N.H. Sen. Denise Ricciardi says she likes to help mothers and prefers to work in a bipartisan way.

Both priorities were evident in her support for a maternal health package included in the two-year budget Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed into law on June 27.

This budget language was first in Ricciardi’s Senate Bill 246.

The Bedford, N.H., Republican, whose district takes in Hinsdale, N.H., Jaffrey, N.H., and Winchester, N.H., among other communities, says the provisions for mothers and children will likely save lives.

“Not only did I want to sponsor this because of how this will help moms and families in the Granite State, but, you know, I’m a mom, too, and I know what it feels like, and it becomes very personal when you can identify with the struggle that families go through,” she said in a recent interview.

“It’s not textbook when you have a baby — a lot of complicated things go with it.”

Ricciardi, who was a stay-at-home mom, has a 28-year-old son who works in the architectural field.

The budget allocates $150,000 to train rural emergency responders on perinatal and birthing emergencies.

Another $275,000 is appropriated to set up a provider-to-provider perinatal psychiatric consultation phone line.

The budget also includes $30,000 to examine ways to support the sustainability of independent birth centers in New Hampshire.

A number of birth centers, particularly in rural communities, have closed in recent years in New Hampshire. For example, the Monadnock Birth Center in Swanzey, N.H., closed late last year.

Also included in the budget are policy provisions requiring increased access to depression screenings, insurance coverage for home visits for pregnant and postpartum women and unpaid hourly time off for parents to attend postpartum and pediatric health care visits in the first year of a newborn’s life.

MacKenzie Nicholson, senior director for the nonprofit MomsRising-NH, cheered these provisions.

“In a year where many parts of the budget fall short for families, this maternal health package persisted because of the unwavering advocacy of moms who shared their stories, showed up, and refused to be ignored. This win belongs to them,” she said in a news release after the budget was passed.

Budget critics say not enough money is being spent to support child care, public education and affordable housing.

Dr. Danielle Albushies, of Bedford, an obstetrician-gynecologist, and a member of the N.H. Medical Society’s board of directors, said in an op-ed in the Union Leader in May that behavioral health is the biggest driver of maternal mortality in the state.

“New Hampshire has one of the highest rates of depression and anxiety for moms in the country,” she said. “There is no doubt that our new moms face isolation and loneliness.

“Many new moms are interested in support groups to share the challenges and joys of motherhood. When my patients ask for help to find support groups, we have trouble finding in-person options.”

The budget requires the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services to study how to start a perinatal peer support certification program.

Such programs can reduce postpartum depression, Albushies said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pregnancy may contribute to mental health or other medical problems, leading to deaths that often could be preventable with proper family, community and provider support.

Ricciardi was the prime sponsor of SB 246, which was commonly referred to as “Momnibus 2.0.”

This measure, whose bipartisan sponsors included Sen. Donovan Fenton, D-Keene, passed the Senate unanimously before its language was included in the budget.

A single bill that incorporates multiple provisions is sometimes known as omnibus legislation.

Among other things, the first Momnibus in 2023 extended postpartum Medicaid coverage from two to 12 months and expanded benefits to include costs of doulas, lactation services and donor breast milk. Ricciardi was a key supporter of that legislation as well.

These articles are being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.