I am writing to support Illinois Senate Bill 1222, which mandates a 48-hour hospital stay for routine births and 96 hours after a Caesarean delivery. From personal experience, I know it is imperative that this bill be passed immediately to protect the health of newborns and their mothers.
In April of this year, I experienced serious complications while giving birth to my second daughter. I was unconscious for two hours after the birth, lost a great deal of blood and had a dangerously low iron count. My obstetrician told me he was very concerned about my condition and wanted me to stay a second night in the hospital. However, he was uncertain whether his recommendation would be approved by my insurance company.
It took him a day to receive approval for a second night of coverage. Meanwhile, my family and I worried about whether I would be able to receive the care my doctor felt I required. I want to ensure that other women don’t have to worry the way that I did. I want to ensure that their obstetricians are in charge of their patients’ care–not their health maintenance organizations.
The current trend toward “drive-through deliveries” endangers both the mother’s and her baby’s health. A number of serious but easily treatable medical problems in both mothers and newborns–such as strep infections and infant jaundice–can go undetected because they are not always evident in the first 24 hours.
