Bringing your Baby Home

We have put together some information in a New Baby Package that we hope you will find helpful as a new parent. You will be offered this package when your public health nurse contacts you. You can choose to receive the New Baby Package in person if a home or clinic visit is planned, by mail or electronically.

If you have any concerns before the Public health nurse calls, you can call your Doctor, Midwife or HealthLinkBC at 8-1-1.

Contents of the new baby package:

• Caring for Your Information
• How are you feeling? Baby Blues, Postpartum depression, anxiety
• Early Postpartum Exercises 
• Baby's Best Chance | HealthLink BC
• Babies Need Breathing Space
• Tummy Time for head shape and muscle strength
• Baby Feeding Cues 
• Immunization information
  • Immunization: A Healthy Choice for Your Child
  • A Better Immunization Experience for your Child | HealthLink BC
  • Immunizations at 2 months of age HealthLinkBC
  • Child Health Passport. If you choose to receive the new baby package electronically, the child health passport will either be mailed to you, given to you if a public health nurse visits or given to you at your child’s first child health clinic appointment.

Other resources:

• HealthLinkBC: or call 8‐1‐1
• BC Poison Control Centre
• Parachute Canada – Injury Prevention
• BC Children's Hospital Child Safety
• ImmunizeBC
• Find your Local Health Centre

Having a baby comes with paperwork! Read Important Paperwork for Newborns | HealthLink BC for information on birth registration, medical benefits and child tax benefits.

There are new demands on mothers and partners when baby comes home. It is easy to forget about taking care of you. You will be operating on much less sleep as the baby will be up many times throughout the night to feed, diaper, burp or just cry. Take a moment every day to take care of yourself.

You may find it helpful to create a postpartum support guide that matches your values and your individual situation.

Learn more about Postpartum: First 6 Weeks After Childbirth | HealthLink BC.

It’s normal for new mothers to have lots of different feelings and emotions. This can include baby blues, depression and anxiety.

Dads and partners can experience these feelings, too.

This is the start of your journey in your relationship as parents. Bringing home a baby involves physical and emotional adjustments that can also change your relationship with your partner.

• Parenting With Your Partner | HealthLink BC
• Sex After Childbirth | HealthLink BC
• Birth Control | HealthLink BC

Siblings may react to bringing home a new baby. Some may love the baby and others may be angry. Younger children may go back to acting like babies themselves while older siblings may feel jealous.

Learn more: Preparing Siblings for Meeting your New Baby | HealthLink BC

Pets are a member of the family and will take time to adjust to the arrival of your baby. It’s recommended that you do not get a new pet right before your baby comes home.

If you already have a pet, see Child Safety: Pets | HealthLink BC.

For every ride or trip, secure your child into a properly installed car seat that meets all Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. 

• Learn how to buy a car seat and how to properly install & use a rear-facing car seat
• Watch this video on how to properly secure your baby in their car seat

Make every sleep a safer sleep for your baby! Choose sleeping arrangements that will give your baby the safest sleep possible. Learn more about creating a Safer Sleep Plan (available in 10 languages).

It is important for your baby’s development to have some time on their tummy or side when they are awake. Start when your baby is a newborn and choose a safe surface either on the floor or on your lap or chest. 

Tummy time will help prevent Positional Plagiocephaly (Flattened Head) that can occur from how the baby was positioned in the uterus, the birth process or by the baby’s sleep position. 

Read more on the importance of tummy time, teaching your baby to enjoy tummy time and understanding flat spots on babies’ heads.

Babies breathe faster and have less developed immune systems than adults, so they are more affected by tobacco smoke and vapour. Babies are more likely to have:

• Severe asthma and allergy attacks needing hospitalization
• Ear and chest infections
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• Learning and behaviour difficulties in later years

• Smoke/vape outside, away from your baby.
• Do not let anyone else smoke/vape around your baby.
• Breastfeeding still provides many benefits to you and your baby even if you are unable to quit smoking/vaping. Breastfeed first before smoking or using nicotine gum, lozenges or an inhaler.
• Wear a “smoke-free” shirt after smoking to reduce the transfer of chemicals to your baby.

For more information, see the Babies Need Breathing Space brochure and Safe Sleep for Your Baby.