Pregnant people in New York would have 40 hours of paid leave to attend prenatal medical appointments under a new proposal by Gov. Kathy Hochul after the state’s legislative session kicked off this week.

The Democrat’s plan to expand the state’s paid family leave policy, which would need to be approved by the state Legislature, aims to expand access to high-quality prenatal care and prevent maternal and infant deaths in New York, an issue that especially affects low-income and minority communities.

The U.S. infant mortality rate, a measure of how many babies die before they reach their first birthday, is worse than other high-income countries, which experts have attributed to poverty, inadequate prenatal care and other possibilities. The U.S. rate rose 3% in 2022 — the largest increase in two decades, according to a 2023 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

  • derf82@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    65
    arrow-down
    6
    ·
    9 months ago

    I really wish someday there would be more a push for paid leave for EVERYONE.

    I do not begrudge parents paid parental leave and think it should be offered. But it would be nice if someone were to consider doing something, anything for the rest of us. Instead, we only get the extra work of picking up the slack.

    • Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      16
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      9 months ago

      As someone who chose not to have kids, I still support special PTO and medical leave for people who decide to have kids.

      The population is aging where I live, and I would like to incentivize people to make future tax payers and future people that I can pay to wipe my ass when I’m old.

      The next generation is an investment in my future wellbeing even if I didn’t have kids.

      • derf82@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        9 months ago

        Do you really think it is 40 hours of leave for prenatal appointments, or even long parental leave that is stopping people from having kids? No, it’s expensive childcare, unaffordable healthcare, low wages, low time off generally, as well as a garbage world that seems to be circling the drain due to climate change and pollution. My workplace actually does already offer 40 hours for prenatal care along with 12 weeks paid leave after birth, and I still have zero intention of having kids. I don’t make enough money anyway, and even then, I don’t want them to have to live in a climate change hellscape.

        And I personally think we are overpopulated and declining population would be good. How cruel to think people should have kids just so those kids can wipe our ass in the future. In fact, when the times comes that I can’t wipe my ass, I hope we have options, because I would choose euthanasia.

        Again, that is not to speak against paid parental leave. But everybody gets sick. Everybody gets burned out. Have time for everybody.

        • AA5B@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          edit-2
          9 months ago

          Sure, there are a lot of things that discourage people from having kids. This is only one factor but let’s start with one factor: I’ll also support the next.

          I’ve already had my kids, not as many as I wanted due to starting late, but I love them like crazy. I also see the long term trend of population decline and am very concerned about society’s future. I’m all for giving future parents benefits that I never had, future children more chances to survive and grow into their potential

          • derf82@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            2
            ·
            9 months ago

            The point is, it won’t move the needle, and lots of us don’t think the merely should move up. Continued population grown is what concerns me, which is what is actually happening (no decline). We can’t just keep moving earth overshoot day up.

            • AA5B@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              3
              ·
              9 months ago

              You need to take a closer look at the long term population data. Sure, some of places that can least afford it continue to grow unsustainably, but essentially all developed countries have a birth rate below replacement levels. We’re still growing because previous generations are still with us, but as the bubble passes, we’re all on track for serious declines, if nothing changes. I’m all for making changes now while they’re insignificant.

              Note the US is also on this track for sudden population decline but is still growing due to immigration. For all you who want to restrict immigration more, this is our future, this is what will keep us from declining like most of Europe and Asia. Immigration also should be encouraged

              Population decline is now a similar place that climate change was in the 1970’s. We know what’s going on and it’s not too serious yet, but some of us are sounding an alarm. do we have the foresight to address it while it’s easy or are we going to wait until it’s critical/irreversible?

              • derf82@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                2
                arrow-down
                1
                ·
                9 months ago

                We literally had half the number of people on this planet 50 years ago. We had one quarter less than 100 years ago. The problem is overshoot, not too few people now. Serious decline is what we need.

    • jonne@infosec.pub
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      14
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      9 months ago

      Agreed, they always have to carve out this stuff for deserving people, and it’s just making things more complicated and divisive.

      This mindset of absolutely making sure nobody could possibly abuse something is really terrible policy.

      • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        9
        ·
        9 months ago

        I vote every one gets 200 hours of paid leave a year, with no questions asked unless it’s sudden. (Then some brief vague questions about why.)

    • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      9 months ago

      Perhaps those 40 hours should be available to anyone who needs doctors’ appointments during the workday. Which is when doctors’ offices are open, after all. You could go get a mammogram or prostate exam instead of an ultrasound. You could pee in a cup for entirely different reasons than testing for preeclampsia.You could get an IUD or a vasectomy or abortion (*not available in all states) so you won’t need the prenatal care. You could get swabbed for strep throat and get antibiotics, or get vaccinated to prevent spreading viruses.

      Maybe we could stretch it to eye exams and dental work, even though they are otherwise excluded from “medical” care.

      While we’re at it, nonsmokers should have a place to go (on the opposite side of the building from the smoke-break area) for 10 minutes of deeply breathing fresh air.

    • chitak166@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      5
      ·
      9 months ago

      I think this is viable if we do it with taxes.

      It’s non-viable if you expect all businesses to provide it for their employees because most businesses literally cannot afford it.

      • derf82@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        9 months ago

        I made that exact point in another post. Most countries have paid family leave and some sick leave as a government benefit, which both allows broader benefits, and can even allow businesses to hire temporary help. They also mandate lots of leave generally, so the remaining employees are not burnt out with extra work and little time off.

      • ElderWendigo@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        9 months ago

        If those businesses can’t afford it, they only exist because of exploitation. Maybe those businesses should fail.

        • chitak166@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          11
          arrow-down
          5
          ·
          9 months ago

          they only exist because of exploitation.

          Not true. I can tell you’ve never run a business.