Myleene Klass Won't Be Taking Maternity Leave For This Majorly Relatable Reason

Myleene Klass rose to fame back in the '00s as part of the pop group Hear'Say and has since released two solo classical piano albums, hosted her own radio show, and even dabbled in some acting. But she's currently making headlines for quite a different reason. The star has recently shared the happy news that she is expecting her first child with her boyfriend Simon Motson. Alongside the announcement, Myleene Klass also revealed she won't be taking maternity leave.

Klass is already a mother to two girls Ava and Hero, and she revealed her third pregnancy in the cutest way. On Valentine's Day she uploaded a photo to Instagram showing her pregnant stomach with a single red heart as a caption. Fans and celebrity friends flocked to send the star messages of congratulations.

Klass' choice not to take maternity leave may come as a surprise to some of her followers, but the reasoning behind the decision relates to an issue an increasing amount of working parents face. She told The Metro when asked if she would be taking maternity leave she said, "No... I'm a working mum. As I did with my other two, I will pop the little one out and bring her or him with me as normal. I just think as a working mum that's what you do. And a self-employed one at that." Klass is the second celebrity in the last couple of weeks to declare that she wouldn't be taking maternity leave following Stacey Solomon's similar admission.

Klass continued, "I think many mums will be able to relate to that. You just get on with your life as normal. You just bring the little one with you." And she even went so far to say that "it's happened before. I have breastfed many a time on air, It just so happens I have the best job in the world."

Although Klass' job seems pretty great and I'm sure a lot of people would kill to be in her position but because she's self-employed she is only entitled to a certain amount of maternity pay from the government. As someone who is self-employed just like Solomon and Klass, I know that taking an extended maternity is not always viable option. This will resonate with plenty of people across the UK as self-employed people and freelancers make up 15 percent of the population.

According the the Office For National Statistics, the number of self-employed workers has increased by 3.3 millions from 2004 to 2017. Solomon admitted that money worries were a reason why she did not want to take an extended maternity leave. However, from April 2019 the maternity leave allowance for self-employed women will increase to £148.68 per week which will hopefully help lighten some women's loads. However, as that's still significantly less than the average weekly earnings of someone in full time work in the UK (£550), according to a report by Instant Offices, it's totally understandable that many self-employed parents may still feel unable to take extended maternity leave. Either way, props to Klass and Solomon for highlighting an incredibly important issue.