Frequently Asked Questions
- Using Text4baby
- Troubleshooting
- About the Program
- About the Text4baby Messages
- Partnering with Text4baby
Using Text4baby
Q: You say that this service is free. Is that really true?
A: Yes. Thanks to the support of CTIA - The Wireless Foundation and participating mobile operators, all messages
you receive from text4baby are free! Even if you don’t have a text messaging plan, you can get these messages for free. If you have limited texting per month, text4baby won’t take away from your total amount of messages. The majority but not all mobile carriers are providing this service. It is available to over 96% of people with cell phones in the U.S. View the full list of participating operators here. Every effort has been made to block service from non-participating carriers, but if you find you have been able to access the service and have been charged, please contact your wireless provider right away.
Currently, TracFone, which includes the SafeLink and Straight Talk services, is unable to provide the text4baby service on its handsets due to technical issues. Text4baby is blocked on the vast majority of TracFones, and individuals who attempt to enroll in text4baby will receive a message saying that the service is blocked. For some small percentage of TracFone users, the service may be accessible and they would be charged.
Q: Are the text messages free for people who have pay-as-you-go or pre-paid cell phones?
A: Yes, as long as you have service with one of the text4baby mobile operator partners, you will be able to get the messages for free.
Q: Is this service available to every mobile phone subscriber in the United States?
A: The majority but not all of mobile carriers are providing this service. It is available to over 96% of people with cell phones. You can find the full list of participating carriers here. Every effort has been made to block service from non-participating carriers, but if you find you have been able to access the service and have been charged, please contact your wireless provider right away.
Q: How many messages will I receive each week?
A: You will receive approximately three messages per week on your cell phone. Urgent alerts or breaking news might mean you see a few additional messages once in a while.
Q: Are the messages personalized?
A: The text4baby messages are not personalized, but the information in each message is relevant to where you are in your pregnancy or what your baby is going through at particular stages of development. You can learn more about the text4baby messages here.
Q: Can I write back with questions?
A: Text4baby is a one-way educational program, so you can’t text questions or communicate back with the program. However, if you have specific questions, you can call the phone numbers you find in the messages. You can also ask your doctor, midwife, nurse, or other healthcare provider.
Q: What if my due date changes?
A: If your due date changes, text the word “UPDATE” to 511411. You will be asked for the new due date, and then the messages you receive will be adjusted to that new date.
Q: What if I deliver my baby early?
A: If you deliver your baby early, you can update by texting UPDATE to 511411. You will then be prompted to text in your baby’s actual birth day and messages will be adjusted.
Q: If I sign up when I’m pregnant, will I still get the messages once I deliver my baby?
A: To continue getting text4baby messages once your baby is born, just text UPDATE to 511411 and respond with the baby’s actual birth date. Then, you’ll keep getting messages until your baby turns one.
Q: I’m already enrolled in text4baby for my infant, but I’m pregnant again. How can I get both kinds of messages?
A: At this time, you can only be enrolled to get the pregnancy messages or the infant messages, but not both. Try asking a friend or loved one to sign up on their phone for the other messages so you can read both!
Q: How long will I receive text messages for?
A: The messages will continue throughout your pregnancy and your baby’s first year.
Q: Can I forward the messages to my friends?
A: Yes. We encourage you to share the messages with friends and family. Tell them to sign up, too!
Q: How do I stop getting these messages?
A: To stop receiving texts from the text4baby service, you simply need text STOP to 511411. (Please do not email).
Q: How do I sign up for Spanish messages instead of English?
A: You can sign up for text4baby in Spanish by texting BEBE to 511411. You can sign up for text4baby in English by texting BABY to 511411.
Q: What information will I have to provide to sign up?
A: The text4baby service collects phone number, zip code, and your due date or your baby’s birth date. This information is used to provide the messaging service and is not used for any commercial purposes.
Q: What will happen with my personal information?
A: Information collected from you during registration is used for the sole purpose of enrolling you in the text4baby service so you can receive text4baby messages. Your information is not sold or shared with anyone. Click here to review the text4baby Privacy Policy.
Q: Can anyone sign up for text4baby?
A: Yes. While the messages are written for pregnant women and moms with infants less than one year, anyone can sign up and use the messages.
Q: Will I get messages with local information?
A: Text4baby is currently a national program, so the information provided refers to nationally-available resources. When you call the phone numbers in the text messages, you will be connected to local resources.
Troubleshooting
Q: I am trying to sign up for text4baby and it won’t work. Why not?
A: The service is blocked on phones that do not have service with one of the participating mobile operators. If you are familiar with mobile operators that are not currently participating in text4baby, please email info@text4baby.org. If you do have service with a participating carrier and text registration (BABY to 511411) is not working, please try registering online by clicking here.
Q: I lost my cell phone. What should I do?
A: If you have a new cell phone with a different number, you will need to sign up again by texting BABY or BEBE to 511411.
Q: I changed cell phone numbers. What should I do?
A: If you have a different phone number, you will need to sign up again by texting BABY or BEBE to 511411.
Q: I am trying to sign up but it says I am already registered. What should I do?
A: Text the word UPDATE to 511411 (or just reply to the last text4baby message you got). You will be able to enter the correct due date or birth date for your baby. If this doesn’t work, try texting in STOP to 511411, wait one day, and sign up again by texting BABY (or BEBE) to 511411.
Q: This has been promoted as a free service but I think I may have been charged by my carrier. What should I do?
A: Thanks to the support of CTIA - The Wireless Foundation and participating wireless service providers, all messages you receive from text4baby are free. If you suspect you may have been charged for messages to and from the service, please call your wireless provider right away. They will give you a refund if you have been charged for the service by mistake.
About the Program
Q: When did text4baby launch?
A: Text4baby launched nationally on February 4, 2010.
