“The first one (LRB 3662 - Postpartum Home Visits) is to provide free post-partum, at-home visits within the first two weeks of delivery,” Stubbs said. “That is so important because as a mother and child are discharged to home and are just realizing that she is a mom. Sometimes that mom needs care herself. And she is responsible for caring for her baby. In Wisconsin, for Black babies, the less likelihood of them reaching age one is a huge disparity. We want to make sure that the moment that the mom and baby leave the hospital that we are getting either a doula or someone else to come into the home and doing the home visit care to make sure mom is doing okay, baby is doing okay and see if there are any type of complications and she is able to get the help she needs right away. If it is lactation or baby’s not sucking mom’s breast, we want to make sure because that is her choice that she can get the extra services that she needs. And so we know it is critical the moment a baby is born to start those services. If there are issues happening with infant or mom, we need to get those services to them right away. And I think what we must underline is how important the doula services are, especially if the doula was with mom before the baby arrived.”

The feeling of isolation for the expectant mother and postpartum mother as well as the added responsibilities of being a mother on top of working and taking care of a household can be overwhelming and lead to mental health issues. The Birth Equity Act seeks to ameliorate those conditions.

“The second bill (LRB 3663 - Reimbursement of Maternal Mental Health Screenings) is mandating insurance coverage of maternal and mental health risk screening,” Stubbs said. “Why aren’t we screening women? Why aren’t we screening women when they are pregnant and after they have the baby? Under this bill, insurance providers will be required to cover the cost of maternal mental health risk screening as a part of regular pre-natal and postpartum care. If we do the screenings early, we can detect it. And what I am asking is for insurance companies to please cover this screening. We do breast screening care. We can do so many other care screenings if we are intentional. It is so important for us to do early detection and prevention. If we start early in the system, we are less likely to pay the cost. If we get it early, imagine the amount of money we would save. And then we can let the mom care for herself and baby.”

Medical care early in the pregnancy is very crucial so that the mother and child are getting the right care and nutrition so that preventable conditions do not cause injury, illness and even death for mother and child.

“The third bill (LRB 3586 - Special Enrollment Period for Pregnancy) would establish pregnancy as a qualifying event for the employer-sponsored health insurance,” Stubbs said. “Under this bill, a special enrollment period for health insurance would be provided to pregnant individuals. They wouldn’t have to wait for open enrollment. It should be an automatic for pregnant women.”

Some laws have unintended consequences and can often times lead to the dissolution of relationships and marriages, especially in low-income communities, that actually contribute to worse situations for children.

“The fourth bill (LRB 3584 - Eliminating Birth Cost Recovery) is to repeal the Wisconsin Birth Cost Recover Law,” Stubbs said. “I didn’t even know this bill was happening until it was brought to my attention. Under this bill, the Wisconsin law that permits the recovery of birth-related expenses from unwed fathers when Medicaid covers the cost of their child’s birth would be repealed. The unintended consequences of this statute are severe. It perpetuates family poverty, contributes to parental discord, encourages lack of parental support and delays prenatal care. All of this contributes to the continued lack of access and support of low-income mothers of color during their pregnancy. And it increases the risk of morbidity and infant mortality.“

Breastfeeding contributes to healthier children and can lead to healthier lives, eliminating or minimizing some health conditions. State law should encourage, directly or indirectly, breastfeeding.

“The fifth bill (LRB 3555 - a Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Breastfeeding Equipment) is removing the sales tax on breastfeeding equipment and supplies. We want it removed just like any other tax-exempt item. We want to make sure we aren’t charging it on breast pumps, breast kits or collection supplies. In the State Capitol, Senator Agard introduced a bill with Senator Testin last session that removed the taxes on diapers and sanitary supplies for women. We’re saying, why not do it for breastfeeding equipment.”

Overall health care, including dental care, is important to the long-term health of the mother as well as the child.

“And the final bill (LRB 4821- Dentists' Services for Pregnant Persons under the Medical Assistance Program) is to expand access to dental care for pregnant BadgerCare recipients,” Stubbs said. “Under this bill, pregnant BadgerCare recipients who are referred to a dental specialist would be treated within 60 days. Right now we know across the nation there just isn’t enough dental care. And there aren’t enough providers. This bill would require low-income pregnant people could access a dentist who offer procedures that are more complicated than a primary dental services.”

The Birth Equity Act could help reduce the rates of infant mortality and morbidity as well as promote the health and well-being of mothers and their children. It remains to be seen if the Wisconsin legislature makes this a priority for the overall health of our communities.