There is plenty of support and information available to new parents through NHS, helplines and charities.
You can also get advice and support via the Brent Family Wellbeing Centres that provide a wide range of free health and welfare services. Come along to the centres for the Being with Your Baby programme - share songs and stories, meet other new parents and ask questions of a range of professionals.
Breastfeeding, especially in your baby’s first 6 months has many benefits:
However, it can take time to get the hang of, and there may be reasons why you cannot breastfeed.
You can get help from the clinic at your hospital you gave birth at.
If your baby is under 10 days you can contact:
If your baby is over 10 days old you can contact your health visitor for breastfeeding support and midwives for specialist support (opening hours: 7 days a week, 9am to 5pm).
When you see your GP and health visitor they will ask you how you are feeling emotionally and physically.
Perinatal mental illness affects up to 27% of new and expectant mums and covers a wide range of conditions. You can get support by speaking with your health visitor or GP.
If you’d like to talk to someone about how you are feeling you can also book a visit with your health visitor.
Friendly, informal and confidential support is available to you in Brent.
Adjusting to parenthood is hard but getting support early on if you need it will help not only you but your family too. There are many friendly and confidential services in Brent that can help you:
Free vitamins are available for all pregnant women and children under 4 to collect from Family Wellbeing Centres in Brent.
If you are more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may also be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk via the Healthy Start scheme.
Find out more about the scheme and how to receive free vitamins.
You're entitled to free NHS dental treatment up to 12 months after your baby is born.
Dental surgeries will not always have the capacity to take on new NHS patients and you may have to join a waiting list. If after contacting several dental surgeries you still cannot find a dentist accepting NHS patients, call NHS England's Customer Contact Centre on 0300 311 2233.
It is also very important that you look after your baby's teeth. You can start brushing your baby’s teeth as soon as they start to come through and book their first visit to the dentist. Don’t worry if you don’t manage to brush much at first. The important thing is to get your baby used to brushing as part of their daily routine. Find information on how to look after your baby's teeth.
A health visitor will do a new baby review with 10-14 days of the birth. After that, your baby will have a 6-8 week check and a health and development review between 9-12 months.
You should also get advice about any vaccinations your baby might need.
If you are considering childcare for your baby, it can be helpful to research the options available. Brent council can support you with finding childcare options available in order to find the one best suited for you and your family.
Parents are often surprised by how quickly their child’s physical development can change. Before your baby can roll, crawl or walk it’s a good time to think about making your home child safe.
You can find lots of information about accident prevention from the Child Accident Prevention Trust and advice on how to make your home safe.
As soon as your baby is born you can sign them up for a free library card in one of Brent's libraries.
Brent libraries also gift book resources to families through the Booktrust gifting programme and you can attend a Sharing Super stories event at Family Wellbeing Centres to find out more.
Volunteer-run parent and toddler groups support families to play, learn and socialise.
The Brent Family Wellbeing Centres offer a wide range of free health, education and welfare services to families and aim to give everyone in Brent the best possible start in life.
