Parents get monthly guide in pregnancy, baby’s first year

New parents can often be frustrated with trying to find trustworthy advice and information online given the huge volume and variety of advice available.

To cut through all that and provide evidence-based, trusted information straight to the inbox, Pregnancy, Birth and Baby has developed two newsletter subscription services that provide a free monthly update to pregnant people and parents of a newborn.

Combined, the two newsletters cover the entire pregnancy and how the baby is developing, through a newborn’s first year of life. The updates contain tips on how best to respond to the changes that will occur — including any changes in the parents’ own lives.

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is a national, government-funded service providing support and information for expectant parents and parents and carers of children from birth to five years of age. The service includes a helpline, video call option, website and due date calculator.

Support for parents and parents-to-be

To subscribe to a newsletter, people need only to provide their email address and due date (for the pregnancy newsletter) or their email and their child’s date of birth (for the newborn newsletter). Once subscribed, they receive an email every month.

The newsletters provide timely, clinically relevant information on what to expect at each stage of a pregnancy or each month after the baby is born.

The pregnancy newsletter outlines the changes the pregnant person may be seeing or feeling at the time they are happening and include tips on how to accommodate these changes. At 12 weeks, for example, it’s normal for the mother’s breasts to have enlarged, so the newsletter includes a link to detailed information on choosing a supportive bra.

There are also updates on the baby’s growth and development and reminders of any recommended tests or care, such as antenatal visits or ultrasound appointments.

The ongoing newsletter service aims to support parents on their journey into new parenthood and pre-school, offering guidance and reassurance about behavioural and development concerns, such as tantrums, walking, talking or reading for children up to five years of age.

Each newsletter also includes a range of links to relevant articles on the Pregnancy, Birth and Baby website which can provide greater detail.

What if parents need more information?

Subscribers who need help or want to know more can call the Pregnancy, Birth and Baby helpline (1800 882 436) to talk to a maternal child health nurse. They can also contact a nurse via videocall, using the Start Video Call button near the bottom right of the Pregnancy, Birth and Baby home page.