Soon-to-be mum of three Hebe Axon has been trolled for taking three mat leaves in a row

A mum was has hit out at online trolls after revealing she was planning on taking three maternity leaves back-to-back.

Hebe Axon, from Blackpool, was targeted on social media after opening up on her third pregnancy; the timing of which would see her take three consecutive periods of mat leave in a row following the births of her first two children.

The 26-year-old accountant got the full backing from her bosses despite being “nervous” to tell him – with the judgement of strangers being the trickiest to navigate in recent months.

Hebe had taken to TikTok to make a fun video about returning to work after maternity leave, only to fall pregnant again. The mum told Fabulous: “I didn’t expect more than a few hundred people to see the video and I thought it would give other women a laugh, especially those who could relate to the worry about taking time off from their career to have a family.

“How very wrong I was. It went viral and, though there were some positive remarks, there were many truly savage ones among the 1.9 million views and 1,331 comments it attracted.

“I was called ‘lazy’ and told I was taking advantage of my company, where I’ve worked for the past six years. “I was also accused of being a ‘drain’ on my employer and advised that my fiancé Sam Finch, 25, and I should use birth control.”

Some people went as far calling Hebe a “waste of space” and “burden” to her employer. The backlash saw her find it difficult to sleep due to stress – but she is determined to not let the trolls win.

“I’ve worked incredibly hard all my life, got my qualifications, paid my taxes and yet, because I want to be a mother and spend some time with my new babies, I’ve been branded a ‘drain’ on my employer,” Hebe said.

Sacrifices have also been made within the family, Hebe explained, with mat leave leading to a reduction in salary.

Maternity leave is her right, Hebe says, and she sharing her story will release some of the stigma that surrounds taking maternity leave.