Pregnancy

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law Monday that expands insurance coverage during and after pregnancy with the goal of lowering infant and maternal mortality rates, especially for Black Illinoisans.

Some newly introduced legislation seeks to expand insurance coverage or offer incentives for fertility care in Illinois.

State and community leaders on Monday celebrated the planned opening of a new freestanding birth center on Chicago’s South Side while emphasizing proposed maternal health spending increases in Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget.

The law aimed to stop the use of deceptive practices to steer patients away from abortion care. A lawsuit argued the law violated free speech.

Research shows midwives help improve outcomes for both parent and child. But hospitals across the Chicago area are not investing in midwife programs.

Among the 102 counties in Illinois, 42 have crisis pregnancy centers but no in-person abortion providers.

The Baby Fold's pilot doula initiative is the first of its kind in Illinois. Doulas assist with new parents' birth plan and have expertise in mood disorders related to pregnancy and birth.

Faced with a litany of operational challenges, many rural hospitals in Illinois have shut down their labor and delivery units, leading to maternity care deserts. A 2022 March of Dimes report counts Woodford, Piatt, DeWitt and Iroquois counties as being among those deserts.

CPCs are accused of deception — and steering patients away from abortions despite an Illinois law requiring facilities to refer patients for services they don’t provide themselves.

Representatives were racing to beat a Friday deadline to get bills out of the chamber, with about 2 months left in the spring legislative session.