Healthy Family Teams

The Antenatal Contact is provided to all parents to be, in addition to the offer of an Antenatal Visit, providing information on a range of topics around pregnancy.

 

Your feelings about your pregnancy

How did you feel when you found out you were pregnant?

It is normal to have different feelings about pregnancy.

When you find out you're pregnant, you may feel happy and excited, or shocked, confused and upset. Everybody is different.

Some of this may be caused by changes in your hormone levels, which can make you feel more emotional: What to do when you find out you're pregnant - NHS

If you're feeling anxious or worried it will help to talk to someone. Read about mental health in pregnancy: Mental health problems and pregnancy - NHS

Pregnancy Loss: Baby loss information and support | Tommy's

 

Your family and friends

How did your friends and family feel when you told them you were pregnant?

What sort of support do your think they will give you with your new baby?

What support from other people would you like?

Have a think about the importance of relationships in pregnancy and beyond: Relationships after having a baby - NHS

 

Changing family life and relationships

Thinking about your closest relationships, how do you think having a baby will affect these relationships?

Having a baby can change our relationships. For 7 ideas on how to reconnect with your partner after having a baby go to: Seven ways to reconnect with your partner after having a baby - Relationship advice for new parents - BBC Tiny Happy People

Developed with the NHS, the DadPad is the essential guide for dads-to-be and new dads: Home - DadPad | The Essential Guide for New Dads | Support Guide for New Dads - DadPad | The Essential Guide for New Dads | Support Guide for New Dads

Domestic Abuse: Homepage - National Domestic Abuse Helpline

 

Looking after yourself and your baby

What are you doing to look after yourself and your unborn baby?

It's a really good time to think about how you can look after yourself.

It's important whilst you're pregnant, but also when you have a new baby.

What should you eat?

How a mother eats during pregnancy can impact on the long term health and well-being of her child

Here you can find out about what good nutrition means for pregnant women.

Find out more about the Healthy Start and Best Start Foods schemes and find links to a number of other organisations and support groups: Eating well in pregnancy - First Steps Nutrition Trust

Remember you may be able to get financial help when you're pregnant to help with the costs of food: Get help to buy food and milk (Healthy Start)

The NHS has information about healthy eating when pregnant: Healthy eating in pregnancy - Best Start in Life - NHS

Do you know about vitamins in pregnancy? 

• What vitamins should I take when pregnant? Everything you need to know about pregnancy vitamins - BBC Tiny Happy People
• Vitamins and supplements in pregnancy - Best Start in Life - NHS

Can you exercise in pregnancy? 

• Exercising in pregnancy - Best Start in Life - NHS

What about smoking and alcohol in pregnancy? 

• Smoking and alcohol in pregnancy - Best Start in Life - NHS

Pause and think about how you can look after your mental health in pregnancy: Mental health and pregnancy - Best Start in Life - NHS

 

Your unborn baby

What have your learnt about your unborn baby so far?

Has anyone talked to you about how you can begin to develop your baby's brain while you're pregnant?

Here are some ideas to help develop your baby's brain and language skills: How babies develop brain connections, even before birth - BBC Tiny Happy People

It is important to talk and sing to your baby bump: 

• Singing to baby: When can babies hear in the womb? - BBC Tiny Happy People
• Is it weird that I'm talking to my baby bump? - BBC Tiny Happy People

You can massage your bump: Massaging your baby bump - BBC Tiny Happy People

You can start to build your baby's brain and your bond with them before they are born: Happy baby_leaflet

How babies develop brain connections, even before birth: How babies develop brain connections, even before birth - BBC Tiny Happy People

 

Your labour and your baby's birth

How are you feeling about the birth?

Here are some common questions about labour answered: Tips for pregnancy and labour - What to pack for labour? Can I have sex when I'm pregnant? Why are my boobs so big during pregnancy? and more - BBC Tiny Happy People

Here are ideas on things to pack for the birth: What to pack in hospital bag for labour? - BBC Tiny Happy People

 

Becoming parents

How are you feeling about the thought of becoming a parent?

If you have a partner, how are they feeling about becoming a parent?

