The weeks after a child is born are supposed to be a time of joy, but for the mother and father of baby Priya, their time turned to heartbreak.

Priya died at just 42 days old.

Then, in the midst of coming to terms with their family's heartbreaking loss, Priya's mother, who has chosen not to be identified, soon found herself in negotiations over returning to work.

"I thought at the time that it was terribly unfair," says her husband Chris, "I got leave and she didn't."

Around 1 per cent of babies born in Australia each year are stillbirths or result in neonatal deaths, and six babies are stillborn every single day, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Until today, there were no legal protections for parents to keep their employer-paid parental leave entitlements

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