And Now, the Rest of the Story

A free extra day in the maternity ward seems a godsend to many new moms. And, at a time when insurers are limiting maternity stays to 24 hours or less, it can mean more business for hospitals.

Irvine Medical Center and Placentia Linda Community Hospital, both owned by Santa Monica-based Tenet Healthcare Corp., began offering the extra day earlier this year. Both report mothers-to-be and new moms love it.

Irvine Medical officials say there were 266 births at the hospital in January and February, up 18% from the same two months last year. They attribute some of the increase to the extended stay.

Deborah Nielson, a nurse, says many new moms are exhausted after labor. They’re often recovering from incisions; some are overwhelmed by the sudden responsibility of caring for their new babies.

Though insurers expect moms to “adjust to all this in 24 hours, go home and be self-reliant,” Neilson says at least half of those having their babies at Irvine Medical now stay the extra day.

The additional time can benefit newborns too, adds Lora Liega, the marketing director at Placentia Linda. She notes that for one infant, “We picked up a cardiac abnormality on the second day that wasn’t apparent on the first.”

So how can hospitals, which normally charge $600 to $1,000 a day, afford the giveaway? Both report that their postpartum wards usually have vacant beds but are fully staffed anyway, so more moms can be accommodated at little extra cost.

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Barbara Marsh covers health care for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-7762 and at barbara.marsh@latimes.com.