New Mothers Get Digital Helper Right on Their Phones
Today, I am happy to report a historic collaboration between industry, the health community and government to bring you something you can’t believe we don’t already have: a free (yes, free) mobile health service for pregnant women and new mothers giving them useful tips timed to their pregnancy or age of baby.
The service is called text4baby, and it is an educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition.
As a parent of two young children, I can tell you that my family would have signed up for text4baby in a instant. My wife and I wanted to learn as much as possible about pregnancy and the first year of our baby’s life. I’m thrilled that this service provides a convenient way for moms all over the country to learn this information. This is particularly important for moms who may not already have access to health information or care.
Here’s how it works: women who sign up for the service by texting BABY to 511411 (or BEBE for Spanish) receive three free SMS text messages each week timed to their due date or baby’s date of birth. Text4baby messages also connect women to local clinics and support services for prenatal and infant care.