Helen Perrottet has revealed she and husband, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, have endured three miscarriages, calling the experience horrific.
The mother of seven, former AFP officer and lawyer said trying to access leave after the loss was also upsetting in an interview with Nine News on Monday.
"We've lost three babies, which was pretty horrific," Mrs Perrottet said.
Before their first loss, Mrs Perrottet said she had been working and was not able to take sick leave.
"They said 'you can take a week off or whatever but you have to take sick leave'," she said.
"It should be bereavement leave.
"I've just lost a member of my family ... I couldn't understand why they were treating it as sick leave."
Mrs Perrottet said trying to navigate accessing time away from work was highly distressing.
Mr Perrottet said seeing his wife's experience inspired him to change legislation to allow public servants to take leave after suffering a miscarriage.
"Seeing the grief and pain Helen went through, we wanted to do something and that's why we set up miscarriage leave in the NSW public service," the premier said.
"We're going to do more and provide further counselling and support services for women who have a miscarriage."
In 2021, NSW became the first Australian state to introduce miscarriage leave for public servants, allowing grieving mothers to take up to five days' leave if they miscarry up to 20 weeks into their pregnancy.
The premier, then the state's treasurer, led the reform, saying making grieving mothers access their holiday leave after a pregnancy loss was not acceptable.
"Having a miscarriage is not an illness - it's a loss that should be recognised," he said at the time.
