Maternity Benefit  for confinement 

For entitlement to maternity benefit, the insured woman should have contributed for not less than seventy days in the immediately preceding two consecutive contribution periods  prior to actual or expected date of confinement as the case may be.  

Hence, to be eligible to maternity benefit, a confinement should either actually occur or should be expected to occur in a benefit period relative to the insured woman. 

An insured woman who actually confines (or is expected to confine) on a date before the start of her first benefit period, is not entitled to claim maternity benefit even though part of the period of her maternity leave may fall within her first benefit period.

Conversely, if the insured woman's date of actual confinement (or expected confinement) falls within her first benefit period, she will be entitled to maternity benefit even if a part of the period of her maternity leave may fall before the start of her first benefit period.