Expectant parents are faced with a bewildering range of pregnancy and parenting information – books, magazines, television, and the well-meaning advice of friends and family. It’s difficult to know how to sort it all out. Now, OB patients at Thompson Hospital have a resource to guide them through their pregnancy and through the first year of their baby’s life: the Thompson Health weekly parenting e-newsletter.
This free weekly service – available in English and Spanish – offers expectant and new parents customized information, news, and resources from the parent education staff, and allows the team at Thompson’s Birthing Center to develop a richer, more supportive relationship with their patients. Patients can enroll at www.ThompsonHealth.com and start receiving weekly parenting e-mail messages at 7-weeks gestation. Messages are personalized to the patient’s due date and continue through the first year of their baby’s life.
During pregnancy, the hospital’s messages include week-by-week information on fetal development, wellness tips, and valuable resources. After the baby is born, messages offer child development information, practical tips on baby care, health and safety, and other topics of special interest to new parents. Thompson’s weekly parenting e-newsletter also provides brief reviews of the latest research on pregnancy and newborn issues in an easy-to-understand format. In addition, new moms receive a companion e-newsletter devoted to the topic of breastfeeding. A bimonthly “Parent Review Report,” bridging science with parenting, is available as well.