Marchel Robinson knows all too well that when it comes to life, and especially your health, anything can happen.
During any given day, Robinson might see a mother who is expecting a routine delivery, only to undergo an emergency C-section followed by a hysterectomy. Or a mother suffering a massive hemorrhage, needing life-saving care. All of her patients are women who will need time for their bodies to heal.
These mothers don’t have the option to simply “bounce back.”
“Life doesn’t pause,” Robinson said. “Bills continue to pile up.”
Robinson, a nurse in the high-risk postpartum unit at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh, said she’s watched new mothers return to work too early, not because they were ready, but because they couldn’t afford to be off without pay. Some end up back in the hospital with preventable complications like infections or postpartum hypertension.
“I’ve heard firsthand from patients who are overwhelmed with stress, worried about paying their bills, losing their jobs, or even their homes,” Robinson said.
She’s been there herself. After giving birth to her first child, she lost her job while dealing with postpartum depression. When she had her second child, she had a job with a better paid leave program, and she saw the difference immediately.
“That contrast showed me how critical paid leave truly is,” Robinson said. “It’s not just about time off. It’s about health, stability, and better outcomes for both mothers and babies.”
A growing crisis for patients and staff
At Magee-Womens Hospital, nurses said these stories are far from rare.
Jean Stone, a nurse for 12 years, said she’s seen patients with complications that could have been avoided with more recovery time at home.
“I see women who are readmitted to the hospital because they have complications that could have been avoided if they and their partner had more paid time off,” Stone said. “Giving birth puts your body through a lot. New moms find themselves trying to take care of their own battered bodies, their mental wellbeing, and their baby.”
Clare Duffus, another nurse at Magee, said it doesn’t just happen to her patients. She’s watched her coworkers come back to demanding 12-hour shifts too soon after giving birth or suffering a health issue.
“I’ve watched pregnant coworkers come to work sick and struggling because they simply cannot afford to use their paid time off,” Duffus said.
The result has been burnout in the profession and a worsening nursing shortage in Pennsylvania, Duffus said.
What’s being done?
Pennsylvania does not currently have a statewide paid family and medical leave program, leaving access to paid leave largely dependent on individual employers. Nearly 4 million people, or 66% of the workforce in the commonwealth, do not have access to paid leave.
The House recently passed House Bill 200, also called the Family Care Act, which would create a program allowing eligible workers to receive partial wages for up to 12 weeks while taking time off to care for a new child, recover from a serious illness, or care for a family member.
The legislation would also establish a Paid Family and Medical Leave Grant Program operated by the Department of Labor and Industry to help employers cover the cost of providing paid leave.
Supporters of the bill, like the nurses at Magee, said paid leave could improve maternal and infant health, reduce mortality rates, and strengthen workforce retention.
“Paid leave would be a lifeline for the millions of working people in our state without it,” Stone said.
A partisan divide in Harrisburg
While the bill passed the House, with all Democrats and only a handful of Republicans voting in favor, it faces an uphill battle in the GOP-controlled Senate.
Republican Rep. K.C. Tomlinson, a co-sponsor of the bill, voted in favor of the bill but said it was unlikely to advance further in the Senate.
“The bill we are voting on will go nowhere after today,” Tomlinson said while speaking on the House floor.
Democrats in support of the bill said it would help improve health outcomes for families while helping employers retain workers.
Republicans, however, have opposed similar paid leave programs in the past, citing costs for businesses and the potential impact on the state’s economy.
‘No mother should have to choose’
For the nurses at Magee, it’s not about politics or policies. It’s about what they see every day and what they believe could be prevented.
“Too many new mothers are forced to return to work before their bodies are ready,” Robinson said. “A statewide paid leave program would ease that financial strain and give families the time they need to truly heal.
“No mother should have to choose between her recovery and her livelihood. And no baby should suffer because of it.”
