Pregnancy and Expecting Parents

Preparing for a baby can be both an exciting and challenging time and you may have many questions. We offer support to help you have a healthy pregnancy and to help you and your family prepare for and adjust to life with a new baby.
It is important to have a prenatal visit to a health care provider (doctor, midwife, or nurse practitioner) during the first trimester.

Our Sexual Health program can help you confirm a pregnancy, provide information and resources about your options, and connect you with a healthcare provider.

What we do

Some of Northwestern Health Unit’s (NWHU) services related to pregnancy and expecting parents include:

Prenatal classes
Healthy Babies, Healthy Children program
Healthy Babies, Healthy Children Referral Form

Prenatal classes

We offer prenatal classes for anyone who is expecting a baby. Classes include information about having a healthy pregnancy, labour, and birth, feeding and taking care of your newborn as well as becoming a parent.
We offer classes in person or online and may be available in group or one-to-one sessions.

To learn more about what is available in your community, or to sign up for classes:

Call 1-800-465-4377
Email prenatalhealth@nwhu.on.ca
Call or stop by your local NWHU office

Upcoming prenatal classes

Healthy Babies, Healthy Children program

Healthy Babies Healthy Children program

Healthy Babies Healthy Children is a free program that offers support to families with newborns and children up to 6 years old. Families can self-refer to the program at any time or can be referred by any care provider.
After the delivery of your baby in hospital, you will be asked if you’d to be referred to the Healthy Babies Healthy Children (HBHC) program. Once we receive the referral from the hospital, we offer the following:

A phone call

An HBHC Public Health Nurse will call within 48 hours of discharge from the hospital. Nurses are trained to offer support during the postpartum period and can answer your questions, support your infant’s feeding choices, and provide up-to-date information.

In-person supports

An HBHC Public Health Nurse can visit you in your home, in our office, or in a community location to support you with:

Adjusting to parenthood and ways to care for yourself
Infant feeding
Monitoring your baby’s growth and development
Understanding emotional changes and postpartum recovery
Establishing infant care routines
Sharing information about parenting and health-related topics
Connecting you with community resources

Home visiting program

If you need support beyond the postpartum period, we can offer a home visiting program up until your child starts school.

We are here to help! For more information:

Call 1-800-465-4377
Email hbhc@nwhu.on.ca
Complete our Healthy Babies, Healthy Children Referral Form
Visit your local NWHU office

Healthy Babies, Healthy Children Referral Form

Families can self-refer to the program at any time or can be referred by another agency.

Healthy Babies, Healthy Children referral form