Extra help is available for new parents across Alberta.
The New Parent and Newborn Line is a helpline operated by Primary Care Alberta. New parents can call 1-833-805-BABY (2229) 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to get expert advice and questions answered by registered nurses who specialize in postpartum care.
“There is now a single, easy-to-access phone number for new parents across the province to get expert advice on newborn care – making it simpler to find the support they need during those critical early days,” says Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange.
New parents and caregivers can access the service for the first two months after the baby’s birth.
“Through the New Parent and Newborn Line, new parents across Alberta have direct access to experts in postpartum care,” says Patricia Chambers, Executive Lead of Patient Navigation and System Integration with PCA. “Health Link 811 nurses offer that advice with compassion, as they know what it’s like to have a new baby at home.”
Officials note that the Early Start Parent Information Line previously available in Calgary, as well as Edmonton’s Healthy Beginnings, receive roughly 2,000 calls a month from new parents and caregivers.
“Offering virtual health services empowers Albertans to seek out their own appropriate care options without having to go to the emergency department or their primary care provider,” says PCA CEO Kimberley Simmonds. “Our goal is to ensure that Albertans have access to the right care, at the right place, at the right time.”
