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Congratulations on the birth of your baby!
Welcome to the world of parenting! As the parent of a new baby, you will experience many changes and may have many questions.
Ottawa Public Health is here to help.
| Postpartum handout |
| You may have received the Parenting in Ottawa postpartum handout after giving birth to your baby. Below you will find links to resources shared in that handout. Mental Health Resources for Postpartum Families Infant Feeding Resources in Ottawa Ontario Breastfeeding Services |
| Here Comes Baby Video Series and the NEW "How To" Videos |
| A video series for new and soon-to-be parents! Watch local parents, health professionals and experts discuss the realities of life with a new baby. You can also learn how to manage your baby's gas, what to do when your baby won’t stop crying and much more with our short “How to” videos! |
| *NEW* CBT For Perinatal Depressions Steps to Wellness Program |
| Visit the Mental Health in Pregnancy and After Birth - Parenting in Ottawa page for more information and to register. |
| The Healthy Babies, Healthy Children home visiting program |
| The Healthy Babies, Healthy Children home visiting program is designed to help parents who need more support give their children a healthy start.* A Public Health Nurse is available to:
*Eligibility is subject to a needs-assessment. For more information, visit our Home Visits - Healthy Babies, Healthy Children page |
| Parenting in Ottawa Facebook page |
| The Parenting in Ottawa Facebook page is moderated by Ottawa Public Health and is updated by a Registered Nurse Monday to Friday, 8:00am - 3:00pm (excluding holidays). It's our mission to share information, respond to your parenting questions and create a safe place for parents to get together to chat about raising kids in Ottawa. Parenting topics include:
What are you waiting for?! Join the conversation! |
| Weekend services |
| If you need help, for you or your newborn, on the weekend: In person:
By phone:
Websites: |
Learn more about...
| Feeding your baby | ||||||
Choosing what and how to feed your baby is an important decision for a new parent.
Additional Nutrition Information
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| Safe sleep | ||||||
| To reduce the risk of preventable sleep-related infant death and injury, it is recommended that babies be placed on their back to sleep on a firm flat surface. For more information, check out our sleep and sleep behaviour page. | ||||||
| Infant crying | ||||||
| Crying is an important way that your baby communicates to you before he/she can speak. It may seem that your baby cries more than other babies, or that nothing you do calms your baby's crying. Learn what you can do to comfort your baby. | ||||||
| Infant mental health and responding to your baby's cues | ||||||
| Responding to your infant's needs and cues from birth will help your baby to grow up happy and healthy. Check out our mental health and attachment page for more information about how to help your little one to feel safe and loved. The emotional bond between your child and you is called attachment.
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| Safety | ||||||
| As a parent you want your baby to be happy, healthy and safe. For more information about keeping your little one safe:
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| Emotional changes in the postpartum period | ||||||
| New parents often experience emotional changes after the birth of their baby. It is important to care for yourself. Learn more about your emotional health and well-being after childbirth and where to get help. | ||||||
| Taking care of yourself | ||||||
| Life changes with a new baby. As exciting as each new moment can be, there can also be hard times. Coping with the hard times can be even harder if you are not getting enough sleep. Sleep can affect how you feel emotionally and physically. Remember, your needs matter too and it is important to take care of yourself. You can try:
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| Immunization | ||||||
| Your baby's first vaccines are at 2 months of age. For information about the routine immunization schedule and where to have your child immunized, check out our immunization page. You can also drop-in at one of our Neighbourhood Health and Wellness Hubs to have your little one immunized. |
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| Plagiocephaly (flat head) | ||||||
| It's important that your baby sleeps on his back. Babies who lie in one position for long periods of time can develop a flat area on their head, as their skull bones are soft until about one year of age. During waking hours tummy time is a great way to interact with your baby. |
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| Dental health | ||||||
| Even though your little one doesn't have teeth yet, it's important to know how to care for your baby's gums. Now is the time to start good oral hygiene habits. |
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| Visual health | ||||||
| Visual health is important for your new baby. Infants and toddlers should have their first eye examination between the ages of 6 and 9 months. |
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| Fever | ||||||
| As a new parent, you may question whether or not your baby has a fever. Visit The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario's website for information taking care of a baby/child with a fever. |
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| Growth and development | ||||||
Your little one will go through many milestones in the first years of life, for more information about what you can do to help your little one explore and discover his environment, check out:
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| Speech and language | ||||||
| The first years of life are very important for learning speech and language. From the time they are born, children start communicating. Very early in their lives, they learn to understand what you are saying and to make sounds of their own. Eventually, these sounds and babbling will turn into words.
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| Smoke-free homes and second-hand smoke | ||||||
| Are you, or is someone in your home a smoker? Our second-hand smoke page shares information about how second-hand smoke affects babies and children, and strategies to protect your little one from being exposed.
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| Childcare | ||||||
| Have you thought about child care for your new baby? The City of Ottawa's child care services page is a great place to start if you're looking for information about types of child care services, how to apply to child care and preparing your family for child care. | ||||||
| Community resources | ||||||
| Ottawa is a city where many resources in the community are available for you to connect with other parents. | ||||||
| Emergency preparedness | ||||||
| All new parents should have an emergency plan so that they are ready and can ensure that they have what they need in situations when usual sources of help are not available.
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| Balancing demands | ||||||
| It can often be hard to balance demands. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 58% of Canadians report "overload" with demands. These pressures include work, home and family, friends, physical health, volunteer and community service. Here are some tips for you to help balance your demands:
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Do you have more questions about parenting?
- Connect with a registered nurse from Health811 for free, secure, and confidential health advice. Service is available 24/7 in English and French, with translation support also offered in other languages. Call 8-1-1 or visit Health811.ontario.ca.
- Connect with a Community Navigator from 2-1-1 for information about community programs and resources across Eastern Ontario. Helpline service is available 24/7 and in many different languages. Call 2-1-1 or visit 211ontario.ca.
- Connect with other parents on the Parenting in Ottawa Facebook page.
- There are a variety of services to make it easier for your child to grow up healthy in Ottawa.
- You can update your child's immunization record using either the Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON) Tool or the CANImmunize App.
- If you have received a message from Ottawa Public Health such as a letter or a call regarding immunization, an infectious disease, or infection control lapse, please call 613-580-6744 and listen to the menu options carefully.
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