First 5 Ventura County wants to encourage new and future parents to try out an innovative program that helps ensure an informed pregnancy and first year. Text4baby is a free mobile information service designed to promote maternal and child health. An educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB), text4baby provides pregnant women and new moms with doctor-approved information that they need to take care of their health and give their babies the best possible start in life.

Those who sign up for the service by texting BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511411 will receive free SMS text messages each week, timed to their due date or baby’s date of birth. Messages will continue until the child's first birthday and can be cancelled any time.

Text4baby is made possible through a broad, public-private partnership that includes government, corporations, academic institutions, professional associations, tribal agencies and non-profit organizations.There is no charge to receive the messages and no mobile messaging plan is required. For more information, visit www.text4baby.com.