6.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), an employee’s ordinary maternity leave period commences with the earlier of—
(a)the date which, in accordance with regulation 4(1)(a)(iii), she notifies to her employer as the date on which she intends her ordinary maternity leave period to start, and
(b)the first day after the beginning of the sixth week before the expected week of childbirth on which she is absent from work wholly or partly because of pregnancy.
(2) Where the employee’s ordinary maternity leave period has not commenced by virtue of paragraph (1) when childbirth occurs, her ordinary maternity leave period commences with the day on which childbirth occurs.
(3) An employee’s additional maternity leave period commences on the day after the last day of her ordinary maternity leave period.