The Nova Scotia government has launched an online prenatal education website for new parents.
The website, Welcome to Parenting Nova Scotia, is meant to help support parents through their baby’s first year and provides them information about topics like pregnancy, labour, birth, and breastfeeding.
"In today's digital world, new and expectant parents are looking for credible information online," said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief public health officer in a statement released Tuesday. "This new program has been customized according to Nova Scotia standards. It provides the information parents need in the online, mobile format they want."
The website has been implemented to replace the traditional in-person prenatal classes in the province. Government says attendance in those classes has been declining and several district health authorities have already stopped offering the classes. All classes will stop by January 1.
Venessa Downing and Kelly Carrington feel the personal touch of the traditional prenatal class will be missed, which is one of the reasons why they have decided to start their own company, Birth Happens.
Downing and Carrington are certified doulas with a background in social work and massage therapy, respectively. They both feel there is gap that needs to be filled when it comes to prenatal care, and say their business fills that gap.
“We’re trying to take more of a community approach, so talking about resources in the community, instead of, you know, just what Capital Health, or Public Health, or the IWK can offer,” says Downing. “We need to keep using those resources, but you know, there’s a lot of people in the community that are doing things outside the box and I think parents should be aware of them.”
Aside from their doula training, both Downing and Carrington have their own families, which they say enhances the experience they can give to their students. Carrington is also the first certified male doula in Canada, which they feel helps put the men who attend their class at ease.
“I am a guy’s kind of guy, I hate to use that, but I am, and I’m a dad and I’ve been through it all, so they feel more comfortable to share, maybe, than they would if it was a very female-centric learning environment,” says Carrington.
Carrington says the most important thing they want their students to remember is that birth is a natural process.
“I think if you get the knowledge about birth then you’re not going to be so freaked out about it and we really want to take that fear out of it so that families do feel encouraged and empowered that they can take control of their own birth and have the birth they want,” says Carrington.
Tanya Reid is one of the first students to take an alternative prenatal class offered by Birth Happens. She says the experience has been comforting.
“I’m a first-time mom, I’m currently only 25 weeks, so it was great learning what’s going to happen to my body, what’s going to happen to baby and how my partner can help me,” says Reid.
Downing and Carrington say they are also focused on encouraging new parents to take advantage of community resources, like breastfeeding support groups and postpartum doulas.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Priya Sam
