New York might become the first state to offer maternity leave during pregnancy

At the moment, maternity leave in the United States is, to put it mildly, a great source of frustration. 

Unfortunately, at the local level, things don't look much better—but New York Governor Kathy Hochul is hoping to change that. 

In fact, the politician has proposed to expand paid parental leave and offer any eligible New Yorker 40 hours of paid leave for prenatal care (as anyone who has ever been pregnant knows, there are tons of doctors' appointments to attend throughout each trimester). 

If the new guidelines officially pass, New York would become the very first state in the United States to cover these appointments. 

"We hope what we're doing in New York will raise the bar for the rest of the nation," Hochul said during an event last week. "Consistent medical care in the early months makes all the difference."

According to USA Today, the politician's proposal also includes "waiving co-pays and other out-of-pocket costs for pregnancy-related benefits for New Yorkers enrolled in certain health plans."

Other agenda items include funding for free portable cribs for those who are economically disadvantaged and initiatives aimed at reducing the rate of unnecessary C-sections—a topic that will undoubtedly cause a lot of discussions.

Although the proposal has yet to be reviewed by New York's Legislature, the fact that the subject is even being brought up on a legislative level is heartwarming. It's time to take a hard look at how maternity leave is being handled both in New York and all across the country.