Welcome Baby Members | City of Hamilton

This Welcome Baby Members Page is for people who have registered for the Welcome Baby Program.

If you're not currently a member and would like to join please visit the Prenatal Nutrition Program page to learn more. You must join during your pregnancy and then you can continue until your baby is 6 months old.

Child minding at our groups is not available at this time. Therefore, children over one year of age cannot attend the groups. We hope to have child minding in the future for those under 6 years of age. Check back for updates.

The Welcome Baby program in Hamilton is facilitated by Public Health Nurses and Registered Dietitians. It is for people who are pregnant and looking for extra support. Our members can stay in the program until their baby is 6 months old.

All in-person groups are open.

Visit Hamilton.ca/prenatalnutritionprogram and click on “Listing of locations” to see group locations, days and time.

To find a location that is closest to you, scroll down to the map. Enter your address in the map search bar. Zoom out to see our locations. Click on the purple dots to see more information about each location.

For those who cannot attend an in-person group we have an online group Thursdays from 1 to 2 pm. This group has limited capacity. If interested email [email protected] to see if you can attend.

smiling pregnant woman using a laptop and holding one hand on her belly while working at cozy home.

Announcements

All in-person Welcome Baby groups are open. You can only attend one group location.

To find a location that is closest to you, view our group locations listing and map.

View listing of locations

Online Resources

Welcome Baby Online Group

Online Group Calendar

Find helpful resources to support a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby.

How to find a Family Doctor

Health questions

Telehealth Ontario 1-866-797-0000 to speak to a Registered Dietitian Monday to Friday or a Registered Nurse 24/7.

Walk-in Clinics

Walk-In Medical Clinics - Hamilton

Accessing Food and Baby Supplies

Essential Aid and Family Services of Ontario
Food Access Guide
Community Fridges Hamilton - Locations of Community Fridges listed in FAQ

Community Programs and Supports

Register for Free Online Prenatal Program
Health Connections - Public Health Services - speak to a public health nurse Monday to Friday 8:30am-4:30 pm. 905-546-3550
Visit Healthy Families Hamilton on Facebook for daily topics related to parenting, health and local events and resources or to ask a question to the nurse or dietitian.
Healthy Babies, Healthy Children – home visiting program for new moms. Call Health Connections 905-546-3550.
EarlyON Child and Family Centres - Free, high-quality programs for families and children from prenatal to 6 years old. You can learn and play with your child, meet people and get advice from early childhood professionals. In person and virtual program options are available so you can choose the type of program that is right for you and your family.
Hamilton Public Library - Attend free programs for families including storytimes, borrow print and ebooks for children through a local branch, bookmobile or online.

Mental health during pregnancy and after your baby is born

Healthy Eating for a Healthy Baby

Learn about weight gain during pregnancy

Food Safety in Pregnancy

Cooking and recipes

Vegetables and Fruits

Whole Grain products

Protein foods

Buying processed foods and reading food labels

Ways to save money on food and meal planning

Breastfeeding

Feeding Cues

Starting solids

Feeding Your Baby Booklet
Video: Trust Me, Trust my Tummy - Babies to Toddlers
Video: Making food for your baby
Infant Feeding UnlockFood.ca
Food safety information for children ages 5 and under

Coping with changes during pregnancy

A Healthy start for Baby and Me Download the free PDF Chapter 5

Dental Health

Infections in pregnancy

A Healthy start for Baby and Me - Download the free PDF Chapter 4

Physical activity for you and your family

Sexual health

Vaccinations

Comfort measures during labour and birth

A Healthy start for Baby and Me - Download the free PDF Chapter 6

Making informed decisions during labour and birth

A Healthy start for Baby and Me - Download the free PDF Chapter 6

Medical Options During Labour and Birth

A Healthy start for Baby and Me - Download the free PDF Chapter 6
Planning for Labour and Birth
www.pregnancyinfo.ca/birth

Preterm labour

A Healthy start for Baby and Me - Download the free PDF Chapter 1
Preterm labour

Signs and Symptoms and Stages of Labour

A Healthy start for Baby and Me - Download the free PDF Chapter 6

Building a Strong Relationship with your Child

Car seat safety

Coping with your baby’s crying

Dental health

Safe Sleep for baby

Vaccinations

Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women
A Healthy start for Baby and Me - Download the free PDF Chapter 7

There is 1 online group every Thursday from 1 to 2 pm. This group has limited capacity. If interested email [email protected] to see if you can attend

Online Group Expectations

The Welcome Baby dietitian and nurse will facilitate the groups. There will be time to learn and time to ask questions and connect.
We are using a City of Hamilton online platform called Webex that is approved, however we can’t guarantee the virtual platform is 100% secure.
All things shared in the group are confidential. Do not record the virtual Welcome Baby group sessions.
Be mindful of sharing your personal/private information within the group or in the chat. You can ask the Welcome Baby facilitator about arranging a separate time to talk if needed using the chat box (ensure you are sending your message to the facilitator and not to everyone).
We will be taking attendance each week, using the name you used to join our session – we may have to ask you to identify yourself if you are using a name we don’t recognize.
We invite you to turn your camera on during the group time, however it is not necessary. There may be times when you might need to turn your camera on and off and that is okay.
Your microphone will be muted during the group time. Feel free to unmute yourself if you have a question or have something to share with the group. Or, you could type your comment or question in the chat box and we will spend some time answering questions during or after the topic.
Show kindness and respect to other members of the group. Listen to others without interruption or judgment. No offensive language please.

You will need to download the free Cisco Webex app to be able to join the group by visiting www.webex.com/downloads.

Joining Webex Meetings
When you click on “Join Meeting” in the email invitation, your name and email address will come up. You have an option to change your name to your first name only or something different if you don’t want to use your name. Whatever name you choose will show up for other participants to see. Your email will not be visible to others.

You will be able to join 5 minutes before the group starts. If you are having any trouble joining the group, please contact Webex technical support by phone: 1-877-525-8615 or 1-866-229-3239.

Coping with Baby’s Crying

March 30, 2023

Feeding Baby from Birth to 6 months

April 6, 2023

Safe Sleep for Baby

April 13, 2023

Public Health Agency of Canada: Safe Sleep for your Baby

Key Nutrients for Pregnancy

April 20, 2023

Car Seat Safety

April 27, 2023

Feeding Your Baby - 6-12 months of age

May 4, 2023

Feeding Your Baby – A guide to help you introduce solid foods
Infant Feeding Resources (Unlockfood.ca)
Introducing Common Food Allergens
Food Safety Information for Children ages 5 and Under
Video: Trust Me, Trust My Tummy
Video: Making Food For Your Baby

Building a Strong Relationship with your Baby

May 11, 2023

Buying Processed Foods and Reading Food Labels

May 18, 2023

Physical Activity Before, During and After Pregnancy

June 1, 2023

Additional Programs

Free Online Prenatal Program - Injoy
In addition to belonging to the Welcome Baby program, you can also join Hamilton’s Free Online Prenatal Program called Injoy and learn about pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and newborn care. The online program includes interactive learning, videos, and links to resources that you can access at your own pace on your mobile device or computer.

Online Prenatal Program Registration Form

OMama Mobile App and Website
OMama is a website and a mobile app that connects you to trusted, evidence-informed pregnancy, birth, and early parenting information in Ontario. With the website or app, you can set up a personal profile, track your pregnancy, birth, and early parenting week by week, find trusted information at every stage and more!

www.omama.com

Date modified

March 29, 2023