Good Communication is the Key to your Satisfaction and Safety
The Black Coalition for Safe Motherhood (BCSM) promotes healthcare advocacy and
community support for birthing families using the ACTT toolkit ACTT was designed to empower Black families in asserting their rights in healthcare, partnering with their providers of care, and getting their needs met with respect and dignity.
The ACTT acronym summarizes a powerful set of actions which are self-affirming and
potentially lifesaving:
ACTT for Safe Motherhood:
A-Ask Questions Until You Understand the Answers
C-Claim Your Space – Physical and Mental
T-Trust Your Body
T-Tell Your Story
Ask Questions Until You Understand the Answers
– I have some questions or concerns I’d like you to answer – Here is my list.
– I want to be informed and involved in any decisions about me and my baby.
– How can we work together to keep me and my baby safe and healthy?
– Do you welcome the support of a doula and my birth plan?
– How is your hospital working to address racial bias?
Get Your Questions Answered to Your Satisfaction
– I don’t understand your answer/explanation. Can you say it more slowly? or can you
explain it simply?
– Let me repeat what you just said so we make sure I understand what I need to know.
Claim Your Space / Know your Rights / Be Informed and Involved
Childbearing does not limit rights to bodily autonomy, dignity, and self-determination. The
pregnant person is the decision maker for their baby. Learn what you need to know to decide.
– Everyone has the human right to respectful, safe, quality care.
– Everyone has the right to ask questions and get the information they need to make
informed decisions about their health, pregnancy, and birth.
– Everyone has the legal right to be fully informed about their options before agreeing to
(or refusing) any test, procedure, or treatment.
-Check reviews and credentials to find the best care available.
– Compare Home Birth, Birthing Centers, Hospital Birth, and the care of Midwives and
Obstetricians.
Trust Your Body and Tell Your Story
If something is not right, do not ignore or dismiss what you are feeling and make sure
your provider doesn’t ignore you when you report what you are experiencing.
Choose a trusted supporter to be an advocate at prenatal visits, the birth, and postpartum.an advocate’s
presence can increase comfort and confidence in telling your story. And getting the care you deserve.
Free Monthly Workshops: ACTT is for use by the Black Community to increase knowledge, skills and confidence in vetting maternity services and obtaining person centered prenatal, birth and postpartum care. We raise awareness of human rights to quality care and the healthful benefits of holistic support for birthing families. We do not give medical advice in our programming and we do not impose our views on participants. We do encourage community members to use the tools they practice in ACTT Workshops to become active participants in their care.
Workshops are offered free of charge on the 4th Wednesday of each month except November and December or a special ACTT Workshop Request can be submitted below.
Sign up here for our next workshop: https://linktr.ee/BCFSM
ACTT For Safe Motherhood Facilitator Training
This training prepares you to support Black Moms and their communities in navigating and gaining respectful healthcare.
Sign up here: https://training.bcfsm.org/courses/actt-for-safe-motherhood-facilitator-training
To request a scholarship, email leslie@bcfsm.org
