The most difficult day of my life. And leaving the hospital is only a continuation of the fight – this is how the birth of two extreme premature babies, Lena and Filip, recalls Natalia Szewczak, one of the people involved in efforts to extend maternity leave for parents of such children. This initiative has just been successful, and the new regulations come into force.
– I am very happy that on March 19, the time of absurdity ends, which consisted in the fact that parents of such seriously ill children, including premature babies, lost their valuable maternity leave when their child was in the hospital – says Elżbieta Brzozowska, vice president of the “Coalition for Przedsiękiaka” Foundation in an interview with the tvn24.pl portal.
Double trauma of parents
Why is a new benefit so important? – First of all, it is difficult to call maternity leave a period when you cannot be with your child – emphasizes Elżbieta Brzozowska. – And secondly, it is terrible that in our country you cannot be 24 hours a day with your sick newborn. Few branches allow it – he says. He adds that premature parents face double trauma. – Until now, they could not be with their children, and at the same time we have irretrievably lost their maternity leave – he notes.
Petition on the extension of maternity leaveinitiated by the “Coalition for a premature baby” at the end of 2023, was signed by 16 thousand. people. A year later, the relevant law went through the Sejm and the Senate. – It was amazing how efficiently and quickly, after so many years of ignoring the problem by all previous governments, the rules were changed during the year – says Elżbieta Brzozowska.
– During the year we felt a huge strength of media support and social support. Signatures for petition, many news from parents, thousands of publications in the media – lists the vice president of the “Coalition for a premature baby”. – Natalia Szewczak's report “The state gave my children PLN 400,000. You would prefer not to get them” initiated our actions and gave us faith that a change of regulations may succeed – he emphasizes.
“Exit from the hospital is just a continuation of the fight”
Natalia Szewczak, journalist of “Business Insider Polska” and mother of two premature babies, in an interview with tvn24.pl admits that she feels “great satisfaction and emotion” because of the entry into force of the new regulations. – This is a beautiful lesson in democracy that shows how important non -governmental organizations and media are, without their commitment this change would not be. For years, no one has noticed the problems of premature babies, but now it is changing – he emphasizes.
For parents of premature babies, a longer maternity leave is particularly important. – A healthy child after three or four days from his birth leaves the hospital. The premature baby – depending on where he was born – spends weeks or months in the hospital – explains the journalist. – And leaving the hospital is just a continuation of the fight: a medical visit for a medical visit, subsequent tests, subsequent medicines. Maternity leave is simply taken by medical visits, examinations, hospitals, rehabilitation again. In addition, premature babies need more time to catch up with their peers. Sometimes it takes years – he adds.
Her children, Lena and Filip, were born in December 2020, three months and one day too early. “The most difficult day of my life,” he says. Newborns spent the next three weeks to the ICU, the hospital left 65 days after birth. – At that time, in the middle of a pandemic, we could see children for two hours each day. Time to build a bond was taken from us – emphasizes Natalia Szewczak.
Natalia Szewczak – mother of Lena and FilipaPrivate archive
No benefit “absurd and illogical”
– When the children were in the hospital and on maternity leave, I often thought that the applicable law was absurd. I was looking for documents, supposing that maybe there was some benefit for premature babies, that maybe once was to introduce it … I thought that you had to take care of it, because it was so absurd, illogical. I believed that it was and could be changed. But I did not expect it to happen so quickly and cause such an avalanche – he argues.
He adds that thanks to the changes, premature babies finally feel noticed. – I don't think there have never been talked about the problems of premature parents as much as in the last year. Moms who lie in the hospital regularly write to me. A few days ago I got a message from a lady who gave birth in the 32nd week. She wrote: “Thank you for the changes,” he says.
New benefit – for whom?
Provisions introducing maternity allowance for these parents of premature babies and children requiring hospitalization shortly after birth who will benefit complementary maternity leaveenter into force on March 19. As he said ZUSthe insured – mother or father raising a child will be able to take advantage of the maternity allowance for the period of complementary maternity leave. The dimension of the allowance will depend on the week of pregnancy in which the child will be born, his weight on the day of birth and from the period of the child's stay in the hospital.
This applies to children who were born: before the end of the 28th week of pregnancy or with a weight not more than 1000 g; After completing the 28th week of pregnancy, but before the 37th week of pregnancy and with a weight greater than 1000 g; After completing the 37th week of pregnancy, if the child spent at least two days after delivery, the first of which falls from 5 to 28 day after birth. Information about the details of the new benefit can be found on the website of the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy.
Source of the main photo: Shutterstock