Starting January 1, 2026, parents whose infants enter a NICU in the state of Colorado can receive up to 12 weeks of paid Neonatal Care Leave. After that time, they may be eligible for an additional 12 weeks of paid leave, such as parental bonding.
For most parents, the postpartum period is already one of the most physically and emotionally demanding seasons of life. A mother is healing from birth. She is learning her baby. She is more depleted that she has ever been. She is discovering a resiliency she did not know she possessed.
Now consider that same mother, but her newborn is in the ICU.
When I delivered my twins, I experienced complications during my C-section that made my own recovery difficult. There were days when I couldn't walk and was unable to make it to the NICU to even see my babies.
The stress and trauma of that season is something no mother could ever prepare for and is something I continue to battle 8 years later.
At the time, employers in my state were only required to offer six weeks of unpaid maternity leave. My twins were in the NICU for over 14 weeks. The math did not add up for families in our situation.
When they finally came home, they were just 39 weeks gestation. They did not only have typical new born needs, they were medically complex (something not uncommon for NICU babies). We had survived heart/brain surgeries, brain bleeds, and intubations while in the NICU and yet nothing was as difficult and overwhelming as bringing them home.
Regulated babies who grow into regulated children need regulated mothers. This only happens with time to physically heal, emotionally process and proper time to bond with a newborn (or two).
This new law in Colorado will not make NICU journeys easy. Nothing can. But it will make it a little less daunting because families will have time to focus on physical survival.
Change takes time. Policy takes advocacy. But this is a no-brainer and I hope every state follows suit.
When we support mothers, we protect babies. And when we protect babies, we set the foundation for a better future.
1 comment
Such a heartfelt and encouraging post. Your insights bring comfort, hope, and strength to families navigating the NICU journey.