Looking after you and your baby antenatally

Congratulations on your pregnancy and welcome to Hertfordshire Family Centre Service. 

The Hertfordshire Family Centre service, the service brings together the Health Visitor teams and Family Support. As your local Public Health Nursing (Health Visiting) team we work with your midwife and our Family Support Service colleagues during this journey to parenthood and stay with you until your child is 5 years old

Being health and keeping active is the best start to pregnancy for you and your baby. Within this page there are lots of information which you will hopefully find helpful and links to support services.

Perinatal Timeline

The perinatal period is the period of time from becoming pregnant, to one year after giving birth.

The image below details the contacts that you will have during the perinatal period with all the services involved – Midwifery, Family Centre, Health Visiting (Public Health Nursing) and your GP.

Click on the image for an enlarged version.

Emotional Health and Wellbeing in Pregnancy

All parents have worries from time-to-time in pregnancy. Talk to your partner or someone you trust about how you feel.

If you or your partner are starting to feel low or anxious, reach out to your midwife, GP or health visitor for support.

For many people support to deal with these worries comes from the people who know them best, such as a partner, their family and friends. Here are a few simple habits or activities which can help.

• Rest, be ‘mindful’, and be kind to yourself. Consider using an app, such a Headspace.
• Try to deal with worries or problems rather than having them ‘nag’ away at you.
• Work out what is important and what really doesn’t matter.
• Social support is very important – look to partners, friends and family.
• Socialising with other mothers or mothers-to-be can be supportive.
• Getting out and about with baby to reduce isolation and to meet new friends at local baby groups.

If you feel your mental or emotional health is getting worse, or you’re starting to feel anxious or low, then the earlier you get help and support, the better your chances of recovering quickly. You do not need to wait for an appointment to talk to your midwife.

You can self refer to Hertfordshire and Mid Essex  Talking Therapies and they also have a variety of self help webinars which might be useful.

Other sources of support for emotional support can be found below:

• Mothers Matter
• Mind
• The Wellbeing Service

Me, You and Baby too

Having a baby is an exciting time but it  is also one the biggest changes you and your partner are likely to go through. You are likely to be more tired and stressed and may argue more. Me, you and Baby Too is a free online course that can help your navigate these changes and keep moving forward together.

Infant Feeding

Choosing how to feed your baby, whether breast or formula feeding, is one of the biggest decisions you will make as a parent. Breastfeeding is beneficial to you and your baby. Any amount of breast feeding is positive and has long-term health benefits, the longer you are able to breast feed your baby for, the greater the benefits are.

As specialists in child health and development from pregnancy to the age of 5 years the Health Visiting Team and Family Support Service would like to invite you to view our Antenatal Breastfeeding Webinar.

This is a free resource (under 1 hour long) and can be watched as often as you like. You may be unsure how you will feed your baby, so this webinar aims to explain the value of breastfeeding as protection, comfort and food and how to get breastfeeding off to a good start.

In Hertfordshire, about 82% of mothers start off breastfeeding their baby. This number drops at 6-8 weeks; to an average of 62% of mothers offering any form of breastmilk to their baby at this stage. We support every parent in their choice as to how they feed their baby, however 8 out of 10 mothers stop breastfeeding before they would like too. Many mothers stop breastfeeding because of issues like sore or cracked nipples, sore breasts, or think that they do not have enough breastmilk. These issues can be eased or eliminated with support.

We understand that information can be difficult to find in one place and have put a selection of articles together that are related to infant feeding.

Pelvic Floor

Your pelvic floor muscles sit in a hammock underneath your pelvic organs – bladder, womb and the lower part of your bowels. Healthy pelvic floor muscles are important for bladder function, bowel function and sexual function.

Pregnancy and childbirth can put a strain on the pelvic floor muscles. By the end of pregnancy, your pelvic floor is supporting roughly twice the weight of your baby. Your baby is being carried along with your (now bigger) womb, the fluid around your baby, and your placenta.

Pelvic floor exercise is recommended during pregnancy and after the birth to help avoid problems during this time.

For help and advice on how to look after your pelvic floor whilst you’re pregnant scan the QR code below to find the Herts & West Essex LMNS pelvic health webinar.

Smoking and Alcohol

Giving up smoking is one of the most important things you can do to improve your baby’s health, growth and development, as well as your long-term health.

Love your Bump quit smoking programme can support with a pregnancy specialist for at least 12 weeks You are 3 times more likely to stop smoking with help rather than trying to quit alone. There lots of benefits to stopping smoking in pregnancy and include reducing the risk of stillbirth and reducing the risk of your baby’s chances of developing asthma, learning difficulties and diabetes.

If you are pregnant and worried about your alcohol intake the Go Alcohol Free service can help you. There’s no safe amount or time to have a drink when pregnant, and understanding how alcohol affects your baby can make it easier for you to stop.

When you sign up to the alcohol recovery service, an experienced worker from Change Grow Live will:

• listen to your needs and tailor your care plan
• teach you coping methods and tips
• help you build strong mental and emotional resilience.

The service is free and sessions will be scheduled at a time convenient for you.

Exercise And Keeping Active

Keeping active is important for both you and your baby exercising during pregnancy is healthy for you and your baby, it’ll help you to maintain a healthy weight, prepare your body for labour and lay the foundations for you to get back in shape after the birth. It can boost your emotional wellbeing too.

Choose activities that can provide regular and moderate exercise, for example, walking, swimming or cycling.

