British actress Sammy Winward and footballer David Dunn welcome a daughter

British actress Sammy Winward who stars in the British soap Emmerdale and her Birmingham City footballer fiance David Dunn have welcomed their daughter into the world. The little girl, who weighed 5 lbs. 14 oz., and was delivered through a home birth at Sammy’s bolton home. They have named her Mia.

"David and I are both absolutely delighted with our new arrival," she said.   The actress, who plays Katie Sugden in the ITV1 soap, will return to the show in January after her maternity leave.

Source: ITV and Yahoo News

Thanks to CBB Reader Emily.

Comments

Congrats to them. That’s a nice long maternity leave!!

- Jennie on June 13th, 2005

Statutory maternity leave in the UK is 6 months. She may be famous, but she gets the same maternity leave as the rest of us. I also had 6 months paid with my son. It was wonderful time together.

- Nicola on June 14th, 2005

Wow, I have to say that the maternity leave is incredible! I know in Germany you get up to 3 years leave (unpaid, but you can keep your job.) Makes me think we really get jipped in the States!

- Canita on June 15th, 2005

In Norway the maternity leave is 42 weeks with 100 % salary or 52 weeks with 80 % salary.

It’s not really a ‘maternity leave’ though, it’s more of a ‘parental leave’. The father has to take at least 4 weeks of the 42/52 weeks and these 4 weeks can not be transferred to the mother if he choses not to take them. And he doesn’t have to take them consecutively, he could take e.g. one day leave per week.
The father also gets 10 days leave starting from the date of birth.

It’s still mostly mums who take out the biggest part of the parental leave, though.

When the mother goes back to work, she can demand a break of at least half an hour twice daily for breastfeeding – but that’s provided that she has someone (dad, nanny, etc) who can bring the baby to work for her to breastfeed it, of course…

- Anneli on June 15th, 2005

im sure baby mia will be gorgeous jus like her mummy

- delia on June 15th, 2005

Sammy’s friend Lucy (forget her second name) has also given birth to a baby girl named Lola Grace.

- leanne on June 30th, 2005