Hospitals in NYC are now allowing partners in labor & delivery; however, many are still forcing partners to leave within a few hours after birth rather than stay for the duration of the postpartum visit.  The Executive Order Governor Cuomo issued states that patients should have access to support in labor and delivery and the “immediate” postpartum period. Hospitals across the state have interpreted “immediate” in a multitude of ways--from a couple of hours to the full duration of the the birthing parent and baby’s stay. We must continue to insist that partnered support is essential to the well-being and safety of patients who recently gave birth, either vaginally or via cesarean section. 

I encourage you to call, Tweet and write letters to Governor Cuomo and the Department of Health to encourage them to amend Executive Order 202.13 to explicitly state that partners are to stay with the patient for the “entire” postpartum hospital stay.

Petitions just like this one have popped up all over the country, and in fact, the world. We need to ensure birthing people everywhere have continuous access to support both during and after labor.  Please take time to sign and share these petitions. You made a difference in New York--can you make a difference in Pennsylvania, Illinois, California, Oregon, the United Kingdom?

Lastly, more bodies in the hospital mean that more people need personal protective equipment (PPE) in the time of COVID-19. I cannot express enough how important it is to make sure your local hospitals have the equipment they need to keep their patients and staff safe and healthy. If you have access to supplies, reach out to your local hospital and see if they need help.  If they have adequate supplies, you can please send help to NYC--we are desperate. You can also sign this petition. We need the federal government to support our healthcare system now, more than ever.

And finally, if you are entering a hospital, please bring your own PPE and do not dwindle hospital supplies--we need to keep our healthcare workers safe--for us, for them.