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Middlesex-London Health Unit

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Smart Start for Babies

Smart Start for Babies is a free, weekly prenatal nutrition program for pregnant people who are living on a limited income and may be facing other challenging life situations. These challenges may include:

  • difficulty accessing healthy food
  • limited support
  • mental health concerns
  • teenage pregnancy
  • New to Canada
 

People start attending the program before 30 weeks in pregnancy and continue until the baby is born. Smart Start for Babies offers a chance to meet other people who are having a baby and learn about:

  • pregnancy
  • labour and birth
  • nutrition and food skills
  • taking care of your baby

Each session offers a chance to prepare and eat healthy snacks, and provides vouchers to help purchase healthy food. (For a full list of topics covered and what sessions offer see below.)

Smart Start for Babies is offered on different days of the week and in different areas of London and Middlesex. The 1 ½ - 2-hour group sessions are led by Public Health Nurses and Registered Dietitians. We have different groups including a group for young adults and a group for Arabic speaking newcomers.

 

Registration

To register and for more information, please fill out the online form:

Register Online

OR

  • Call the Health Unit: 519-663-5317 (Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
  • Email: smartstart@mlhu.on.ca

Referral

If you are a health care provider or community partner referring someone to the program, please complete the Community Partner Referral Form:

Community Partner Referral Form (Online)

If you are unable to use the Checkmarket link, please call the Health Unit: 519-663-5317 (Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

Topics covered:

  • healthy eating
  • meal preparation
  • food safety
  • healthy lifestyles
  • making healthy choices
  • pregnancy changes
  • fetal development
  • healthy relationships
  • labour and birth
  • postpartum and newborn care
  • breastfeeding
  • community supports and resources

Each session offers

  • group healthy snack – participants help with food preparation and clean up
  • health teaching
  • group skill building activities
  • grocery store vouchers
  • bus tickets for city of London participants
  • free prenatal vitamins and free vitamin D for breastfed babies
 
Date of creation: February 22, 2013
Last modified on: February 21, 2025
Pregnant woman

 

Smart Start for Babies

 Pregnant woman pondering in front of window