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Infant feeding in Wandsworth

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Our infant feeding support services offer evidence-based guidance to help families achieve their feeding goals. We provide support for breastfeeding, maximizing breastmilk, and bottle feeding, including using commercial infant formula safely and responsively. 

Our Health Visiting team is trained to UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Standards, and we are proudly accredited as a UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Service. 

This service is available to all families in the Wandsworth borough. 

Breastfeeding Support Groups:

Breastfeeding support groups provide a welcoming space for practical, moral, and social support at any stage of your feeding journey—no appointment needed.  

Breastfeeding support groups are available at the following centres: 

Please note that these groups do not run on Bank Holidays! 

Specialist support is available via referral, please visit a support group or call the duty line for further information.  

Your Health Visiting Team are available for advice Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm. 

A health visitor will visit you at home between 10-14 days following the birth of your baby. Sometimes additional visits may be offered if required. A further contact will be arranged when your baby is 6 weeks old.

The health visitor will let you know about the child health clinics, breastfeeding support groups and children's centres activities and other baby groups and sessions in your area. They will also complete a breastfeeding assessment form with you, a copy of which can be found here.

Clinics are an opportunity for parents and carers to weigh their baby and speak with a member of the Health Visiting Team about any concerns. Clinics run on a drop in basis, no appointment is needed. Please note that these clinics/groups do not run on bank holidays. 

Available Clinics: 

Breastfeeding Drop-in Groups: 

Children's Centres provide a welcoming space where you and your child aged 0 - 5 years old can have fun and learn.

  • Click here to view the timetable for your local Children's Centre. 

Voluntary Support and Helplines 

These organisations have no affiliation to CLCH, CLCH claims no responsibility for services offered there. 

  • National Breastfeeding Helpline: 0300 100 0212, 24 hours, every day 
  • NCT - Helpline: 0300 330 0771, 8:00am to Midnight, every day. NCT Baby Café is a free drop-in, led by an NCT Breastfeeding Counsellor, which any parent or expectant parent can come along to for support with feeding your baby. Your local group can be found here. 
  • La Leche League: 0345 120 2918, 8am – 11pm, every day. La Leche League offer free online and in person support lead by La Leche League Leaders, who are accredited by La Leche League to provide breastfeeding information. Your local support can be found here. 
  • Twinline trust: 0800 138 0509, Mon-Fri 10am–1pm and 7–10pm for parents of twins, triplets and more. 

Medications and breastfeeding

Breastfeeding in public

Under the Equality Act 2010, it is discrimination to treat a woman unfavourably for breastfeeding. Service providers, including public bodies, education institutions, and associations, must not discriminate, harass, or victimize a person who is breastfeeding. This includes refusing service, offering a lower standard, or imposing different terms. For example, a café cannot ask you to stop, move, cover up, or refuse to serve you. 

For more information please visit the NHS guidance on breastfeeding in public and breastfeeding while out and about on the Maternity action website. 

Click here for our top tips for breastfeeding in public. 

Returning to work or study

You don’t need to stop breastfeeding just because you’re returning to study or work. Many women find ways to continue breastfeeding their baby – and employers have certain obligations towards breastfeeding women. 

Click here for our Top Tips for returning to work or study while breastfeeding.  

General information, support and advice 

Introducing solid foods can be exciting but daunting. For advice or concerns, contact your health visiting team at 0330 058 1679 or visit a Well Baby and Child Health Clinic. 

For health reasons babies should be exclusively fed breast milk or formula for the first six months of life. 

Here are some helpful resources to support you and your baby with introduction to solid foods. 

The World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of a child’s life, then introducing solids alongside breastfeeds up to two years or longer. 

Breastfeeding after 6 months still benefits your baby, protecting against infections, aiding digestion, and providing essential nutrients. Even with solids, breast milk or formula should remain their main drink until their 1st birthday. Cow's milk isn’t suitable as a main drink under 1 year but can be used in foods like mashed potatoes. 

If you're wanting to stop breastfeeding or having problems, you can get help and ideas from a health visitor or by coming along to one of our breastfeeding drop-ins (details above). 

Safer sleep for babies resources:

You can download the Basis app where you can find further information on safe sleeping practices for you and your baby.

You can also download The Baby Check app by The Lullaby Trust which features 19 simple checks that parents can do if their baby is showing signs of illness and further information regarding safer sleeping practices.

CLCH have produced a video about normal sleep and how to promote sleep in the antenatal period as well as the postnatal period, up to the first six months.

Infant crying is normal and it will stop.

A baby’s cry can be upsetting and frustrating. It is designed to get your attention and you may be worried that something is wrong with your baby. Your baby may start to cry more frequently at about 2 weeks of age. The crying may get more frequent and last longer during the next few weeks, hitting a peak at about 6 to 8 weeks. Every baby is different, but after about 8 weeks, babies start to cry less and less each week.

If you are doing any breastfeeding, we encourage you to do responsive breastfeeding. This means offering your baby the breast when they are distressed, fractious, or appears lonely and when they show signs of hunger. Breastfeeding can also help settle your crying baby after an immunisation, if your baby is unwell or to reassure them in an unfamiliar environment.

  • Responsiveness will not spoil babies.

Some additional calming techniques you can try:

  • Talk calmly, hum or sing to your baby  
  • Let them hear a repeating or soothing sound
  • Hold them close – skin to skin
  • Go for a walk outside with your baby
  • Give them a warm bath

These techniques may not always work. It may take a combination or more than one attempt to soothe your baby.

For more information, advice and support see:

Remember – if you are concerned that your baby may be unwell, contact your GP or NHS 111 (go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111- the service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). In an emergency, ring 999.

Please check the NHS Healthy Start website to see if you are eligible to receive free vitamins and money to buy healthy foods and milk. You could be eligible to receive £4.25 per week during pregnancy and continued payments until your child is 4. Visit the NHS Healthy Start website to find out more.

If you are eligible for Healthy Start you can collect your free Healthy Start Vitamins at Wandsworth Children Centres (bring your Healthy Start Card)