You may find these tips on adjusting to motherhood helpful: Self-care for new mums: Taking care of yourself when you're taking care of your newborn - BBC Tiny Happy People

For some information and videos about adjusting to parenting: Tips and Advice - Parent Wellbeing

 

Caring for your baby

How are you feeling about the practical aspects of having a baby?

What are your thoughts and feelings about feeding your baby?

Have you thought about things you could do to help you bond with your baby?

For information on the early days and weeks of looking after your baby - coping with crying, understanding your baby, talking to your baby, play and understanding baby jargon see: Tips and Advice - Newborn babies

To understand why cuddles for your new baby are so important: The science of cuddling: Why cuddling is so great for babies - BBC Tiny Happy People

For information on bathing, washing and nail cutting: Washing and bathing your baby - NHS

For information about feeding your baby: 

• Breastfeeding and infant feeding support | Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
• Feeding your baby - Best Start in Life - NHS

For information on sleep with a new baby: Caring for your baby at night and when sleeping

Keeping baby safe when they sleep: Safer sleep overview | The Lullaby Trust

Ways to bond with your new baby: Building a close relationship with your baby - Best Start in Life - NHS

Making nappy changing fun: Changing baby's nappies: How to make nappy changes fun - BBC Tiny Happy People

 

Your circumstances and community

Are you worried about where you are going to live with your new baby?

Have you got any financial or housing stresses that could affect your early weeks with your new baby?

Information about support with a new baby: Help and support for new parents - Best Start in Life - NHS

For information about your health visitor and how they can support you: Services and support for parents - NHS

If money is a worry: Help and support for new parents - Best Start in Life - NHS

How to get help buying food and vitamins: Get help to buy food and milk (Healthy Start)

If you're more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk.

If you're eligible, you'll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in some UK shops.

You can use your card to buy:

• plain liquid cow's milk
• fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables
• fresh, dried, and tinned pulses
• infant formula milk based on cow's milk

You can also use your card to collect:

• Healthy Start vitamins - these support you during pregnancy and breastfeeding
• Vitamin drops for babies and young children - these are suitable from birth to 4 years old.

 

Recent and past life events

Have you had difficult things happen in your life that you think might impact you as a parent?

For more information on mental health and trauma see: Postnatal depression - NHS

 

Priorities, plans and support

What are your priorities and plans for the next few weeks and months with your new baby?

Who will support you?

What help can I get with childcare?

Some information on support with a new baby: Services and support for parents - NHS

And for details of the Healthy Family Team support available for you and your family: Healthy Family Teams | Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

For more information on local services and information available in Nottinghamshire: Your Notts Directory

Childcare step by step: Get childcare: step by step - GOV.UK

 

Local services and support

What services and support could I need to help care for my baby?

What services are available where I live?

Nottinghamshire Best Start Offer:  Nottinghamshire's Best Start for life offer | Your Notts Directory

For details about local antenatal groups, antenatal classes:

• Antenatal Education | Sherwood Forest Hospitals
• Parent Education Classes | NUH

Family Hub antenatal sessions: Pregnancy and new parents | Nottinghamshire County Council

Free and cheap food: Food and food support

 

For more information to support your antenatal journey go to: 

• Best Start in Life
• CBeebies Parenting - Pregnancy tips and advice

The antenatal is a universal contact offered to all parents to be. It will take place by the Health Visiting service from 28 weeks gestation to birth. This appointment may be offered within the family home, health care setting or by telephone.

We will work with the midwife to support you and look after your health needs until the birth of your baby. As registered nurses with a specialist qualification we are in a unique position to build a therapeutic relationship, assess the family situation and work in partnership to provide the most appropriate care requirements.

This will promote the health, wellbeing and safety of mother, baby, and family. Pregnancy and the first years of life are one of the most important stages in the life cycle. This is when the foundations of future health and wellbeing are laid down, and is a time when parents are particularly receptive to learning and making changes.

There is good evidence that the outcomes for both children and adults are strongly influenced by the factors that operate during pregnancy and the first years of life. New information about neurological development, the impact of stress in pregnancy, and further recognition of the importance of attachment, all make early intervention and prevention imperative in establishing the foundations of good health. 

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The birth visit is a universal contact offered to all parents. It will take place between 10-14 days from birth and within the family home. We will take over the role of a midwife and look after your child’s health needs until your child is 19.

