WEEKLY UPDATE: 05/21/26
To amplify patient, provider, and community awareness of the Connecticut Urgent Maternal Warning Signs Bracelet Initiative, the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) has launched a statewide social media campaign with support from the Department of Public Health (DPH). The campaign highlights the orange bracelet, which hospitals across the state are providing to postpartum patients before leaving the hospital. The orange bracelet serves as a reminder to stay alert for urgent maternal warning signs and to act fast if a postpartum individual exhibits concerning symptoms. The campaign also elevates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hear Her campaign, which is a national awareness initiative focused on preventing pregnancy-related deaths by sharing potentially lifesaving messages about urgent maternal warning signs. The Connecticut campaign messages include:
- SMALL BRACELET, POWERFUL SIGNAL | Postpartum recovery takes a team. The orange bracelet is a reminder to stay alert to urgent warning signs for postpartum complications. Learn the signs.
- TRUST MOM IF SHE SAYS SOMETHING FEELS WRONG | The orange bracelet means mom is postpartum, reminding partners, families, and healthcare providers to stay alert to serious health risks. Learn the signs.
- YOU’LL DO ANYTHING TO KEEP YOUR BABY SAFE. THE ORANGE BRACELET HELPS KEEP YOU SAFE. | Wear the orange bracelet after birth — it’s a reminder to look out for postpartum health risks and tells healthcare providers to act fast if there’s a problem.
- SEE ORANGE. ACT FAST. IT COULD SAVE HER LIFE. | Spot the orange bracelet? Stay alert to postpartum warning signs. Learn to recognize and respond to symptoms of potentially serious complications.
Also this month, representatives of the Connecticut Perinatal Quality Collaborative (CPQC) — a coalition of maternal health providers and community stakeholders convened by CHA — shared information about the Bracelet Initiative at the National Network of Perinatal Quality Collaboratives (NNPQC) annual meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.
CPQC representatives highlighted the success of the Bracelet Initiative and ongoing work to strengthen provider education, expand community partnerships, and refine data and feedback collection practices. Since the Bracelet Initiative launched in September 2025, all Connecticut birthing hospitals, including Connecticut’s freestanding birthing center, have distributed orange bracelets to postpartum patients, and nearly 500 hospital staff, healthcare providers, and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel across the state have received Bracelet Initiative education.
Through the Bracelet Initiative, birthing hospitals provide postpartum patients with an orange bracelet and educational materials before leaving the hospital, and patients are encouraged to wear the bracelet for at least 12 weeks postpartum. The bracelet serves as a signal to healthcare professionals, first responders, and community members that the wearer is newly postpartum and may be at risk of potentially serious postpartum complications, such as eclampsia, blood clots, sepsis, cardiomyopathy, and perinatal depression. The goal is to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality by enhancing timely recognition and response to symptoms when they arise.
Related News:
Postpartum Bracelet Initiative Highlighted at Event Convening Municipal and State Officials
Bracelet Initiative: Recorded Orientation Session Available for Community-Based Healthcare Providers
Connecticut Hospitals Launch Nation-Leading Statewide Postpartum Bracelet Initiative
Press Release | Connecticut Hospitals Launch Nation-Leading Statewide Postpartum Bracelet Initiative
