$20,000 baby bonus fails to ease pressure on new mothers, netizens say

A new mother has criticized Hong Kong's childcare and workplace policies after giving birth by Caesarean section, saying the HK$20,000 newborn baby bonus does little to address the challenges faced by parents.

The mother shared an almost 800-word post on social media, describing the pain of recovering from surgery while caring for her newborn and the pressure she faced at work during pregnancy and after giving birth.

She said her husband had used his five days of statutory paternity leave by the time the family left hospital.

Despite having a domestic helper and postpartum nanny, she said she was still left to handle much of the baby's overnight care.

Feeding and burping the baby could take about an hour, followed by holding the baby until it was safe to put the infant down, only for the baby to wake again shortly afterwards, she said.

She said not every family could afford a domestic helper or postpartum nanny, or rely on grandparents for support.

The mother also said she had worked overtime in the months before maternity leave to complete projects and prepare for handover.

She claimed she faced difficulties when applying for annual leave before giving birth and received work-related calls while on maternity leave.

She also said she later learned that a supervisor had questioned whether having a child would affect her work performance.

The post prompted other parents to share similar experiences, including being asked to arrange prenatal appointments outside working hours and being required to handle work while on leave.

Some mothers also described difficulties after returning to work, including being criticised for taking time to express breast milk.

One user said she had to work on a computer the day after returning home from hospital.

The HK$20,000 newborn baby bonus also drew criticism from parents, with some saying the payment could quickly be spent on childcare and other expenses.

A mother of twins said the money could be used up within the first month, while another parent pointed to the cost of private prenatal consultations and other household expenses.

Parents also questioned the accessibility of community childcare services, saying some had age restrictions and operated only during standard working hours, making them difficult for working couples to use.

Some said frequent illnesses among newborns could also quickly exhaust both parents' annual leave.

Other users called for longer paternity leave, more childcare services, postpartum rehabilitation and breastfeeding support, as well as stronger family-friendly workplace policies.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