All of our patient handouts are linked (here).
We have also collected a number of helpful links that might be helpful for you.
Prior to your first appointment with us, please review the following:
- Information on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs):
At one of your first appointments with us, we will ask you about ACEs in your life. Asking about your ACE score helps us identify problems you have faced as a child that may affect your health today. It also helps you understand how ACEs may affect your child’s
development. Awareness is the first step in learning how to reduce the risk of physical and mental health problems for you and your child.
- Our birth plan, available here.
We will keep a signed copy of our birth plan on your chart.
Please feel free to ask us any questions about either of these topics (or anything else!) during your appointment.
General information:
- The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Pregnancy Info website
- The Government of Canada’s The Sensible Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy
- Healthy Parents Healthy Children (this is the same content as the coil books we hand out at each first prenatal visit)
- Ready or Not (useful information to have before you try conceiving or if you are trying to not get pregnant)
- General pregnancy information from MyHealth.Alberta.ca
Specific pregnancy-related topics
- Excellent resource for all things pregnancy-related, PregnancyInfo.ca
- Useful free podcasts from some physician colleagues in BC, SheFoundHealth.ca
- Adoption: general information about adoption can be found here. There are several adoption agencies in Calgary: Adoption Options and Amaris Adoption.
- Alberta Health Services prenatal classes
- Early pregnancy loss support and the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support Centre
- Exercise in pregnancy
- Genetic screening general information
- Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)
- Amniocentesis
- Evidence Based Birth
- Maternal health of migrant women (a YouTube video on immigrant and maternal health)
- Maternity and parental benefits
- Medications in pregnancy; Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Pocket Guide
- 7 Essential Steps to Healthy Eating in Pregnancy and Healthy Eating & Active Living for Pregnancy
- Group B strep in pregnancy
- Smoking in pregnancy and CDC’s don’t smoke in pregnancy
- Substance use in pregnancy
- Vaccinations in pregnancy
- Water birth information; for more information on water births in High River, please click here
- Working in pregnancy
- Zika virus in pregnancy
- COVID-19 risk in pregnancy: from Alberta Health Services, CDC, and the SOGC
Breastfeeding topics and resources
- 10 Valuable Tips for Successful Breastfeeding
- 10 Great Reasons to Breastfeed Your Baby
- Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (in 2017, we were the first hospital in Alberta to obtain the Baby Friendly designation)
- Biological Breastfeeding
- Collecting colostrum while you’re pregnant (useful for increasing breastmilk supply)
- Global Health Media (useful videos on topics such as: breastfeeding in the first few hours, attaching your baby to the breast, how to know if your baby is getting enough milk and others)
- La Leche Leauge (breastfeeding support)
- Natural Breastfeeding for an Easier Start (a useful video for getting a good start to breastfeeding)
- Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Pocket Guide
- Lactation services in High River and Okotoks
- NorthernStar Mothers Milk Bank (useful information if you have extra breast milk to donate to babies in need or if you (or your baby) have a need)
- Tongue ties
Postpartum topics
- Pelvic floor health
- Local pelvic floor physiotherapy options are available, all of whom accept self-referrals; ask your healthcare provider if you need recommendations
- AHS’s Postpartum “Your Body After Baby” educational module
- Postpartum depression questionnaire
- Postpartum Support Calgary
Parenting topics
- Alberta government birth documentation
- Alberta’s top baby names by year
- About Kids Health (a great resource for children’s health concerns from The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto)
- Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
- Alberta Family Wellness Initiative information on ACEs and brain development
- Alberta Family Wellness Initiative Brain Story Toolkit
- A 5 minute video on ACEs
- Car seat safety
- Circumcision
- Immunizations for children
- Foothills Children’s Wellness Network
- Literacy for Life
- Greater Foothills Family Centre
- Safe sleep brochure and website from Alberta Health Services
- Safe sleep information from La Leche League International
Contact information for other services
- Calgary Lab Services
- AHS community health centres
- EFW Radiology
- CDC (Canadian Diagnostics Centres) Radiology
Community supports
- HealthLink (Call Health Link by dialing 811 for quick and easy advice from a registered nurse 24/7.)
- Early Start Line (This telephone information line gives postpartum information to parents of babies under 2 months old. Nurses are there 24/7 to offer support, information, and referrals to new mothers and their families for the first 2 months after their baby’s birth.)
- Public Health High River
- Public Health Okotoks
- Public Health Black Diamond
- Public Health Nanton
- Public Health Vulcan
- Public Health Claresholm
