It was recently confirmed that motherhood has a dramatic impact on women’s earnings in the UK, with the gender pay gap widening dramatically after the birth of a woman’s first child.

And now MPs have said that “urgent action” is needed to make sure that pregnant women and new mothers are protected at work, after a “shocking” increase in discrimination.

The number of women being made redundant during and after pregnancy has almost doubled to 54,000 since 2005, the Women and Equalities Committee said in a report published on Wednesday.

MPs are calling for the current system to be rehauled, making it more difficult for women to lose their jobs if and when they fall pregnant.

New mums face “shocking” discrimination at work, say MPs