Baby Be Healthy provides free prenatal vitamins & support to Canadian moms

What is Baby Be Healthy?

Free prenatal vitamins are available to members of Baby Be Healthy. The Baby Be Healthy program is at Sobeys and FreshCo pharmacies (in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario). It is free to join and offers members the following:

• One-on-one pharmacist support
• Free prenatal vitamins for up to two years
• Product samples and special offers on baby products
• Monthly e-newsletters with information on pregnancy and postnatal care
• Welcome package

Who can join Baby Be Healthy?

• Women who are trying to conceive or are currently pregnant
• Expectant parents
• Nursing mothers
• Parents with a child under two years of age

How can I join Baby Be Healthy?

Visit your local Sobeys, FreshCo, IGA or Foodland pharmacy to enrol in Baby Be Healthy. The pharmacist will help you complete the enrolment form and give you all the information you need to become a member of the program. You do not need to be pregnant to join. You can register anytime from when you are trying to conceive up until your child is two years old.

Where can I register for Baby Be Healthy?

• Ontario
  • 41 Sobeys pharmacies
  • 10 FreshCo pharmacies
  • 1 Foodland pharmacy
• Alberta
  • 23 Sobeys pharmacies
• Manitoba

• 9 Sobeys pharmacies
• 2 IGA pharmacies
• 4 Sobeys pharmacies
• Saskatchewan

What are the benefits of prenatal vitamins?

• Prenatal vitamins are a source of folic acid that can complement the daily requirements needed for a healthy pregnancy.
• According to the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, folic acid can help lower the risk of birth defects.
• Health Canada states that over 75% of non-pregnant/non-breastfeeding women aged 19-50 have low levels of folate.
• To meet folate needs during pregnancy, Health Canada recommends women to consume a varied diet that provides dietary folate. They also need to take a multivitamin containing 0.4mg of folic acid at least three months before and throughout their pregnancy.

What is folic acid?

• Folic acid is in multivitamin supplements and some foods.
• It is a vitamin which helps grow and protect cells in your body.
• According to the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, your body needs folic acid when cells are growing and dividing very quickly. This happens during pregnancy as your uterus expands and the fetus grows. Because of this, folic acid is important for a healthy pregnancy.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada states that folic acid is essential to the normal development of a baby’s spine, brain and skull, especially during the first four weeks of pregnancy.

More information on Baby Be Healthy and the free prenatal vitamins is available at www.sobeyspharmacy.com.