Newborns don't come with manuals, but this could be the next best thing

A newborn does not come with a manual on how to feed them, raise them and tend to their needs. But now, Ottawa Public Health is creating a program where experienced parents volunteer their time to pass on some of that knowledge to less-experienced ones.

Danielle Vernooy, the lead on the project, said the goal of the program is for the experienced parents to provide advice and moral support. 

She was the first one in her family to have children, she said, and so couldn't turn to her siblings to answer her questions. 

"I mean, I can go to my parents, my grandparents, but the information changes as well. So I wanted the most accurate information and the most current information," she told CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning in an interview earlier this week. 

The perfect match 

Vernooy said OPH has started consultations with parents in the city to get a better understanding of the kind of support they need. The most common request is to be matched with a peer parent who has been through similar experiences. 

"They also would like someone who has good communication skills and knows how to provide social support," she said. 

The consultations so far showed that parents have a lot of questions on topics such as immunization, fevers, breastfeeding and complex medical conditions. 

To match parents, Vernooy said, those seeking advice will use an online tool to input what they're looking for. From there, the parent is shown biographies of a pool of volunteers to choose from. 

"We're really trying to put the ball in their court and have them make choices and find the best match possible."

 The OPH is seeking feedback online before launching the program.

'We all do the best we can'

The way to measure the success of the program, Vernooy said, is to see if rookie parents are giving positive feedback. 

"Even positive feedback from the volunteers themselves, that they're feeling like they're making a difference and that they're helping people," she said.

Vernooy said it's important that parents trust their gut, do their research and find someone they're comfortable speaking to. 

"Sometimes you need that moral social support. We all do the best we can," she said.