Getting help

Know where to turn when you or your baby need help.

Help for your baby

When to call 911

Call 911 (or the emergency phone number in your area) or go to the nearest emergency department right away if your baby:

is not breathing
is having trouble breathing or is wheezing
is choking and cannot catch their breath
is making a moaning sound like they are sick
has blue skin colour (if you are not sure, look inside your baby’s mouth for blue tongue, lips or gums)

When to call your health care provider

Call your health care provider right away if your baby:

has a body temperature of over 37.5° Celsius or less than 36.5° Celsius
does not want to eat or is too sleepy to feed at least eight times in a 24-hour period
forcefully vomits (throws up) several times in one day
is not having enough pees or poops according to how many days old he/she is
has very little energy and is not moving much (does not wake up on their own and is very sleepy when awake)
looks yellow, especially in the whites of their eyes
has a bad smell coming from the umbilical cord, or if the area around the cord is red or is draining fluid
is crying most of the time

Help for you

When to call 911

Call 911 (or the emergency phone number in your area) or go to the nearest emergency department right away if you:

have trouble breathing or chest pain
have heavy vaginal bleeding (bright red blood from the area between your legs) that completely soaks one or more maxi pads in one hour and does not slow or stop with rest
if you are having thoughts of harming yourself, your baby or someone else and/or have symptoms of psychosis

Support for new parents

If you're a new parent and have questions or concerns about caring for your baby, you're not alone. Health Link Alberta offers postpartum support through the New Parent and Newborn Line, a 24/7 service for new parents. The service is accessible by calling 1-833-805-2229 (BABY).

If you're feeling overwhelmed or struggling to cope, you can also call the AHS Mental Health Help Line at 780.424.2424 for confidential support.

When to call your health care provider

Call your health care provider or 811 right away if you:

vaginal bleeding becomes heavier and does not slow or stop with rest
have sharp pain in your abdomen
feel unwell or have a fever over 38.5° Celsius
have a bad-smelling vaginal odour that does not improve with bathing
have a red, sore area on your breast that may be swollen
have unusual pain, redness or swelling in one or both legs
have pain or burning when you pee or find it hard to pee
see changes in your C-section cut such as redness or discharge coming from the cut, or if it has a bad smell
have a very bad headache, blurry vision, dizziness or very bad pain under your rib cage
have signs of depression or anxiety

When to expect a call from your public health nurse

A public health nurse will contact you within 24 to 48 hours. If you haven’t received a call within 24 hours, please contact your local community health centre.

You can find your nearest location by visiting the Alberta Health Services website.

If your baby is still in the NICU, a public health nurse will follow up again within 24 hours after your baby is discharged.