Our petition to change the law around baby loss and parental leave has really touched a nerve.

Priya’s Mum says: “Many have asked how they can help. Some of you have made videos of your stories on social media. Thank you so very much! I hoped for something like this. For Baby Priya’s Petition to be promoted whilst the parents of babies who have passed, if they are up to it, to say the names of their Angel babies and share their stories as well, regardless of whether they got their maternity leave or not. If your maternity leave was cancelled, please share how wrong that was and how it made you feel. If your maternity leave wasn’t cancelled, please explain how valuable it was for your mind and body to heal. As a bereaved mom, I realise how wonderful it is to say my baby’s name. It is music to my ears when others say Priya’s name. When this is done, it shows that Priya is not forgotten and others too remember she did exist. I know this is important for many other parents with baby loss too.

One beautiful dad wrote a comment that moved me to the core, and brought me to tears. He said that he cried when he read our story, and mentioned that he too had baby loss. He lost a baby boy and a baby girl, in the early 70s. Your babies would be so proud of you Dad, for having them in your mind forever ❤️”

Thank you to everyone who has shared the petition. Thank you to those who have signed just because you are caring human beings. We are especially thankful to the courageous parents/families who have shared their own pain in the comments as well. Here are just a few from the last 24 hours:

“I have lost a child at 22 weeks and 6 days, I had 3 months paid maternity leave. There was no way mentally I was able to work. This needs to change.”

“My grandson died at 3 days my daughter needed time off”

“My daughter lost her son still born at 34 weeks, healthy ultrasound the week before. I know her grief and ours. Thankfully her work supported her, not sure she would have survived if they didn’t.”

“I have lost 2 children and both times my employer supported me. With paid leave this should be the norm.”

“I too lost a baby born at 24 weeks. We are parents!”

“My mother experienced something similar in 1950 & it appears we have not learned or improved in all this years.”

“I lost a baby to stillbirth, and it is wrong that women are treated like this.”

“Having an infant who died, this is inexcusable.”

“I lost a child through stillbirth.”

“It happened to me”

“I knew the pain”

“I know the terrible pain of losing a child. Such a lack of compassion only makes the pain worse.”

“I personally know how affecting these tragedies are & have witnessed firsthand the enduring impact on my partner at losing a baby soon after birth. It feels incomprehensible that maternity leave would be cancelled after such a loss.”

If you do have a similar story to ours, please if you are up to it, share those stories as a comment on Baby Priya’s Petition. We plan to print those comments and take to whomever concerned in making changes in the law. 

We are still waiting for a full reply from the Employment and Workplace Relations Minister and will let you know when we get it.

Please keep signing and sharing.

Thanking you wholeheartedly.

Priya’s Mum and Priya’s Dad