I won’t even get on a rant about the price of health care, or the fact that so many American families don’t have any health insurance… although I probably should. I am trying to stay focused here.

Poor mothers get less prenatal care. They are more likely to have preterm babies who require a NICU stay. They must be horrified when they get hospital bills afterwards with tens of thousands of dollars on them, more money than they earn over several years.

Don’t tell me that hospitals work out payment plans, either. Hospitals also report these items on credit reports if unpaid right away, driving up the mother’s and family’s cost of doing everything from getting health insurance (oh, the irony) to buying a car or buying a house. They take these families to court to get their money.

They get harassed by both the hospitals and the myriad physicians who handle the cases. Even if they find someone friendly who works out a payment plan and even cuts the bill in half, they shouldn’t be paying the NICU bill off right before sending the kid to college.

They don’t make it easy to figure out if all those crazy charges are legitimate. I got double billed by two different entities charging for the same services. I repeatedly asked a hospital to itemize the thousands in charges, and they repeatedly ignored the requests. I’m a former consumer reporter who considers myself pretty savvy. How much are parents with little education and even fewer resources taken advantage of by these situations.

It’s time we make it so a mom with a 2-pound frail infant breathing through a tube and connected to any number of hoses and wires who isn’t even allowed to hold her own child has one less thing to worry about: money. I’m not sure what the answer is, but certainly writing letters to hospitals and government officials has to be a start. Also be sure to support agencies who support the cause of preventing preterm births like March of Dimes.

The law needs to make it possible for poor moms to go on bed rest without going bankrupt. Other countries have paid maternity leave. Also, moms who go on bed rest shouldn’t be forced, then, to have no maternity leave afterwards just because they’ve used up their Family Medical Leave Act time off. But even then, that doesn’t include pay.

Employers, do what you can to support expecting moms: reduce stress, allow them to have more flexible work schedules or work from home. Expecting moms: don’t let anything or anyone keep you from taking it easy. Educate yourself on ways to prevent preterm birth. If you don’t feel comfortable with what your OB/GYN is saying about your concerns, don’t be afraid to find a new one. Having regular contractions early in your pregnancy may very well mean bed rest is in order, as inconvenient as that may be.

_{Photo of NICU baby, © Benjamin Earwicker}