Perinatal resources

Materials and resources that you might find helpful.

Overview

Giving birth is one of the most monumental experiences in your life.

Here are some materials that you might find helpful after you deliver your baby:

If you have questions about your baby’s health, call the HealthLink BC Nurses Line at 8-1-1.

If your baby is in medical distress, has stopped breathing or is unresponsive, call 9-1-1 immediately.

List of resources

You may have many questions about how to stay healthy and how to care for your baby. Below is a list of additional resources you might find useful. Please note: the Pregnancy, Birthing and Newborn program does not endorse or guarantee the content of these websites.

- Baby’s Best Chance: A handbook produced by the province of British Columbia and Perinatal Services BC (PDF)
- Smart Mom Canada: Text messaging service. It sends pregnant people relevant information based on their stage of pregnancy.
- Prenatal Genetic Screening: Information on genetic screening for Down syndrome, trisomy 18 or open neural tube defect.
- Substance use during pregnancy: Information from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.
- Pregnancy Vancouver: Includes list of maternity care family physicians. Initiative of the Vancouver Division of Family Practice, Doctors of BC.
- HealthLink BC: Informative videos about pregnancy.
- Perinatal Services BC – Labour and Birth: Content about having a baby in BC. From Perinatal Services BC.
- Doula Services Association of BC: Find a doula to support you during your baby’s birth.
- Pain Relief Options for Labour and Birth: Information about the pros and cons of various pain relief options. From Healthy Families BC.
- Checking new babies for Critical Congenital Heart Disease: Providence Health Care brochure describing testing done on newborns (PDF)
- BC Newborn Screening Program: Describes the blood test performed on all newborns in BC. The test checks for rare diseases (PDF)
- Newborn hearing screening: Information on BC’s newborn screening program and how to get your baby tested if they weren’t tested in hospital.
- Screening program for Biliary Atresia: PDF that illustrates normal and abnormal stool colours. Helps parents detect biliary atresia, a serious liver disease.
- Birth Registration: Create a permanent legal record of your child’s birth in British Columbia.
- Feeding your baby: Includes information on infant feeding and starting your baby on solid foods (from Healthy Families BC).
- La Leche League International: International organization dedicated to helping parents breastfeed. Offers support, encouragement, information, and education.
- Perinatal Services BC: Newborn Care: General information about postpartum and newborn care. From Perinatal Services BC.
- SmartParent: Text messaging program. It sends new parents relevant information based on their child’s age (up to one year).
- Immunization Schedule for Newborns and Infants: Provided by Health Link BC.
- Period of Purple Crying: Information on how to manage the natural period in your baby’s life where they will cry unconsolably.
- Safe Sleep: Content from the HealthLink BC on how to prevent sudden infant death syndrome.
- Car Seat Safety: Information from Transport Canada on how to choose a car seat.
- Caring for kids: Information from the Canadian Paediatric Society.
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV): Information on how to prevent your child from getting RSV. From the Canadian Paediatric Society.
- Pacific Postpartum Society: Program for parents experiencing postpartum/perinatal distress, depression and anxiety.
- Postpartum Support International: Provides resources to support birthing parents with the emotional changes they experience during pregnancy and postpartum.
- BC Crisis Centre: Online and phone support available 24/7 for people dealing with a mental health crisis.
- Indigenous Pregnancy Passport: Workbook from Perinatal Services BC.
- Ekw’i7tl Indigenous Doula Collective: Network of Vancouver-based Indigenous doulas. They provide support to Indigenous families.
- Kilila Birthkeeper Collective: an Indigenous-led support group of women and mothers from diverse backgrounds. Supports families within the Greater Vancouver and surrounding areas.

Bereavement supports

As part of our perinatal loss program, we provide initial grief counselling to families. We also help set up a grief support program for them once they go home.

Learn more

Last reviewed: March 5, 2025

Perinatal resources

Overview Copy link to this section

Giving birth is one of the most monumental experiences in your life.

List of resources Copy link to this section

Bereavement supports Copy link to this section

Overview

List of resources

Bereavement supports