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Infant feeding in Ealing

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Our Service: Our breastfeeding support service provides mothers with information on breastfeeding, delivered by our Early Start Health Visiting team who are all breastfeeding trained based on the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative.

We also support parents who are formula feeding or mixed feeding their babies by providing information on suitable milks, making up feeds; and helping them to feed safely and responsively.

You can access the Early Start Health Visiting team via the Well Baby and Child Health Clinics at local Children’s Centres.

We provide advice and support to all Ealing families in the antenatal period, following birth of a baby and for as long as they require infant feeding support including solid food introduction.

You can contact the Infant feeding Team by contacting the Early Start Main Hub

Phone: 020 8102 5888

Email: clcht.ealinginfantfeedingsupport@nhs.net

Office hours: Monday – Friday 09:00 – 17:00

Breastfeeding Support Groups

The Infant feeding team offer welcoming weekly sessions for local mothers to get information, advice and support with feeding their babies. All welcome (breastfeeding, formula feeding or mixed feeding); groups are drop in (no need to book) and are available at the following centres: 

Mon:     9:45 – 11:30am   Havelock Children’s Centre, Trubshaw Rd, UB2

Mon:     1:00 – 2:15pm   John Perryn Children’s Centre, Long Drive, W3

Tue:       1:30 – 3:00pm   Islip Manor Children’s Centre, Eastcote Lane, UB5

Wed:      1:30- 3:00pm    Grange Children’s Centre Church Place, Ealing, W5 (Mums only)

 

Specialist Feeding Clinic

Our Health Visiting Team can refer you for specialist feeding support where necessary. 

Tue:      1:00 – 3:00pm   Islip Manor Children’s Centre, Eastcote Lane, UB5 (appointment only)

Please contact Early Start Main Hub (see contacting our team) or email clcht.ealinginfantfeedingsupport@nhs.net

 

Online Group Support:

Last Friday of every month: 10:00 - 11:30am email clcht.ealinginfantfeedingsupport@nhs.net for link to join

 

 

You can also get support at your local Early Start Health Visiting Child Health or Well Baby Clinic

 

A health visitor will visit you at home between 10-14 days following the birth of your baby. Sometimes additional visits may be offered if required. A further contact will be arranged when your baby is 6 weeks old.

The health visitor will let you know about the child health clinics, breastfeeding support groups and children's centres activities and other baby groups and sessions in your area. They will also complete a breastfeeding assessment form with you, a copy of which can be found here.

Please find these resources and information to support building close and loving relationships with your baby; helping your baby’s brain to grow and helping your baby feel more attached and secure.

 

  1. Practice: try feeding at home in front of a mirror so that you can see what others will see when you’re feeding – you’ll likely notice you’re not showing as much of your breast as you thought since baby’s head is covering it! You can also try practicing in front of someone else such as a partner, friend, or close family member 
     
  2. Clothing: there are many different options when it comes to what to wear to make breastfeeding in public (an in general!) easier. You could try wearing a vest top underneath a looser t-shirt/jumper so the top layer goes up and the bottom layer goes down creating a space for baby to attach to the breast. 
    • Wear a loose scarf of cardigan to wrap around baby & breast 
    • Try wrap around style tops and dresses, clothes with zips or buttons (check out this Facebook page for tried and tested breastfeeding friendly clothes from other mamas in the UK!) 
       
  3. Like-Minded peers: find a local group where there will be other breastfeeding women. This peer support and having the support of a qualified practitioner might increase your confidence in many areas of breastfeeding, not just feeding in public. Check out our local services under the “Breastfeeding Support” tab. 
     
  4. Company: it can be handy to have someone with you that first time you head out with your baby for support. It can help to go with a friend who has an older baby and can take you to places that they already know.
     
  5. Plan ahead. Before you go out, it can help to think about where you will feel comfortable breastfeeding when your baby gets hungry. Ask breastfeeding friends for recommendations. Did you know: you can pop into any Children's Centre in Ealing and they are more than happy to provide you a space where you can breastfeed. Have a look on the "Ealing Children's Centres " tab below to locate the nearest children's centre for where you will be on your outing.  
     
  6. Responsive breastfeeding also means responding to your needs so you can offer baby a breastfeed to fit into your lifestyle - if you are planning to go out, have an appointment etc you can feed your baby before you go even if they are not showing hunger cues. 
     
  7. Avoid the loos! Do not feel that you should sit in a public toilet to breastfeed. You would not eat in there, so do not feel that your baby should be fed there.
     

How to Law protects you:  

It is illegal for anyone to ask a breastfeeding woman to leave a public place, such as a cafe, shop or public transport.  

