Maternity leave will start once ur baby is born. Before that if u are having a leave it is considered as HL. I checked with my HR as well cuz I wasnt pretty sure and they gave me that answer. if u start ML earlier you will waste it and ur time wif baby would be lesser.
It’s considered Maternity leave. For HL, it will depend on whether your gynae is willing to grant u for it so that you can start your maternity leave on the day your baby is born. Take note that not every gynae will grant u HL even if you ask for it.
ML can start as early as 4 weeks before EDD. Some women requests HL from their gynae before delivery so that their ML only starts on the delivery date.
U can ask doctor for MC if on that day u have doctor visit
ML can be taken as early as 4 weeks before edd.