smaller firms and their business, it is important that the UK increases it to be in line with fellow EU countries.

Under current UK law, women can take statutory maternity leave for up to 52 weeks, with statutory maternity pay for up to 39 weeks. Fathers are entitled to either one or two week's paternity leave.

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