Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton is encouraging all beneficiaries expecting a baby to utilize the Defense Health Agency Expectant and New Family Communication program powered by UbiCare, to receive information pertaining to pregnancy and a child's first three years of life.

If you are expecting a baby then you have information coming in from all directions. Your doctor, your mother, your mother-in-law, your friends and all those pesky websites that you didn't even mean to sign up for.

What you don't have is a website, tailored specifically for your care by your obstetric or primary care team. This is where UbiCare comes into play.

"UbiCare is our vehicle to send parenting information to our patients via email," said Lt. Shannon Smith, division officer, OB-GYN Department. "We are able to select photos and articles for each patient. They will also have the ability to connect to us through secure messaging with any questions. The casing of the email looks similar to a website, with links to expanded information, giving you what you need when you need it."

Every Tuesday, new and expecting parents can receive interactive emails from the NHCP staff that include customized information, news and resources tailored to the stage of your pregnancy or your child's life. Also included are announcements from the staff and access to support information in four categories; pregnancy, infancy, breastfeeding and toddler.

"Because of the special situations the military presents with deployments and demands, fathers and family members can also receive emails to stay up-to-date on information and feel connected to the pregnancy," said Smith.

As of now, every new patient that receives care at the OB-GYN/Prenatal or Family Medicine clinic at NHCP is enrolled at registration and will receive emails unless they choose to opt out.

Currently, NHCP has about 1,000 active subscribers and 40 percent engagement of people actively engaging the emails.

For more information on the DHA parenting emails please talk to your obstetrics provider or primary care team.

For more news from Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, visit www.navy.mil/.