As far as we know, no hospitals in Seattle or Washington hand out silicone wristbands that say “I Gave Birth” on them. But it’s a very good idea. And, in my opinion as a longtime perinatal services provider, one that our local hospitals should adopt posthaste.
According to a report by KFF Health News, hospitals across the country have adopted a North Carolina-based initiative to curb the number of maternal deaths and complications after a woman delivers their baby, addressing the nation’s high death rates among postpartum mothers. Nearly 70% of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. occur in the days or weeks following birth. Nearly 40% occur beyond six weeks postpartum. Mothers are encouraged to wear the bracelets for at least four weeks, although the goal is longer.
“The bracelet itself is simply a reminder of, ‘Hey, I got education,’” said Jessica Noble, a nurse with East Carolina University-connected ECU Health who pioneered the initiative, told KFF.
Such a simple idea. Such a simple idea.
I went to several wristband sellers’ websites and calculated that, for 81,000 bands (that’s the average number of births in Washington each year), it would cost the state about $13,000 to offer a silicone band to every mom. I know a lot of hospitals, especially those with a heavy medicaid load, are bleeding money, what with all the Trump administration setbacks, including cuts to Medicaid that threaten postpartum care.
But 13 cents per mom? That seems so abundantly reasonable as to be ridiculous not to do. Washington needs to join the 25 states celebrating new motherhood with a bright and potentially life-saving “I Gave Birth” band. I can only imagine a state buying agent could get the cost far lower.
According to the 2025 March of Dimes Report Card for Washington, our state is doing better than most when it comes to maternal and infant outcomes after birth. We rank 9th of 48 in death rates for mothers. We lose 17.3 mothers to 100,000 births between pregnancy and six weeks after delivery.
If a 13-cent wristband could save one of them, or reduce the risk of costly health programs for any of them, it would save the state and hospitals plenty of money, and families inestimable heartache.
This is an easy one, Washington. Just do it.
Read the full story about wristbands and maternity care at KFF Health News.
