Baby's Best Chance: Parents' Handbook of Pregnancy and Baby Care

Baby's Best Chance: Parents' Handbook of Pregnancy and Baby Care

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If you are about to become a parent, or just had a baby, this handbook is for you. Baby’s Best Chance is a reference guide for parents. Topics covered include pregnancy, birth and parenting a baby up to six months of age.

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Read Baby’s Best Chance

Your baby’s development is very important for your child’s future health and well-being. Baby’s Best Chance provides easy-to-read tips on having a healthy pregnancy and giving your baby a good start in life. It also provides you with information on how to take care of your own well-being.

The 2024 editions of Baby’s Best Chance and Toddler’s First Steps are now available and include additional information. Previous 2021 translated editions are still available.

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English
French
Farsi
Punjabi
Arabic
Chinese
Spanish
Tagalog

To read the guide by individual topic, you can use the links below:

Introduction

Learn more about the Baby's Best Chance resource and how to use it.

English |Arabic | Chinese | Farsi| French | Punjabi | Spanish| Tagalog

Pregnancy

Learn how to build your support team and take care of your overall wellbeing during your pregnancy. You will also find information about what kind of medical care will be offered to you, and on how your baby will grow during pregnancy.

Birth

Learn how to prepare for labour and birth, and what to expect during each of the stages of labour. Learn what types of medical options may be recommended or that you can request during the birth of your baby. Find information on special birth issues like preterm labour or giving birth to multiple babies.

Life with your baby

Learn how to prepare your home and environment for your baby’s arrival. Learn about changes your body may go through after birth and how to take care of your physical and emotional health as you adjust to life with your new baby. Find information on birth paperwork, childcare, family planning, birth control and more.

Baby care

Learn how to dress your baby, bathe them and change their diaper. Find information on your baby’s growth and development, as well as safe sleep, how to understand and respond to crying, general safety and medical care for babies.

Baby development

Learn about the different ways a baby's brain develops, as well as information on physical development, social and emotional development and language development. Learn what you can do to help them build a strong foundation for the rest of their life.

Feeding your baby

Every parent’s feeding journey is different. Learn about topics like breastfeeding, chestfeeding, formula feeding and the introduction of solid foods. You will also find information on how to take care of yourself and where to find help if you need more support.

Canada's Food Guide

Learn about healthy eating recommendations for the whole family. 

English | Arabic | Chinese | Farsi | French | Punjabi | Spanish | Tagalog

Resources

Find important contacts and key resources for parents.

English | Arabic | Chinese | Farsi | French | Punjabi | Spanish | Tagalog

Additional printable materials are available to support your journey through birth and the early postpartum stage:

Print copies

Baby's Best Chance may be available in English through your healthcare provider, public health unit or at your local library. A small number of copies are available for purchase from Crown Publishing. If you wish to make a purchase, please visit the Crown Publications website. If you have access to a computer, we encourage you to use the online version of this resource, as print copies are limited.

Useful resources

Toddler's First Steps

Parent handbook for children aged 6 to 36 months. This guide covers topics like child development, healthy eating, health and well-being, parenting and safety for children. 

Child Health Passport

Helps you plan and keep track of all the routine health services available in B.C. that can help promote your child’s healthy development. Find information on child safety and other helpful parenting resources.

Safer Sleep for My Baby

This safer sleep resource can help you provide a safe sleep environment to reduce the risk of sleep related death in your child’s infancy.