Q: What are the goals of the text4baby program?
A: The program has four goals:
- Demonstrate the potential of mobile health technology to address a critical national health priority: maternal and child health.
- Demonstrate the potential of mobile health technology to reach underserved populations with critical health information.
- Develop a base of evidence on the efficacy of mobile health interventions.
- Catalyze new models for public-private partnerships in the area of mobile health.
Q: How long will it be around? Will it always be free?
A: The wireless carriers in the U.S. have agreed to waive the standard text messaging fees for text4baby users through the end of 2013.
Q: Are you evaluating text4baby? If so, how?
A: Yes. There are a number of evaluation efforts underway to examine text4baby’s impact on users. The largest study is being conducted by Mathematica Policy Research with funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. More information on evaluation efforts is available here.
Q: I am interested in evaluating text4baby or accessing data to support a project/paper. How do I do this?
A: Text4baby staff has developed a range of tools and resources for individuals interested in studying the program. For more information, click here.
Q: Is text4baby available in other countries outside the U.S.? How can I bring it to my country?
A: Text4baby is available to people residing in the United States who have service on a U.S.-based wireless carrier. A separate Russian version of the service launched in Russia in 2011; learn more here.
Q: Is text4baby available in the U.S. Territories (including Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, and Palau)?
A: At this time, some of the U.S. territories may be able to receive text4baby messages free of charge. However, due to the diversity of wireless carriers in these areas, we are unable to guarantee that the service will be free to the end user. Partners interested in promoting text4baby in these territories can contact info@text4baby.org for more information.
Q: Why was text4baby developed?
A: The United States has one of the highest infant mortality rates among industrialized nations. Over 28,000 babies in the U.S. die before their first birthday and 500,000 are born too early. Text4baby is an innovative and free way for moms in the U.S. to access information and healthcare that may help reduce their risk of experiencing these kinds of negative birth outcomes.
Q: How was text4baby developed?
A: Text4baby is the result of a broad public-private partnership, starting with the foundation of expertise out of Voxiva – an international mobile health leader – and with the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition’s – a nonprofit with a 30-year history of supporting health education for mothers and babies. Johnson & Johnson is the founding sponsor, providing programmatic support to text4baby, while CTIA – The Wireless Foundation was and continues to be essential to the free-to-end-user model by bringing the U.S. mobile operators on board.
About the Text4baby Messages
Q: How were the text messages developed and reviewed?
A: HMHB develops the text-length messages and coordinates content review with leading organizations, including federal agencies, health care providers, major medical associations, and national nonprofit organizations. Learn more about the content development process here.
Q: What topics are covered in the messages?
A: Messages cover a range of topics critical to maternal and child health, including:
- Labor and delivery
- Nutrition
- Breastfeeding
- Safe sleep
- Prenatal care
- Infant care
- Oral health
- Immunization
- Mental health
- Smoking cessation
- Developmental milestones
- Exercise
- Family violence
- Safety
Q: Will we see the text messages before we sign on as a partner?
A: Yes, partners have the opportunity to see the text messages. Please note that the messages are copyrighted, and we ask that partners do not distribute the messages outside of their organizations. To obtain the messages, please email partners@text4baby.org.
Q: I have an idea for message content. What should I do?
A: We welcome message suggestions for the text4baby service. Requests should be sent as 150-character messages with supporting justification to info@text4baby.org. HMHB will review the message with our team of medical reviewers and provide a response regarding the message status.
Q: Are there any product promotions in the messages?
A: No. The messages are only educational in nature and there are no product promotions.
Q: If my organization does not like some of the content of the messages, can we have certain messages blocked from our population of users?
A: No. The text4baby messages reach all users across the country. The content is scientifically accurate. Messages cannot be blocked.
Partnering with Text4baby
Q: What is an Outreach Partner?
A: Outreach Partners have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition agreeing to promote the service. Benefits to partners include access to the text4baby logo and Adobe InDesign art files for customization, recognition on the text4baby website and in select communications, and access to enrollment data by zip code. There is no cost to organizations wishing to partner with text4baby. Potential partners can download the MOU here.
Q: How do I find out more about becoming an Outreach Partner?
A: Download the MOU here to read more details. Sign up for our regularly-scheduled introductory webinars; registration information is included in our weekly e-newsletter, Text4baby Tuesday. Sign up by going to http://eepurl.com/h9h3.
Q: Who needs to sign the MOU?
A: The person who signs the MOU must be authorized to enter into a legal agreement with HMHB.
Q: Where do I send the signed MOU?
A: You can email the signed MOU to partners@text4baby.org or fax it to (703) 684-5968, attn: Kathleen Murphy.
Q: Does an organization have to sign an MOU to promote text4baby?
A: No. Anyone can spread the word about text4baby by encouraging the women they reach to sign up for the service. Find creative ways to promote the service here.
Q: How do we know if other organizations in our state or community are already involved?
A: You can view the full list of Outreach Partners (sorted by type of partner as well as by state) and also connect with the person who is leading text4baby efforts in your state here.
Q: How do I sign up for the weekly Text4baby Tuesday e-newsletter?
A: You can sign up for the e-newsletter by visiting http://eepurl.com/h9h3. You will receive weekly updates about the program, including Text4baby Enrollment Data, media coverage, and partners’ activities.
Q: How can I get promotional materials?
A: Text4baby provides free materials, thanks to the generous support of Johnson & Johnson. Order free materials here. To view downloadable and printable promotional materials, click here.
Q: Do promotional materials say that the text4baby service is free?
A: Yes. The materials also list the participating wireless carriers. To view downloadable and printable promotional materials, click here.
Q: Will outreach partners receive funding to disseminate text4baby promotional materials?
A: At this time, we are unable to provide funding for printing or dissemination.
