Dads challenge Britain's 'rubbish' paternity leave policy by hanging babygrows in Cannock Chase Forest

Brothers Josh Ball and Max Ball, along with their partners and children, hung babygrows in Cannock Chase Forest featuring the message "two weeks isn't enough".

It was part of a nationwide stunt that took place on Sunday, May 11, in which more than 100 families across the country, including 15 MPs, took part. 

The pair said they did it to highlight the inadequacy of the UK's two-week statuary paternity leave and draw attention to shocking research by The Dad Shift - a group of men who are campaigning for better paternity leave. 

Their research shows that 45 per cent of fathers in the UK experience depression and anxiety after having a baby, with 82 per cent of them calling for better paternity leave from the Government. 

Campaigners say that our country's statutory paternity leave is the 'least generous' in Europe. 

The Dad Shift's research also tragically found that one in 15 new dads had experienced suicidal thoughts in their first year of fatherhood, and one in 12 reported frightening thoughts such as of deliberately hurting their baby.

A clear solution also emerged from the study - 82 per cent of fathers said improving paternity leave is the single biggest action the Government could take to support their mental health. 

Yet the UK continues to offer the worst statutory paternity leave in Europe – just two weeks at less than half the minimum wage.

For a dad earning the average UK wage, taking just two weeks of paternity leave means losing more than £1,000 in pay - while essential baby provisions such as nappies, cots, clothe and medical expenses can cost families up to £10,000. 

Josh, a new dad himself, told the Express & Star why he took part in the stunt and why he joined The Dad Shift. 

"The UK's paternity leave of two weeks isn't enough," he said. "It prevents dads and non-birthing partners from being fully involved during those precious early weeks, and it doesn't allow us to offer the support we want to give. The newborn bubble during paternity leave didn't exist for us.

"We spent the first few days in hospital with medical investigations for my son, and postpartum care for my partner. The remainder of my paternity leave was a blur of appointments, caring for my partner postpartum, constantly sleep-deprived, and learning to look after a newborn. Not having enough time during those early weeks for bonding and adjusting caused me to completely burnout, physically and mentally." 

Alex Lloyd Hunter, co-founder of The Dad Shift, said: “The UK’s rubbish paternity leave is trashing dads’ mental health. Fathers are being forced back to work before they're ready and when they’re needed most.

"These men are caught between the stress of keeping their families afloat financially, trying to be there for their partners and new babies, and the demand to perform at work as if nothing has changed. They have little choice but to suffer in silence and try to soldier on, even if it breaks them.”

The research also shows that poor paternity leave impacts mothers too as, without support, many are left to cope alone at the exact moment they are most vulnerable to postpartum depression themselves.