South Shields mum joins calls for Government to extend maternity leave as she reveals struggles of being a new parent in lockdown

Jade Cook, 26, of Mowbray Road, South Shields has joined hundreds of thousands of parents across the country calling for maternity leave to be extended due to the coronavirus crisis.

The charity worker gave birth to her little boy, Carter, on March 18 - just days before the lockdown restrictions were introduced.

As a result, Jade has spent the last 10 weeks at home with her son, isolated from her family and unable to enjoy any of the special moments she imagined.

Carter’s dad, Liam Standen, 32, a postman, is classed as a key worker and has had to work throughout the crisis.

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The couple are among more than 200,000 parents who have signed a petition calling on the Government to extend the statutory maternity leave by at least three months.

“It feels like Covid-19 has taken everything from us,” said Jade.

“I’m missing out on the joy of introducing my baby to people and no one else is able to bond with him.

“He hasn’t even met his grandparents yet. I feel completely isolated.”

With baby groups and classes cancelled - or moved online - due to the lockdown, campaigners say they have missed out on valuable time spent bonding and engaging with other parents and children.

Other babies will be forced to start nursery once the measures are lifted and their parents have to return to work.

But the Government says there are currently no plans to extend the current maternity leave offer – up to 52 weeks of leave, 39 of which are paid – which it says is “one of the most generous in the world”.

Jade added: “I knew maternity leave would be hard, but having no support, no family to help and no baby groups to attend to meet other mothers is not what I imagined at all.

“I pray the Government will realise the difficulty of raising a baby during a pandemic and the effect it is having on families.”

Sign the petition here

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