Pregnancy and birth

Help during pregnancy and the birth of your child.

If you are planning on, or are soon to be a parent, visit our becoming a parent webpage. Here you will find information on where to have your baby and how to stay healthy during pregnancy. Some other resources that will be useful during pregnancy and birth include:

Midwifery, book and appointment or talk to a midwife at the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
Family Nurse Partnership, provides a home visiting service for first time mothers aged 22 years and under
Health Visitors, work with families who have children between the ages of zero and five years
Find out how to register the birth of your baby.

Help with feeding your baby

Locally there is a range of support available to help you with feeding your baby and young child, visit the Lewisham Health Visiting Service feeding your baby page to find support best suited to you.

If you have concerns about any aspects of your baby's feeding and wish to speak to a local Health Visitor, you can dial one of the numbers below between 9am-5pm, Monday and Friday:

Bellingham Children’s Centre: 020 3049 2755
Downham Health & Leisure Centre: 020 3049 1900
Sydenham Green Health Centre: 020 3049 2777
Lee Health Centre: 020 3049 2112
Honor Oak Health Centre: 020 3049 2269.

There are a number of national helplines that you can call for support with infant feeding:

National Breastfeeding Helpline: 0300 100 0212, open everyday from 9.30am-9.30pm
National Childbirth Trust (NCT) Helpline: 0300 330 0700, open every day from 8am-midnight
La Leche League National Helpline: 0345 1202918 open everyday from 8am – 11pm.

You can also access support 24 hours her day online from the Start for Life Digital Breastfeeding Friend.

Help with feeding your child

There is various advice and support available in Lewisham to help you to introduce solid foods to your child. The Lewisham Health Visiting website provides useful advice, including how to access group support sessions on starting solids for parents.

Sign-up to the Lewisham Children and Family Centres HENRY programme, which is a program to support healthy eating for parents with children under 5 years.

Lewisham Lewisham Children and Family Centrechildren under 5 and pregnant women are eligible for free Vitamin D supplements. Find out how to access free Vitamin D supplements.

Help with attachment and bonding

The relationship with your baby takes time, by watching their cues and signals you can begin to work out what they need, don't need and even what they like and don't like. Visit the NHS website on getting to know your newborn.

Drop in at one of four Lewisham baby hubs where you can learn about topics specific to your child's needs, allow your baby to play and meet other parents and carers. Find out more about local baby hubs.

Lewisham Children and Family Centres offer free Baby Massage sessions for parents and babies from birth until crawling. Visit the Children and Family Centre timetable to book baby massage sessions.

If you are concerned about bonding or attachment with your baby, please contact your Health Visitor directly, or visit the Health Visitor contact page.

Activities for babies

Help your child play and learn, it does not need to be difficult or expensive. For instance take your baby to a local library, look at books and sing nursery rhymes with your child. Here are some useful sites to find free and low cost ideas to play with your child:

Published on: 17/04/2023