Our Special Journey: Pregnancy Passport

Th Our Special Journey Pregnancy Passport supports you in having a healthy pregnancy, tracking your progress and preparing for your baby.

The Pregnancy Passport includes:

• Information about your needs and the care you can expect during your pregnancy, birth, and after your baby is born
• A place to record check-ups and tests
• A list of resources for more information

The Pregnancy Passport is published by Perinatal Services BC in partnership with the Ministry of Health and health authorities. The Pregnancy Passport is a companion to Baby's Best Chance.

Pregnancy Passport handout

The Pregnancy Passport handout (PDF)is a 2-page pull out from the pregnancy passport.

Our Sacred Journey: Indigenous Pregnancy Passport

The Our Sacred Journey: Indigenous Pregnancy Passport can help take you and your family through your sacred journey of pregnancy, birth and your baby’s first few weeks. The pregnancy passport provides an expectant mother/person with:

• Traditional teachings
• Health information and resources
• Growth charts and checklists
• A place to write down goals, thoughts, ideas and dreams for your baby

The Indigenous Pregnancy Passport was developed by Perinatal Services BC in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and First Nations Health Authority.

A special thank you goes out to the First Nations and Aboriginal Elders, community members and professionals who helped develop this resource; members of the Provincial Advisory Committee; expert reviewers from around the province; and the Population and Public Health Program at the Provincial Health Services Authority. Please see the full list of acknowledgements (PDF).

Ask your doctor, midwife, care provider or health unit for a Pregnancy Passport.

A new online prenatal learning platform is available to new and soon-to-be parents and caregivers living in British Columbia.

Perinatal Services BC (PSBC) developed the Pregnancy & Parent Learning Centre, a free, online prenatal education platform for new and soon-to-be parents and caregivers offering reliable, science‑based information they need to feel confident and prepared for their pregnancy, birth and early parenting journey. Aligned with Baby's Best Chance, the Learning Centre takes a closer look into four learning journeys: Pregnancy, Labour and Birth, Postpartum & Newborn Care, and Infant Feeding. They can be explored any time, in any order, at your own pace.​

Baby's Best Chance: Parents' Handbook of Pregnancy and Baby Care is intended to offer general information about pregnancy and parenting, with a focus on ensuring the health and well-being of you and your baby. It also provides guidance on how you can access additional support, should you need it. Topics covered include pregnancy, birth and parenting a baby up to six months of age.

• Birth Preference Guide (PDF) is& a communication tool to support you with labour and birth options. Communicating your labour and birth preferences is an opportunity to share with your care team what is important to you. You may find it useful to use this guide early and often to discuss with your circle of support.
• Home Birth Supplies Checklist (PDF) offers parents some ideas of what they will need if planning to have a home birth. It is also a good idea to connect with your midwife to learn what supplies they may have for you.
• The Labour and Birth Hospital List (PDF) offers parents some ideas of what they may want to pack in their labour and birth bag for the hospital.

• Deciding How to Feed Your Baby (PDF) is an important part of parenting. You may find it helpful to use this resource to write down any questions that you might have. Explore these with your health care circle at any time during your pregnancy. It is important to have all the information you need to make an informed decision on how to feed your baby.

• Celebrating the Circle of Life: Coming back to balance and harmony is a guide to support emotional health and wellness in pregnancy and early motherhood for Indigenous women/people and their families.
• NESTS for Well-Being (PDF) is a tool to write down some ideas that may help support your health and well-being. To help remember the basics of well-being, think of the term: 'NESTS'.

• As you prepare to welcome your baby into the world, it is important to think about what comes after the birth — this is called the postpartum period. This is a time of great change and new beginnings for you and your family. A Postpartum Support Guide (PDF) may help you and your family plan ahead for the weeks and months following birth.

‎Prenatal genetic screening can tell a pregnant woman/person their chance of having a baby with Down syndrome, trisomy 18, or an open neural tube defect. It is offered free of charge to all pregnant women/people with MSP coverage in BC. It's your choice whether or not to have prenatal genetic screening. The earlier in your pregnancy you see your health care provider, the more options you will have. For more information visit the Prenatal Genetic Screening Program.‎

Immunizations in pregnancy

Immunization is an important part of a healthy pregnancy. It helps protect you and your baby against serious diseases. For more information visit the Immunize BC website.

COVID-19

For most people, getting a COVID-19 vaccine is the safest choice to protect them from severe COVID-19 disease. The Canadian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (PDF), the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, and public health experts in BC all agree that COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for people who are pregnant and breastfeeding or chestfeeding.

You will need to make a decision based on your own comfort, individual risk of getting COVID-19, and the chance of becoming seriously ill if infected.

• Find more vaccine considerations on the BC Centre for Disease Control website
• Review the HealthLinkBC File on COVID-19 Vaccines

Syphilis screening

As part of routine prenatal care, pregnant people are offered many different screens and tests during their pregnancy in order to promote optimal health for both the pregnant person and the baby. Screening for sexually transmitted infections (STI) such as syphilis is routine in the first trimester of pregnancy, or at your first prenatal visit. New recommendations in BC (and other Canadian provinces) are to continue to screen for syphilis early but to also screen again at delivery. Screening a 2nd time at delivery is now being recommended for all pregnant people delivering in BC because of the risk of congenital syphilis. Congenital syphilis can occur when the pregnant person who has untreated syphilis transmits the infection to the baby, either during pregnancy or during delivery. The new BC recommendations are to try to prevent that from happening. You can read more information about syphilis screening (PDF) and talk to your health care provider who is supporting you with your pregnancy. For more information about syphilis, visit the BC Centre of Disease Control website.