Regardless of how you are feeding your baby it is common for questions to come up as you develop your new relationship and learn to respond to your babies' feeding cues. 

Information on breastfeeding can be found in our Breastfeeding Basics booklet (.pdf) and on the La Leche League Canada website. There you can access helplines across the country, ask questions online, search for a leader in your province and share your feeding and parenting stories with others.

Infant Formula: What You Need to Know (.pdf) has been developed for parents who have made an informed decision to feed their baby with infant formula.  It tells you what you need to know to feed your baby safely.

You can find information on Infant Feeding Emergency Preparedness for Parents and Caregivers here.

Do you have questions about how to feed your baby? Contact Public Health, your health care provider or family resource centre.

Welcoming a new baby into the world can be an exciting time. It can also be challenging, especially when we live alone or in a remote area, or are worried about money, transportation or housing. 

Public Health offers a home visiting program that provides extra support to families facing challenges through in-home visits. Families may receive home visiting support for up to three years and/or referral to other health and community resources.  

Watch a video on our home visiting program here.

Public Health’s Early Years program in Central Zone offers regular community drop-in sessions to support families with children from birth to 5 years old. These sessions are staffed by a Public Health Nurse.

Drop-in sessions provide support and guidance on infant feeding, weight checks, questions about sleep, immunizations, mental health, growth and development, nutrition, parenting and social supports.

Please note: Public Health Nurses are not able to diagnose or prescribe medication. In addition, Immunizations are not available at drop-in sessions.

Please check with the Family Resource Centre for closures or cancellations before venturing out.

Drop-in Sessions:

Halifax

Centennial Arena
27 Vimy Ave., Halifax
Friday, June 2 & 16 from 11:15 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Phone: 902-443-9569 | Website | Facebook
Supported by The Fairview Resource Centre

Chebucto Family Centre  
3 Sylvia Ave., Halifax
Tuesday, June 13 from 1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Phone: 902-479-3031 ext. 302 | Website | Facebook

Greystone Family SOS
4 Cranberry Ct., Spryfield
Thursday, June 22 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.  
Phone: 902-446-3020 | Website | Facebook
Arabic translator on-site

Mulgrave Park Caring and Learning Centre
57 Jarvis Ln., Halifax
Wednesday, June 21 from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Phone: 902-453-5089 | Website | Facebook

North End Parent Resource Centre
5475 Uniacke St., Halifax
Monday, June 12 from 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Phone: 902-492-0133 | Website | Facebook       

New Life Community Church Playgroup
1760 Prospect Rd., Hatchet Lake
Wednesday, June 7 from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Phone: 902-476-2233 | Website | Facebook

Bayers Westwood Family Resource Centre Baby Club
3499 McAlpine Ave., Halifax
Friday, June 9 & 23 from 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Phone: 902-454-9444 | Facebook 

Bedford/Sackville

Memory Lane Family Place
22 Memory Ln., Lower Sackville
Tuesday, June 6 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Phone: 902-864-6363 | Facebook

Sackville Public Library
636 Sackville Drive, Lower Sackville
Wednesday, June 21 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Phone: 902-865-8653 | Website

Cole Harbour/Dartmouth/Mineville

East Preston Family Resource Centre
1900 Highway 7, East Preston (W5 Mall, Suite 501)
Tuesday, June 6 & 20 from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Phone: 902-462-7266 | Website | Facebook

Parents and Children Together (PACT) Center
1114 Cole Harbour Rd., Dartmouth
Thursday, June 8 from 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Phone: 902-434-8952 | Website | Facebook

The North Grove
115-6 Primrose St., Dartmouth
Tuesday, May 30, June 13 & 27 from 1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Phone: 902-464-8234 | Website | Facebook
Please call ahead to confirm date Public Health Nurse will be present. Registration is required.

Eastern Shore

Eastern Shore Family Resource Association
St. James Anglican Church
66 Dolby Hill, Head of Jeddore
Thursday, June 1 & 22 from 9 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Phone: 902-827-1461 | Website | Facebook

Eastern Shore Family Resource Centre
5228 Highway 7, Suite 203, Porter’s Lake
Monday, June 12 from 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Phone: 902-827-1461 | Website | Facebook

LEA Place Women’s Resource Centre
22709 Hwy 7, Sheet Harbour
Phone: 902-885-2668 | Website | Facebook       
Call to confirm day/time Public Health Nurse will be present

Musquodoboit Valley Family Resource Centre
2nd Floor Haverstock Pharmasave Building, Suite #2
12280 Hwy 224, Middle Musquodoboit
Phone: 902-384-2794 | Website | Facebook
Call to confirm day/time Public Health Nurse will be present

Sheet Harbour Public Library
22756 Highway 7, Sheet Harbour
Phone: 902-885-2391 | Website
Call to confirm day/time Public Health Nurse will be present

Windsor

West Hants Family Resource Centre - Babylove Program
61 Morris Dr., Windsor (West Hants Industrial Park, Exit 5A)
Thursday, June 15 from 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Phone: 902-798-5961 | Website | Facebook

Windsor Regional Library
195 Albert St., Windsor
Wednesday, June 7 from 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Phone: 902-798-5424 | Website

To help support access to routine early childhood vaccines in Central Zone, Public Health’s Early Years program offers vaccine clinics for children who do not have a primary care provider, or do not have an MSI number (health card).

These vaccines are publicly funded, which means families do not have to pay to immunize their children.

Early Years clinics offer the following vaccines:

• DTaP-IPV-Hib (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, and Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine)
• RV (Rotavirus)
• Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
• Meningococcal group C conjugate vaccine
• MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine)
• Tdap-IPV (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), and polio vaccine)

See Nova Scotia’s routine immunization schedule for children, youth and adults.

Upcoming Clinics

Additional clinics may be added as needed. 

Central Zone Public Health Office
7 Mellor Avenue - Unit 5, Dartmouth
May 3, 10, 24 & 31; June 7 & 21
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Call to book an appointment:

Phone: 902-481-4967
Toll Free: 1-800-430-9557

If you require assistance getting to the clinic, please mention this when you call to book your appointment.

Additional immunization services, including routine childhood immunizations, are also offered at participating Nova Scotia pharmacies. Learn more - https://pans.ns.ca/CPPCC.

Loving Care is a series of books for parents of children up to three years old. Loving Care gives tools to help young families protect, promote or improve their health and to prevent illness, injury or disability.

These books have been developed to help parents to better recognize and build on their own strengths as parents.

Loving Care books (Birth to Six Months and Parents and Families) are given to all parents in Nova Scotia free of charge from Public Health. 

They are available in downloadable PDF below:

• Birth to Six Month - English | French (.pdf)
• Six to 12 Months - English | French (.pdf)
• One to Three Years - English | French (.pdf)
• Breastfeeding Basics - English | French (.pdf)
• Infant Formula: What You Need to Know - English | French (.pdf)
• Parents and Families - English | French (.pdf)

Whether you are currently pregnant or adjusting to life as a parent, there's a lot to learn and it can be challenging to know where to get credible information. A list of resources can be found here to help support you during these times.

You can always contact your local Public Health Office at any time during pregnancy and parenthood. We are here for you and your family.