Breastfeeding and formula feeding support in Havering

We know from extensive and reliable research that breastmilk is the best form of nutrition for babies but also breastfeeding about much more than nutrition.

It supports loving relationships and brain development, helps to protect babies from a range of illnesses and cot death, reduces risk for mothers of breast and ovarian cancers and heart disease, and has positive financial and environmental benefits.

But breastfeeding isn’t always easy at the start, and many mums battle against social pressures and expectations, painful experiences, and worries over milk supply.

Expert help and support when it’s needed can help to overcome these barriers.

Pain on breastfeeding can often be resolved when you’re shown alternative feeding positions to improve your baby’s latch, trained practitioners can alleviate concerns you might have about milk supply and medical issues (e.g. colic or tongue tie), and meeting other mums helps remove many social pressures.

Whether you’re breastfeeding or formula feeding, midwives, health visitors, early years practitioners and peer supporters across Havering are here to support you. 

Support from your midwife

Booking appointment - your midwife will talk to you about developing a close loving relationship with your baby before and after birth, the value of breastfeeding and, if you wish to formula feed, how to do this safely.

You will also be offered antenatal infant feeding classes within the community or at Queens Hospital.

When you give birth - you will be offered skin-to-skin contact with your baby to promote attachment and breastmilk production.

Your midwife will also show you how to hold your baby for feeding, and explain responsive feeding and relationship building.

All breastfeeding mothers are provided with a feeding assessment to ensure good feeding practices prior to transfer to the community (from which point you will be supported by Health Visiting services).

If you are formula feeding you will be offered a demonstration and discussion on how to do this safely.

Support from your health visitor and community services

Within 10-14 days of you giving birth your health visitor will contact you and where possible will visit at home or clinic to check weight, how feeding is going, discuss any issues arising and provide support. 

Health visitors carry out one to one support on request only. This will need to be booked with the allocated health visitor.

Baby Feeding Café’s support parents and carers on their babies feeding journey from new-born and beyond.

Our trained infant feeding advisors can provide support, information and advice on breastfeeding, formula feeding and starting your baby on solid foods.

Baby Feeding Café’s run virtually on a weekly basis, and in person by appointment.

To find out more about how to access feeding support from Havering Children’s Centres, please email childrenscentres@havering.gov.uk.

Breastfeeding and starting solid foods support is also available from local community organisation LatchOn and La Leche League.

Support from online and telephone services

Health Visitors

Families can call or email a duty health visitor to get instant advice. The duty health visitor can also send a message to your named health visitor requesting further support.

Start4Life 

The Start4Life off to the best start leaflet contains lots of useful information about feeding your baby.

National Breastfeeding Helpline 

The Breastfeeding Network Support Line in Bengali/Sylheti 

  • 0300 456 2421 (9.30am - 9.30pm, 7 days a week)

NCT Breastfeeding Line 

  • 0300 330 0771 (8am - midnight, 7 days a week)
  • NCT website

La Leche League 

Unicef Baby Friendly Initiative

Please note calls to 03 numbers should cost no more than geographic 01 or 02 UK-wide calls and may be part of inclusive minutes subject to your provider and your call package.