As registered nurses with a specialist qualification we are in a unique position to build a therapeutic relationship, assess infant growth and development, and assess the family situation in order to work in partnership to provide the most appropriate care requirements. This will promote the health, wellbeing and safety of mother, baby and family.

In order to achieve to this, we will complete a physical examination of the baby including the newborn observation. This links to how your baby communicates with you and how you can respond which promotes sensitive parenting. We will weigh and measure your baby and provide information on feeding using the baby friendly initiative, supporting breastfeeding with a tailor-made plan to meet your needs.

We will assess your eligibility for healthy start vouchers and vitamins. In addition, we will provide you with support and information on child development including baby brain development, social baby and appropriate play and stimulation promoting closeness, as well as sensitive and attuned parenting.

We assess mum’s physical and emotional health to promote emotional attachment, giving her time to reflect on the delivery and the change in her new role as a parent, transition into parenthood and those early weeks.

We will go through the red book (parents held record) and discuss this with you. the Health Visitor will provide information via our digital platform (RECAP), including accident prevention including safe sleep, pet and home safety. 

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The 6-8 week baby review is a universal contact offered to all parents. It will take place between 6-8 weeks at a health clinic setting. The purpose of this visit is to ensure the baby’s development is age appropriate and explore mum’s maternal mental health. As registered nurses with a specialist qualification we are in a unique position to build a therapeutic relationship, assess infant growth and development and assess the family situation in order to work in partnership to provide the most appropriate care requirements. This will promote the health, wellbeing and safety of mother, baby and family.

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The 3 - 4 month review is a contact the Healthy Family team are currently piloting in the Gedling and Ashfield areas. The purpose of the review is to support infant and parental mental health along with attachment and bonding. Please visit the links below to access a variety of resources to support yours and your child's health, wellbeing and development. 

5 Steps for Brain-Building Serve and Return - YouTube

ASQ activities 2024

BBC Tiny Happy People

Weaning - Start for Life - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

General NHS advice: NHS website for England - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

How to Give Baby CPR - First Aid Training - St John Ambulance (youtube.com)

What to do if Your Baby is Choking - First Aid Training - St John Ambulance (youtube.com)

Baby and toddler safety - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Nottshelpyourself

Health for Under 5s | For healthy, happy early years

Sleep:

• Babies and Sleep - The Sleep Charity
• How to reduce the risk of SIDS for your baby - The Lullaby Trust

Support with crying: The Cry-sis Helpline | Support for parents with crying and sleepless babies

ICON cope video: Preventing Traumatic Head Injury in Babies by PHE in Partnership with ICON (youtube.com)

Parental mental health - Postnatal depression and perinatal mental health - Mind

Children's centre service | Nottinghamshire County Council

Nottinghamshire Talking Therapies (notts-talk.co.uk)

Healthy lifestyles: Home - Your Health Nottinghamshire (yourhealthnotts.co.uk)

Women's aid: JUNO Women's Aid - Nonprofit Charity WordPress Theme (junowomensaid.org.uk)

Citizens Advice Nottingham and District

Oral health:

• • How to take care of your baby or toddler's teeth - Start for Life - NHS - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
  • Take care of your teeth and gums - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

The 8-12 Month Development Review is a universal contact offered to all parents. The purpose of this visit is to ensure the baby's development is age appropriate and address any concerns that may be raised by parents or carers. It will take place after your baby reaches 8 months old and an appointment invite will be sent to you. This will usually take place in a health care or clinical setting but in special circumstances it may be requested take place at home. You will also be sent a questionnaire to complete and bring with you to the appointment for review.

During this appointment we will weigh your child, obtain their length, and head measurement. We will observe on how your baby communicates with you and explore their speech development. There will be a review of feeding and weaning, discuss any related concerns and provide management strategies for these. Advice about oral health and you will be provided with a dental pack. 

Discussion related to routine immunisations, home safety, sun safety, including family dynamics. Sleep routines and behaviour management will also be explored at this contact. Advice on additional support partners or referrals will take place along with Healthy Start Voucher scheme assessment. 

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The 2 Year Review will take place in a health centre or other appropriate setting by a practitioner within the Healthy Family Team. This is an opportunity to review your child's social, emotional, behavioural and language development. Any signposting to appropriate support groups as requested or advised will take place. 

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