Resources and Information
Online resources for all of your needs throughout your pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Select your stage and then click a title to expand and view the links.
Everything you need to know to get you through the next nine months.
General Pregnancy Information
- Baby’s Best chance, BC Comprehensive and accessible information about pregnancy, birth, babies, and toddlers. Includes current schedules for which vaccines are normally given, and when.
- Childbirth Connection Evidence-based support for minimizing interventions during pregnancy and labour & delivery.
- BC Healthy Families Pregnancy and parenting tips and tools.
- Right from the Start Vancouver Island Health Authority perinatal public health outreach. All pregnant women in BC are encouraged to register with this program.
- Embryo to Baby Interactive Tool
- SOGC Due Date Calculator
- Have you had that baby yet?
Canadian Obstetric Guidelines
Nutrition, Weight Gain and Gestational Diabetes
- Health Canada prenatal nutrition guidelines
- Gestational diabetes information
- Food Safety in Pregnancy (BC Centre for Disease Control)
Get the knowledge you need to make an informed plan.
Home Birth Research
Birth Videos
Hospital Birth in Island Health
Answers to all your questions immediately following birth and beyond.
Breastfeeding
- Dr Jack Newman, breastfeeding MD and guru Information and handouts
- Stanford University School of Medicine Excellent videos re: hand expression, breastfeeding, and milk production
Local Breastfeeding Support
- Mothering Touch
- Breastfeeding Matters Southern Vancouver Island
- La Leche League Canada
- Public Health Units (Breastfeeding support, postpartum support, vaccinations)
- Carol Arndt, The Breastpump Lady, 250-812-7370
- Alison Ranger, Medela breast pumps, 250-479-9413
Safety of Drugs & Medications in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
- Drug Safety in Pregnancy Motherisk, Sick Children’s Hospital Toronto
- Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) MothertoBaby.org Fact Sheet
- HerWay Home Resources for Pregnancies Affected by Substance Use in Victoria
- Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed)
- Mother to Baby Drug Transfer (Teratogens)
- Centre for Disease Control and Prevention: Treating for Two
Best Babies Program
- Westshore Best Babies (Wednesdays noon-2pm) 250- 391-4320
- Blanshard Best Babies 250-388-7696
- Equimalt Best Babies 250-385-2635
- Peninsula Best Babies 250-655-5321
- Saanich Best Babies 250-360-1148
- Victoria Best Babies 250-385-8979
Mental Health in Pregnancy & Postpartum
If you are thinking about harming yourself or your baby, please call your midwife right away and/or visit the psychiatric emergency department of the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria.
- Anxiety in Pregnancy/Postpartum
- Postpartum Counselling Programs
- Pacific Post Partum Society Telephone support line, resources, and support groups
- Post Partum Depression FAQs
- Canadian Mental Health Association Postpartum Depression
- BC Women’s Reproductive Mental Health
- Self-Care Program for Women with Postpartum Depression and Anxiety Guide produced by Reproductive Mental Health
- Public Health Units (Breastfeeding support, postpartum support, vaccinations)
- Depression in Pregnancy Health Canada
Newborns & Children
- Registering your baby’s birth online
- BC Newborn Screening Program
- Caring for Kids Canadian Pediatric Society Website
- Maternity leave and birth registration Service Canada
- Baby Name Wizard More than you ever wanted to know about baby names, including name trends
- The Fussy Baby Site
- Healthy Families BC
Local Child-Focused Websites
Other Health Information
Sexual Health
- Options for Sexual Health
- Vancouver Island Women’s Clinic Well-woman care, birth control, miscarriage management, and abortions
- Island Sexual Health
- Sexuality and U By the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC)
- Scarleteen Geared toward 16-22 year olds, but good information for anyone
- Sexually Transmitted Infections
- Abnormal Pap Smear, Causes and Follow-Up BC Cancer Agency