• Baby's Best Chance - Parents' handbook to prepare you for the birth of your baby and the first six months
  

• Our Special Journey: Pregnancy Passport - Booklet to help track your progress and prepare for your baby
  

As you go through your pregnancy and birth, it's important that you have the support of a health care professional that you trust. In British Columbia, this person can be a family doctor, obstetrician or registered midwife. Learn more about the each of these professionals by visiting these websites:

• Obstetrician: College of Physicians and Surgeons
  

• Family doctor: College of Family Physicians
  

• Registered midwife: College of Midwives 
  

Once you've decided what kind of professional you'd like to work with, find one that is going to be a good fit for you and your family.

• Ask trusted friends, family or co-workers for recommendations
  

• Ask other health care providers for recommendations

• Search the listings in the websites linked above for a professional in your area accepting new patients
  

To find a physician in Vancouver, have a look at PregnancyVancouver.ca

• Youth health clinics: We provide emergency contraception, free or low-cost birth control options, pregnancy testing and counselling options for youth.
  

• Youth Pregnancy and Parenting Program (YPPP): More information on this free program for pregnant women age 24 and under living in Vancouver or Richmond is available in the YPPP brochure.

• Nurse-Family Partnership: This free Healthy Families BC program is for women having their first baby and ensures they both receive support during pregnancy and after the child is born up to two years of age.
  

Prenatal classes are a great way to get more information, learn new skills, and meet other parents-to-be in your community.

• For young parents in Richmond or Vancouver – contact the Youth Pregnancy and Parenting Program
  

• Douglas College- Prenatal Program offers a combination of prenatal classes as well as our newborn care classes.

• A Prenatal Breastfeeding Class is offered by the North Shore Public Health Nurses and is open to all pregnant women and their partner/support person. Click this Prenatal Breastfeeding Class to learn how to register and view the 2020 schedule.

• For other prenatal classes (including virtual options), visit the PregnancyVancouver website.
  

If you would like to take prenatal classes, but are not able to afford them, please contact your local public health nurse.

VCH also provides the following community prenatal programs:

• In Vancouver and Richmond, Healthiest Babies Possible (HBP) provides nutrition and lifestyle counselling to promote a healthy pregnancy. This helps reduce the incidence of low-birth weight babies among high-risk pregnancies. The staff include dietitians, public health nurses and support workers in 14 different languages. Self-referrals are accepted using the referral form.

• In Vancouver and Richmond, the Youth Pregnancy and Parenting Program (YPPP) is for young moms or dads to be (up to 24 years old). The YPPP program offers friendly pre and postnatal care and education program in a fun, casual environment. Self-referrals are accepted using this referral form.
  

• The Sheway program provides services to pregnant women and women with infants under 18 months with drug or alcohol issues. No referral is needed for this program located at 533 East Hasting Street in Vancouver.
  

Public Health Nurses are available to help you before and after the birth of your baby. If you are 24 years old or younger – we have programs just for you. 

• Contact your local public health nurse to learn more
  

• Call 1 (855) 550-2229 to talk to a public health nurse
  

If you're struggling emotionally during your pregnancy, you're not alone. These emotions are all a normal part of such a big life change. Many expectant parents want to be happy and excited, but instead they feel anxious, worried, overwhelmed or numb. If they're stopping you from doing your daily routine or taking good care of yourself, you need to reach out for help:

• Talk to your doctor or midwife about your feelings
  

• Look into these local VCH resources
  

• Call the Pacific Post Partum Support Society
  

If you're having thoughts of suicide or feel that you are in crisis, get help immediately. Go to the nearest emergency department or call the Crisis Line at 1-800-784-2433.

Probably not, so try not to get too upset. Most women who have bleeding in early pregnancy go on to have healthy babies. However, bleeding can be a sign that something is wrong, so see a doctor as soon as possible. Do not insert anything into your vagina while bleeding; use pads, not tampons. If you have any of these symptoms while experiencing bleeding, go to your nearest emergency department:

• You're bleeding so much that you are soaking though more than two pads per hour

• You have a fever

• You have painful abdominal cramps (more than mild menstrual cramps)

• Your pain is one sided

• You feel dizzy or light-headed

Learn more about bleeding during early pregnancy.

Go to the emergency department or contact your doctor/midwife right away if you are in any motor vehicle accident. You should seek care even if it is a minor accident. You should also get medical attention right away if you have any of these symptoms:

• Bad cramps or stomach pains that don't go away
  

• Any bleeding from your vagina

• A trickle or gush of fluid from your vagina; a big increase in vaginal discharge

• Sudden lower back pain/pressure

• A feeling like the baby is pushing down

• Contractions, or a change in how strong and often they come
  

• Fever, chills, dizziness, vomiting or bad headaches

• Blurred vision or seeing spots before your eyes

• Sudden or severe swelling of your feet, hands or face