ALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul’s new budget agreement includes a unique benefit for expecting mothers. If passed, it would make New York State the first in the nation to offer paid leave for prenatal care. It also outlines more support for postpartum care.

The executive budget amends paid family leave to permit up to 40 hours of leave for eligible employees to attend prenatal appointments, without impacting the twelve weeks of paid family leave. That’s according to the budget proposal briefing.

Jasmine Brewer and Jacqueline Lindsey are both doulas with Healthy Baby Network. Both say the time before birth can be stressful, mentally and physically. This is the time where complications may arise, on top of birthing classes and appointments.

Brewer, doula program manager for the network, has experienced this as a mother, and even endured a high-risk pregnancy. She said she wished at the time that she could’ve had more freedom to leave work when she needed to.

“I was also trying to balance breastfeeding my son at the time, I breastfed him for 11 months but that was a very stressful experience,” Brewer said.

Senator Samra Brouk, also a mother, said she has been advocating for these things for a while now. She said while the budget is not official yet, she’s hopeful these items will pass.

“You know, you’ve got your prenatal appointments, those are important appointments,” said Brouk. “I know when I had my daughter, a couple years ago, it was like a second job going to all of these appointments, and of course we want to make it easier for mothers to do.”

She said this time is where underlying conditions may arise, like Preeclampsia, or other complications that need extra attention.

“Or they may just need to rest,” said Brewer. “They may need to just listen to their body and say, ‘I need a little more time out.’”

“Without prenatal care, often times, maybe issues or concerns are not going to be identified,” said Lindsey. “And once they are identified, then that birthing person is able to do all they can to try to prevent additional issues from happening.”

The budget also allocates funds to support postpartum care. Brouk said the condition isn’t just limited to depression, but also can include OCD and anxiety. She said postpartum depression is the number-one most common maternal health complication, and also a major contributing factor to maternal mortality.

The conversation comes in time for Black Maternal Health Week (April 11-17). Brouk said Black women in New York State are twice as likely to have a maternal mental health condition.

Budget negotiations will continue for the next few days, before being finalized.