Frequently Asked Questions

What are text messages?




Text messages are sent by Short Message Services (SMS). SMS is a general name for the technology that lets you receive short text messages to your mobile phone. If you own a mobile phone, chances are you have the ability to send and receive SMS.


What number will the text messages come from?




Text messages will come from “12323”. You can save this number on your phone as a contact and name it “SmartMom” so you know who the messages are from.


My phone number changed. How can I update my account?




Sign In to your SmartMom account. On the My Profile page, you'll be able to replace your previous mobile phone number with your new phone number. Click on the 'Update' button when done.


How can I change my message schedule?




Sign In to your SmartMom account. On your My Profile page, scroll down to the bottom and click on the ‘Go to Schedule’ button. Follow instructions on the page to change your schedule. Click on the ‘Update Enrollment’ button to confirm changes.


Can I cancel anytime?




Yes, you can cancel this service at any time.

Simply text STOP to 12323 on your mobile phone.

Or sign in to your SmartMom account and click on 'Cancel my account' at the bottom of the page.


What do you do with my personal information? Is it safe?




Yes, your personal information is safe with us. All information collected from SmartMom is completely confidential and remains private.

SmartMom staff, researchers, and website administrators (MEMOTEXT) are the only people who will have access to information provided through your participation in the SmartMom program. Answers to survey questions are not linked to your name or phone number or any other personal identifying information.

MEMOTEXT will provide the names and phone numbers of survey participants who wish to be entered in a draw for a $100 prepaid Visa/Mastercard gift card. Your name and phone number are used only for the purposes of contacting you if you win, and will be erased after each draw is completed.

MEMOTEXT hosts the www.smartmomcanada.ca website and strictly follows the privacy guidelines set out by PIPEDA. Your information is secure and will not be shared with third parties in any way for any reason.


How do I find the messages I missed if I joined part way through the program?




You can find a list of the messages by signing in to your SmartMom account and clicking on ‘Messages’.


Is SmartMom free? Why do my messages say ‘Data rates apply’? Does this mean I’m being charged for the messages?




SmartMom will not charge you to sign up or to receive program text messages. However, standard message and data rates may apply. This means that, depending on your phone plan with your mobile phone service provider (carrier – e.g. Bell, Rogers, Telus), you may be charged by your carrier for: 1) text messages received from/sent to SmartMom, or 2) data usage if you click any web links in the SmartMom text messages while not connected to WiFi. If you have an unlimited text messaging plan, you shouldn’t be charged to receive our messages. If you have an unlimited data plan, you shouldn’t be charged for browsing web links in our messages. Please check with your carrier if you are unsure about your phone plan.


When will I get my supplemental messages?




If you sign up for supplemental messages, you will receive them approximately five minutes after your regularly scheduled messages. For example, if you have messages scheduled for Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at noon, supplemental messages will be sent Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 12:05pm. Please note: some supplemental message streams start right away while others follow a particular schedule. Sign In to your SmartMom account and visit your My Profile page to see your list of supplemental messages and schedule.


Have you considered making SmartMom more gender inclusive?




SmartMom is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive prenatal education program via text messaging to people with low-risk pregnancies in British Columbia. While our name includes “Mom” and some of our program content and resource links refer to “woman”, “mom” and “mother”, we acknowledge that people with a wide range of gender identities experience pregnancy and childbirth. Where possible, we use the terms “people”, “person” and “parent”, as we recognize that not every pregnant person identifies as a woman, female or a mother. As we continue to develop and update our content, we will aim to be inclusive with our language and to provide links to inclusive resources.


I was previously enrolled in SmartMom, can I sign up again?




Yes! If you previously texted “STOP” to SmartMom, you will first need to text “START” before you can re-enroll. You can then text the keyword “SmartMom” to restart the enrollment process. If you cancelled your previous account through the SmartMom website, you will not need to text “START” first - you can just start by texting the keyword “SmartMom”. Need help? Contact Us!


Is SmartMom only available in English? What about other languages?




SmartMom is only available in English at this time.


I’m a health care provider, can I get more info?




Yes, thanks for your interest! Please Contact Us!