The wristband started this. We're here to keep it going.

Where it began

ECU Health, 2021

The "I Gave Birth" wristband was created in 2021 by Jessica Noble, a nurse at ECU Health in Greenville, North Carolina, as Congress sought to address the nation's growing maternal mortality crisis during the COVID pandemic. The idea was simple: a small silicone wristband, worn for weeks after delivery, to remind new mothers — and alert emergency responders — that they may be at risk for serious postpartum complications.

Since then, the initiative has spread to nearly 50 hospitals across North Carolina, the state health departments of North Carolina and Connecticut, large health systems in Arkansas, Georgia, and Mississippi, and hospitals in at least 24 other states — almost entirely through word of mouth, social media, and local news coverage rather than any centralized coordination.

Why this site exists

A reminder isn't a system

A wristband is powerful because it's simple. But a piece of silicone can't answer a 2am question, connect someone to a support group, explain what their insurance will actually cover, or help them find care when the nearest OB is an hour away.

One doula who works with new mothers put it plainly: what people need most after a hard birth is community — and a wristband alone can't provide that. igavebirth.org exists to be the part of this movement that a wristband was never going to be able to do on its own: a place to learn, connect, and get care.

We didn't start this movement, and we don't claim to speak for it. We built this site to support the hospitals, nurses, and families who did.