Reduce anxiety, gain more motivation to have a second child.
At the end of August, the family of Mr. Hua Dang Quang in Cam Duong ward welcomed another joyous occasion with the birth of their second child. The joy of having a new family member brought warmth to the family atmosphere and a more relaxed pace of life. While his wife needed time to recover after giving birth, Mr. Quang managed his work schedule while also proactively caring for his wife and newborn child.
For Quang, having more time with his family after his child is born not only helps reduce pressure on his wife but also allows him to directly care for and bond with his child from the very first days of life.
Therefore, Quang considers the new regulation in the Population Law regarding increased leave time for male workers when their wives give birth to be a practical policy, suitable to the needs of many young families today.
At age 26, Ms. Do Thi Dieu and her husband, from Lao Cai ward, were planning to have a second child before turning 30. However, the pressures of childcare costs, postpartum care for both mother and baby, and the challenge of balancing work and family life still left the couple with concerns.
After learning about the new population policy, especially the policies on support, healthcare, and benefits for women giving birth to a second child, Ms. Dịu felt more at ease.
For Ms. Dịu, when the pressures of finances , healthcare, and time are somewhat shared, childbirth and raising children become easier thanks to additional support from the government. This provides a basis for her and her husband to be more proactive in their plan to have two children in the coming years.
New policy reduces pressure on young families.
The Population Law of 2026, effective from July 1, 2026, includes many new policies directly related to childbirth and child-rearing. These include 7 months of maternity leave for female workers giving birth to their second child; and 10 working days of leave for male workers whose wives give birth, with more leave granted in certain cases.
The law empowers individuals and couples to decide when to have children, the number of children, and the spacing between births in accordance with their actual circumstances. It also stipulates support policies to maintain replacement fertility rates, including financial assistance for women who have two children before the age of 35 and priority for purchasing, renting, or leasing social housing for those with two or more children.
The new regulations help to alleviate difficulties in childbirth, especially economic pressure and the cost of raising children. This will gradually create conditions for families to be more proactive in deciding whether to have children, while also strengthening the shared responsibility between families, the State, and society in caring for and raising children.
Along with supportive policies regarding time and economic conditions, maternal and child healthcare is one of the important factors that allows families to confidently pursue their childbearing plans.
Healthcare to give families peace of mind during childbirth.
In Lao Cai, the health sector continues to promote prenatal and newborn screening. In the first eight months of 2026, 9,349 pregnant women underwent prenatal screening, reaching 73.5%; and 8,468 newborns underwent screening, reaching 66.3%. This contributes to the early detection of health risks, allowing for appropriate intervention and care, and gradually improving the quality of the population.
According to Dr. Tran Hoai Bac, Specialist II and Director of the Provincial Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, in addition to economic pressures, work, and the time spent caring for children, the physical and mental health of mothers after childbirth also needs special attention.
The postpartum period is a time when women need time to recover and adapt to caring for a child. The support of the husband, family, and appropriate support policies will help reduce pressure on the mother and enable the family to be more proactive in caring for the child.
Based on this reality, the Provincial Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital is strengthening its reproductive health counseling, prenatal care, prenatal and neonatal screening, as well as pre-marital health counseling, childcare during the first 1,000 days of life, and postpartum mental health counseling for women. The counseling also aims to encourage greater fatherly involvement in childcare and sharing family responsibilities.
When pressures related to time, healthcare, child-rearing, and living conditions are addressed, couples will have more grounds to proactively plan their pregnancies. Along with appropriate support policies, improving the quality of maternal and child care and the quality of the population will contribute to building a healthy workforce, creating a foundation for the sustainable development of Lao Cai in the coming years.
Source: https://baolaocai.vn/don-bay-duy-tri-muc-sinh-post911028.html
