SmartMom Study

Join the SmartMom Study!

Help us learn how the SmartMom text message program can support families during pregnancy.

About the SmartMom Study

SmartMom is a Canadian prenatal education program delivered via text messages to guide expectant parents through each week of pregnancy. Messages are delivered three times a week and each message contains a link to additional online resources. As well, opt-in message streams are available to tailor the program to your needs. We are undertaking a study to determine if the SmartMom Program improves pregnancy outcomes.

The SmartMom study is open to pregnant people across Canada, except for British Columbia. If you join the study you will be randomized to either receive the SmartMom messages or a set of general messages about pregnancy. The study is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the research team is led by led by Dr. Patricia Janssen, Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia.

No cost to join: SmartMom doesn’t charge you to join or for our messages. Standard message and data rates may apply - depending on your phone plan, your service provider may charge you to send/receive messages or view online links.

What does randomization mean?

You will be randomly assigned (like the flip of a coin) to one of two groups:

SmartMom Intervention Arm participants will receive the SmartMom program, which sends three SMS text messages each week through to the end of pregnancy, based on your due date.
Control Arm participants will receive weekly messages about general topics related to pregnancy and updates about the study progress.

Who can join?

What is required of SmartMom participants?

What's in it for me?

You will receive a gift card for completing each online survey: at enrollment ($15), end of pregnancy ($20), after your baby is born ($25). As well, you may learn more about how to have a safe and healthy pregnancy. We will also provide you with information about how to sign up for our texting program for the first year of parenting. You will help us to learn if SmartMom should be offered throughout Canada in the future.

Gift cards will not be provided to participants found to be ineligible.

What happens to the information that I provide?

Study data are stored on secure servers at BC Children’s Hospital Data Management Centre. Our technology partner, Memotext, is a Canadian company situated in Ontario. Memotext will store your phone number on their computers which are compliant with Canadian privacy regulations. Canadian policy requires that data (questionnaire answers and health outcomes) be stored for 15 years then destroyed.

How do I enroll?

Watch our 1-minute video to learn more about the SmartMom Study!

Check your eligibility

What do users say about SmartMom?

What an incredible program! I loved the short bite-sized pieces of information throughout my 2nd pregnancy. It really helped put me at ease for the growth of my child before birth and the followup survey at the end was a clever way of helping assess how Moms were doing and to offer additional resources (mental health support, etc). It helped me be much more confident, more of a confident pregnant lady and now a parent again.

The information from SmartMom is better than any other baby app I’ve signed up with. You get very localized information to read versus mass amounts of tips. I like that I can sit down and read just one tip. I am a busy mom with a busy toddler so simple messaging is important for me.

I like that the one text was about making a list [of questions]. Because when you do have your prenatal appointments you maybe would feel a bit more prepared with some questions, things that had been brought up in the text messages. As opposed to trying to think of all the things that you want to ask your doctor at your one appointment. Because it’s not easy to just go in and ask a question, right?

What do care providers say about SmartMom?

I see a lot of prenatal women in early pregnancy, and many are already using a variety of pregnancy phone apps. While I know that some of that information is accurate, it’s helpful for me to have an evidence-based resource to offer these moms!

SmartMom is a great service! It has clear messaging for moms to share with their families. With everyone…using smartphones, it is very convenient. Since it is portable, women are not dragged to a computer to look up information. As a nurse, I am pleased with this option for self-education. It is empowering for women to get the information on their own.