Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday signed into law a bill that requires maternal health providers to create a postpartum plan with every expectant patient during the early part of their pregnancy. Data shows it’s in the early weeks after a baby is born that mothers are likely to experience life-threatening complications, even death.
The bill, which had bipartisan support, would establish a care team for the patient, including scheduled follow-up appointments, breastfeeding guidance, a plan for postpartum contraception, information about possible pregnancy complications and symptoms of postpartum mental health concerns.
Assemblywoman Lisa Swain (D-Bergen) said the aim is that “people have a plan in place before they leave the hospital.”
Maternal health providers say a critical piece of creating a care team is identifying people at home who will help to monitor the mother in the early days after delivery.
“There are some times where, even though everything went completely normal with labor and delivery, things can go awry postpartum,” said Dr. Damali Campbell-Oparaji. “We can tell patients to look out for certain signs or symptoms, but the folks who are surrounding them on a day-to-day basis are probably more poised to see changes or to recognize signs and symptoms. And so we want to educate not only our birthing people, but the families.”
But some are concerned the new law doesn’t address all the issues that can affect a patient’s postpartum care.
“So we’re putting it back on the onus of the organizations where there hasn’t been a great relationship to begin with, to center what should happen in the postpartum period. What we know is, there’s a large number of Black women who experience disrespectful care over the course of their pregnancy, and so they’re not returning to have this conversation,” said Dr. Nastassia Harris.
Harris said more community organizations should be included in the postpartum care teams, to bring more equity to underserved communities.
Even for those who intend to keep their follow-up appointments, the timeline in New Jersey right now is six weeks postpartum; the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recently changed its guidance to suggest that follow-up appointments should be three weeks postpartum.
