We offer a face-to-face new birth visit, face-to-face and virtual breastfeeding support groups, a Surrey-wide 0-19 Advice Line and a specialist breastfeeding support service if required. You can also make an appointment at a Child health clinic.
Please visit the Introducing family foods page for introducing family foods advice including how to book to attend a workshop.
If you need breastfeeding support or would like to book to attend a breastfeeding support group, please call the advice line on 01883 340 922 or speak to your health visitor.
Please use the interactive map at the bottom of this page to find your local breastfeeding support group.
You can book to attend a virtual breastfeeding group by visiting the Breastfeeding and Infant Feeding Surrey Facebook page where you can also find information, videos and advice.
Watch our video about breastfeeding support we provide for mothers in Surrey. You can watch the film on the Children and Family Health Surrey YouTube channel.
The film features local mum Dr Emily MacDonagh talking to health visitor Jo Neville about support available which includes:
Your Health Visiting team is trained to help and support you with breastfeeding / feeding your baby.
We are Unicef Baby Friendly accredited.
You can talk to your health visitor about all aspects of caring for and developing a relationship with your baby, feeding your baby including the benefits of breastfeeding.
This will provide you with information to support you to make an informed decision and get breastfeeding off to a good startand help them transition from ‘womb to world'.
Watch this informative video about baby brain development, crying and postnatal wellbeing.
Your midwife may have suggested you collect colostrum whilst pregnant. You can speak to your midwife about how to access the colostrum collecting syringes/kit.
Watch this video to find out more about collecting colostrum.
After your baby is born you will be encouraged to hold your baby skin to skin for as long as you like and until they receive their first feed.
Your midwife will offer to show you how to express your milk by hand and you may be shown how to do breast compression. You will receive information about the support available for breastfeeding once you leave hospital.
If you are giving your baby a bottle feed, your health visitor will support you and offer you advice on how to responsively feed your baby and how to pace the bottle feeds.
If you are giving your baby formula milk, please talk to your heatlh visitor about how to do this safely and complete a bottle feeding assessment.
For further information about infant formulas visit First Steps Nutrition.
At the new birth visit your health visitor will ask if you are happy with your baby’s feeding and complete a breastfeeding assessment with you so that you feel confident that breastfeeding is going well.
She will talk to you about how to hold your baby to feed and about laid-back feeding which allows baby to use his natural reflexes.
Your health visitor can talk to you about how your baby attaches to the breast so that feeding is not painful:
Take a look at the Off to the best start and Building a happy baby: a guide for parents leaflets
Your health visitor will talk to you about responsive breastfeeding and how often your baby may wish to breastfeed.
Your health visitor will talk to you about the importance of developing a close and loving relationship with your baby and what you can do to help 'build a happy baby'. You baby will love to be close to you and that’s good for their brain development.
You will receive information about:
When your baby is around six months old, you can start to introduce family foods. Visit our Introducing Family Foods page for top tips.
Talk to your health visitor or community nursery nurse about how to access Introducing Family Foods virtual workshops in your area.
Do you know why Vitamin D supplements are important for you and your child? Read more on our Vitamin D advice page where you can also find out if you eligible for free Healthy Start vitamin vouchers.
Find out more about Feeding your baby/infant when they have Bronchiolitis
Your Family Doctor can support you if you have any health concerns about you or your baby and your pharmacist can give you information about the medication you can take whilst you are breastfeeding.