100 signatures reached
To: The California State House, The California State Senate, Governor Gavin Newsom, The United States House of Representatives, The United States Senate, and President Donald Trump
Extend Maternity Leave for mothers of premature babies
Mothers of premature babies should be allowed to be on maternity leave to bond with their babies which allows the babies to grow and develop while in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Why is this important?
My son Casey was born 2 months and 2 days early, I had no idea how my life would change forever. Each year, 1 in 10 babies in the United States is born prematurely and some babies have longer stays in the neonatal care depending on their condition.
With him being born to soon and having a rare condition, the reality of life in the neonatal care is very different from what a mother would expect after giving birth to her child. The first month that my son had been born, he was in critical condition; he had lines, monitors, life support machines that assisted him to live. Parents with premature babies have to wait days and weeks to hold their newborn child due to the risks of the baby being unstable. Instead of bringing your baby home with you, you leave home with your baby continuing their stay in the hospital and going to visit every day.
The cost of medical care for a premature baby for the first year of life is about $49,000.00 . This does not include any of the long term health implications for the mother, risks such as developing postnatal depression and post- traumatic stress disorders.
I was forced to go back to work after my unpaid maternity leave because of my household financial stability; as a typical family household requires both parents to work to be financially stable. However, as a mother I need the time to bond with my tiny baby at the hospital, recover from the traumatic journey, and time with my baby once he is discharged and allowed to come home.
Extending the standard maternity leave and pay would give mothers the emotional and financial support needed at a time of great stress and trauma. In allowing this it gives the mothers of premature babies the opportunity to spend more time with their premature babies in the hospital to allow them be part of the babies care and allow for Kangaroo Care which helps with boosting the babies mental development, promoting health weight, helps with the mothers milk supply which is critical for a premature baby, helps reduce baby stress and pain, helps for the baby to have a shorter hospital stay, and prevents postpartum depression on the mother. This overall it will lead to a more positive return to work for the mother and better outcomes for the babies development.
We call on President Donald Trump, Government colleagues, Governor Jerry Brown to recognize the significant and unique needs of families with children born prematurely and to extend statutory leave accordingly.
With him being born to soon and having a rare condition, the reality of life in the neonatal care is very different from what a mother would expect after giving birth to her child. The first month that my son had been born, he was in critical condition; he had lines, monitors, life support machines that assisted him to live. Parents with premature babies have to wait days and weeks to hold their newborn child due to the risks of the baby being unstable. Instead of bringing your baby home with you, you leave home with your baby continuing their stay in the hospital and going to visit every day.
The cost of medical care for a premature baby for the first year of life is about $49,000.00 . This does not include any of the long term health implications for the mother, risks such as developing postnatal depression and post- traumatic stress disorders.
I was forced to go back to work after my unpaid maternity leave because of my household financial stability; as a typical family household requires both parents to work to be financially stable. However, as a mother I need the time to bond with my tiny baby at the hospital, recover from the traumatic journey, and time with my baby once he is discharged and allowed to come home.
Extending the standard maternity leave and pay would give mothers the emotional and financial support needed at a time of great stress and trauma. In allowing this it gives the mothers of premature babies the opportunity to spend more time with their premature babies in the hospital to allow them be part of the babies care and allow for Kangaroo Care which helps with boosting the babies mental development, promoting health weight, helps with the mothers milk supply which is critical for a premature baby, helps reduce baby stress and pain, helps for the baby to have a shorter hospital stay, and prevents postpartum depression on the mother. This overall it will lead to a more positive return to work for the mother and better outcomes for the babies development.
We call on President Donald Trump, Government colleagues, Governor Jerry Brown to recognize the significant and unique needs of families with children born prematurely and to extend statutory leave accordingly.