NHS Start 4 Life

Healthy Eating

Eating a healthy diet will help you to maintain a healthy weight and make sure your baby grows and develops well. Some parents are eligible for free vitamins via the NHS Healthy Start find out more here. 

Dental Health

You’re entitled to free NHS dental treatment if you’re pregnant when you start your treatment and for 12 months after your baby is born.

To get free NHS dental treatment, you must have a valid MATB1 and apply for a maternity exemption form.

NHS Mum And Baby App

The NHS ‘mum & baby‘ app is a definitive personal guide for pregnancy, birth and beyond.

The app was developed in 2020 with the ambition taken from the NHS Better Births to provide women with a single source of trusted NHS information for all their maternity needs at The Lister Hospital, Watford General Hospital and the Princess Alexandra Hospital within the Hertfordshire and West Essex Local Maternity System.

From the start of pregnancy to early parenthood, the app is designed to support women and families with:

• Choice on where in Hertfordshire and West Essex they would like to give birth, and how they would like their birth to go.
• Access to essential, clinically-validated information every step of the way from being pregnant, to giving birth and looking after a new baby.
• Personalised plans for their care during pregnancy, birth and beyond.

Crucially, the app provides users with a single point of access for information on booking in their local area to receive higher levels of continuity of care. If you have not already take a look and download it.

Vaccinations

Vaccines are safe to have during pregnancy and there are now four available to pregnant women: Covid-19, flu, RSV and whooping cough (pertussis).

Vaccines protect you and your baby. You’re at higher risk of getting seriously ill from Covid-19 if you’re pregnant. There is also evidence that pregnant women have a higher chance of developing complications if they get flu.

You will also be offered a whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine between 16 and 32 weeks of pregnancy. Getting vaccinated while you’re pregnant is highly effective in protecting your baby from developing whooping cough in the first few weeks of their life. Find out more here.

My Baby’s Brain

The brain is amazing In the first year of life the brain doubles in size. By the first birthday the brain is two thirds the size of an adult brain. If babies grew in height like this, they could
be four feet tall when they were one year old.

Your child’s body grows better when you give the child good food. Your child’s brain grows better when you do five simple things that feed the growing brain:
Respond • Cuddle • Relax • Play • Talk

These are your child’s daily ‘five to thrive’ – the building blocks for a healthy brain. Find out more information here.

Preparing for Parenthood.

Becoming a parent is an exciting time, but there is a lot to think about. Life is very different once you are a new mum, dad or carer, and your priorities will change. Leaving the house is a little more difficult and there’s a lot more to do and plan for as your baby grows and changes. Learning their habits and getting to know them is an amazing experience but there are things that might happen along the way you hadn’t planned for.

The Family Support Service would like to invite you to attend their Preparing for Parenthood session between 25 and 43 weeks of your pregnancy. The session is face to face and is held at a variety of locations across the county.

Please scan the QR code below to book a space or follow this link

Bringing Baby Home

The first few days of having your baby at home can be exciting, exhausting and nerve-racking, especially if it’s your first. Often, new parents manage the first few days in a haze of adrenaline and sleep deprivation, where joy and happiness are mixed in with apprehension and worry. This is all totally normal.

What equipment to buy can be a mind field and this guide can help you with what is essential.

Ensuring that you baby has a safe place to sleep is very important.  Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden, unexplained death of a baby. It used to be known as ‘cot death’. While sudden infant death syndrome is now very rare, over 200 babies still die every year. We now have more understanding of the situations in which babies die and what can be done to reduce the risks. Please take a look at the information on how to reduce the risks and watch the video from the Lullaby Trust.

A  crying baby can be stressful but all babies cry. It is normal and how they communicate with us. Find out  further information on your baby and their crying. 

Remember crying is normal and it is ok to walk away but never shake your baby.

ICON is all about helping people who care for babies with crying.

Your Health Visitor will visit you and your new baby between 11 and 14 days after delivery. For more information about what to expect from the New Birth Visit please find further information here.

If you have any concerns about your baby always contact either your midwife (if you are still under their care), Health Visitor or GP.

Fathers,  Co-Parents and Partners

Fathers, co-parents or partners have a part a crucial role and are linked to positive outcomes for the family. With so many resources aimed at mums it is sometimes difficult to find the right support. Preparing for the baby’s arrival and becoming a father, co-parent or partner can be a happy time for any family, however it is also a time of change and it is not unusual to feel anxious or episodes of worry. This can be made worse by the lack of sleep, it is important to talk about your feeling and know where to get support. 

Becoming Dad is a free inclusive Information session for new and expectant fathers to help them to connect with and understand their babies’ needs.

Supported by trained facilitators from the Family Support Service, this session offers expectant and new fathers an informal and relaxed space to talk through any thoughts and challenges dad-to-dad as they transition into parenthood.

What you can expect;

• A safe place to ask questions, meet other dads and learn from their experiences
• Value the important role of becoming a father
• Build confidence around hands-on baby care, bonding & attachment
• Understand and develop healthy relationships
• Maintain good mental health for yourself and your partner

To find out more information and to book you space follow this link. 

Partner Resources

• Dad’s wellbeing from BBC’s Tiny Happy People
• Support for Dads co-parents and partners from Hertfordshire County Council
• Support for LGBT parents from NCT
• Support for LGBT parents from Tommy’s
• Brilliant Beginnings – Surrogacy in the UK and abroad
• COTS Surrogacy