Prenatal to Early Years

Healthy Pregnancy

Your local public health nurse is an excellent resource as you start your family and seek the best information on caring for and parenting your children. Contact your local public health nurse at a Community Health Office near you. Community Health Office locations can be found on our Find Us page.

Preparing for Birth

Selkirk Regional Health Centre — Obstetrics
Selkirk Regional Health Centre staff in the Obstetrics Unit would normally appreciate the opportunity to provide people who are expecting with a tour of the unit to highlight the birthing unit’s features and answer any questions. Given restrictions now in place due to COVID-19, we have a video to share with you.

To speak with a staff member in Selkirk Regional Health Centre’s family birthing unit, please call 204-482-5800 and press 2, then 4.

Family Birthing Unit

The Family Birthing Unit team at Selkirk Regional Health Centre feels honoured to play a role in welcoming babies into the world and getting families off to a good start. Visit the Obstetrics page for more information and to take a tour!

Breastfeeding Your Baby

Breastfeeding help is offered during our Whole Baby Love sessions to those that attend the group. These sessions are offered twice a week on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (September to June) and on Thursdays from 1 to 3 p.m. (year-round). Each Thursday afternoon there is a Public Health Nurse available to answer breastfeeding questions. Every second Wednesday there is a Lactation Consultant available. Please call to see which weeks she will be here. For any questions regarding programs that are offered at Growing Years, please call 204-785-8218. We are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday. Please note we are closed from 12 to 1 p.m. for lunch each day and every Wednesday afternoon.

More information on Breastfeeding Support Groups
Baby Friendly Manitoba: Information for Parents on Breastfeeding

Bringing Baby Home

Families First Program
Building strong family relationships and connecting families with resources that meet their needs are objectives of Families First. Public health nurses identify where families may benefit from information, support and/or additional resources. Some families are offered a home visitor who can support positive parenting for up to three years by:

The Families First Program is delivered across the province by Community Public Health. There is no cost and it is a voluntary program that families can join any time from prenatal period until school entry.

If I had my child to raise over again,
I’d finger paint more, and point the finger less.
I’d do less correcting, and more connecting.
I’d take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less, and know to care more.
I’d take more hikes and fly more kites.
I’d stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I’d run through more fields, and gaze at more stars.
I’d do more hugging, and less tugging.
I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.
I’d build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I’d teach less about the love of power,
And more about the power of love.

Diane Loomans

OUR Time Healthy Baby Program

Funded through the Department of Families, these programs offer community-based support for prenatal and post-partum families.

Drop-ins are free and no registration is required. Groups meet in various sites throughout the region on a regular basis, providing a friendly, informal environment where parents and their children can ask questions and receive current, relevant information.

Contact:

Mental and Emotional Health

Post-partum home visits — what to expect when you get home
The Public Health Nurse in your area will contact you by phone after you are discharged from the hospital. Business hours in the Interlake-Eastern RHA are typically Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A home visit may be offered to provide further support on feeding your infant, infant growth and development, maternal and family questions or other concerns. If you need to speak to someone outside of normal business hours, you can call a registered nurse at Health Links toll-free 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 1-888-315-9257 for any health-related questions. In an emergency, always call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department.

Additional Resources

Healthy Smile Happy Child Project
The Healthy Smile/Happy Child Early Childhood Tooth Decay Prevention Project focuses on teaching and educating young parents and mothers-to-be about the importance of proper nutrition and dental hygiene. This unique project focuses on reaching young children and their parents in settings where they interact with service providers, such as early childhood education facilities. 204-789-3500