Not only the mother
Only a woman may take pregnancy and childbirth leave, but childcare leave and the benefit until the child turns one and a half are available not only to the father but also to working grandparents, other relatives and guardians.
Your rights
The state protects a woman's employment rights while she prepares for childbirth or cares for a young child. Throughout this time, her position is retained and her length of service continues to accrue. Dismissal during maternity or childcare leave is virtually impossible, but the job cannot be retained if the company is liquidated. An employer must provide part-time work at a pregnant woman's request, with pay corresponding to time worked.
Maternity-cover position
This is a temporary position, not a permanent one. The employer therefore concludes a fixed-term contract with the applicant for the period when the permanent employee is absent. Such a contract usually specifies an event rather than an exact end date: the contract ends when the main employee returns to work from maternity or childcare leave.
When a pregnant woman may be dismissed from a maternity-cover position
A woman may be dismissed during pregnancy when her employment contract expires if, with her written consent, she cannot be transferred until the end of pregnancy to another job available with the employer.