You are protected in public places such as parks, shops, restaurants, cinemas, theatres, hotels, sports and leisure facilities, public buildings and when using public transport such as buses, trains and planes.  

The Equality Act 2010 says that it is discrimination to treat a woman unfavourably because she is breastfeeding. It applies to anyone providing services, benefits, facilities and premises to the public, public bodies, further and higher education bodies and association. Service providers must not discriminate, harass or victimise a woman because she is breastfeeding.  

Discrimination includes refusing to provide a service, providing a lower standard of service or providing a service on different terms. Therefore, a cafe owner cannot ask you to stop breastfeeding, ask you to move or cover up or refuse to serve you.  

For more information please visit the NHS guidance on breastfeeding in public and breastfeeding while out and about on the Maternity action website.

 

 

The aim of Ealing Children’s Centres is to provide a network of welcoming, safe places in the community for families with young children to access essential early childhood and family services.

 

Ealing Children’s Centres 0-5 years offers the following services:

  • Early education / nursery and childcare services (including funding for 2, 3 & 4 year olds)
  • Support for children with Special Educational Needs and / or Disability (SEND)
  • Stay and play sessions for children 0-5 years
  • Groups for parents expecting a baby
  • Baby groups and infant massage sessions
  • Children’s activities to promote health and wellbeing
  • Children’s activities to promote nursery and school readiness
  • Perinatal Mental Health support and Midwifery services
  • Parenting support groups and advice
  • Volunteering and training opportunities for parents; which includes ESOL classes (English for Speakers of Other Languages)

 

For more information on what children’s centres offer and to find your nearest children centre visit (insert link www.ealingfamiliesdirectory.org.uk.) If you have any difficulties contacting a children's centre directly, you can call the Family Information Service on 020 8825 5588 (Mon-Fri, 9am to 1pm), or email children@ealing.gov.uk

 

Introducing solid foods to your baby can be an exciting but also daunting time. Your health visiting team is available to help you with advice and discuss any concerns you may have. 

For health reasons, we recommend that babies are fed solely on breast milk or infant formula for the first six months.

Here are some helpful resources to support you and your baby with introduction to solid foods.

Is your baby aged 16-26 weeks?  

Your health visiting team runs face to face and virtual introduction to solids workshops see links below for location near you or call/email Early Start Main hub for more venues in Ealing.

Call: 020 8102 5888 or email  clcht.ealingadminhub@nhs.net

Parents, carers, and grandparents are all welcome to attend.

 

Islip manor and Perivale Children Centre  

Southall Park Children Centre

*more locations in Ealing are available, please call or email.

Safer sleep for babies resources:

You can download the Basis app where you can find further information on safe sleeping practices for you and your baby.

You can also download The Baby Check app by The Lullaby Trust which features 19 simple checks that parents can do if their baby is showing signs of illness and further information regarding safer sleeping practices.

CLCH have produced a video about normal sleep and how to promote sleep in the antenatal period as well as the postnatal period, up to the first six months. Watch video.

Infant crying is normal and it will stop.

A baby’s cry can be upsetting and frustrating. It is designed to get your attention and you may be worried that something is wrong with your baby. Your baby may start to cry more frequently at about 2 weeks of age. The crying may get more frequent and last longer during the next few weeks, hitting a peak at about 6 to 8 weeks. Every baby is different, but after about 8 weeks, babies start to cry less and less each week.

If you are doing any breastfeeding, we encourage you to do responsive breastfeeding. This means offering your baby the breast when they are distressed, fractious, or appears lonely and when they show signs of hunger (see more information including pictures of hunger cues under the “Additional Breastfeeding information” tab). Breastfeeding can also help settle your crying baby after an immunisation, if your baby is unwell or to reassure them in an unfamiliar environment.

  • Responsiveness will not spoil babies.

Some additional calming techniques you can try:

  • Talk calmly, hum or sing to your baby  
  • Let them hear a repeating or soothing sound
  • Hold them close – skin to skin
  • Go for a walk outside with your baby
  • Give them a warm bath

These techniques may not always work. It may take a combination or more than one attempt to soothe your baby.

For more information, advice and support see:

Remember – if you are concerned that your baby may be unwell, contact your GP or NHS 111 (go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111- the service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). In an emergency, ring 999.

Please check the NHS Healthy Start website to see if you are eligible to receive free vitamins and money to buy healthy foods and milk. You could be eligible to receive £4.25 per week during pregnancy and continued payments until your child is 4. Visit the NHS Healthy Start website to find out more.

If you are eligibe for Healhty Start you can collect your free Healty Start Vitamins at these Children Centres (bring your Healthy Start Card)

 

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