(1) Where, in relation to a pregnant employee, the date of confinement occurs in a week that is four weeks or more before the expected week of confinement, the employee shall, where the circumstances so require, be deemed to have complied with section 9(1)(a) if the notification required by that section is given in the period of 14 days commencing on the date of confinement.

(2) Notwithstanding section 10(1), but subject to regulations under section 11, the minimum period of maternity leave for an employee referred to in subsection (1) shall be a period of not less than

(a) 26 consecutive weeks and a further period of maternity leave in respect of a date of confinement that occurred on or after 1 October 2017, the duration of which is equal to the duration of the premature birth period, or