(1) A relevant employee may, in accordance with this section, notify her employer, or cause her employer to be notified, in writing (in this section referred to as a 'relevant notification') that she intends to postpone the commencement of all or part of her maternity leave to such date that is not later than 52 weeks from the date on which the postponement (in this section referred to as the 'first postponement') is to commence.

(2) A relevant notification shall -

(a) subject to subsection (5), specify the date on which the proposed postponement is to -

(i) commence, and

(ii) end (referred to in this section as the 'end date'), which date shall be at least 5 weeks from the date referred to in subparagraph (i),

and

(b) be accompanied by a medical certificate signed by a relevant medical practitioner and specifying the dates referred to in paragraph (a).