Supporters tell committee paid prenatal leave would improve access to essential prenatal care

Healthcare advocates, bereavement counselors, parents and March of Dimes representatives urged the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development to recommend S.1361, an act establishing paid prenatal leave, arguing that paid time off for prenatal appointments would improve access to care and reduce preventable complications.

"Prenatal appointments are not routine check ins ... They are actually critical for monitoring both the health of the birthing parent and the baby," said Jen Rogalski of Maternal Bereavement Support in testimony supporting the bill. Rogalski described personal experience with stillbirth and said paid time would have supported more robust shared participation by partners in prenatal care.

Chloe Schwartz, March of Dimes director for maternal and infant health in the Boston market, told the committee, "We are seeing 2 birthing persons die every single day and 2 babies dying every hour across The US," and argued that missed appointments — reported in Massachusetts as more than one in ten mothers not receiving adequate prenatal care — delay detection of life‑threatening complications. Testimony described S.1361 as broader than recently enacted policies in some states by including higher leave allotments and paid time for partners.

Multiple parents described the practical scheduling burden of prenatal care. "I was shocked to find out that I would have 15 appointments throughout my pregnancy," said Ashley Sawhwin, who described balancing work schedules and limited paid time off. Nicole Hunt recounted a pregnancy that required roughly 25 extra hours of prenatal care; she contrasted her own paid‑time‑off support with a birth mother's experience in an adoption process who had to rely on community kindness to reach appointments.

Witnesses described how paid prenatal leave could prevent parents from skipping appointments, allow partners to attend critical visits, and increase early detection of conditions such as gestational diabetes or preeclampsia. Several presenters noted that prenatal care schedules are known in advance, enabling employers and employees to plan.

No committee action or vote was recorded at the conclusion of the hearing. Witnesses requested a favorable report to enable further policy and fiscal analysis. The proponents asked the committee to consider equitable coverage for hourly workers and to ensure that any policy includes both the birthing parent and their partner.