Infant feeding in Merton

Our breastfeeding support service provides mothers with information on breastfeeding, delivered by our Health Visiting team who are all breastfeeding trained under the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative. This is available at a local children's centre and is appointment only. To book an appointment please contact the team on: 0330 053 9264. 

We also support parents who are formula feeding their babies by providing information on choosing milks and making up feeds, and helping them to feed safely and responsively.

Our children's centres offer services for parents and carers from pregnancy through to the end of their child's reception year at school. A range of programmes and services to support your child's learning and development are available at the centres. These include baby massage for first-time parents, speech and language and parenting programmes and support for families with children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

You can talk to a specialist advisor about any concerns you have about housing, finances, relationships, your child’s development or behaviour, access to training or employment and more at a personal Family Information and Support Hubs (FISH) session. Click on the following links to learn more and book FISH sessions:

• See list of all Children's centres in Merton 
• Free Baby Massage and other events in Merton 

Your health visitor will visit you at home between Day 10 and 14.

There are Well Baby Clinics and Breastfeeding Support clinics local to you and running throughout the week.

Please call to book an appointment on 0330 053 9264. 

• NCT Helpline: 0300 330 0771, 8:00am to Midnight
• National Breastfeeding Helpline: 0300 100 0212 from 09:30am to 09:30pm
• La Leche League: 0345 120 2918, 24-hour Helpline
• Breastfeeding Assessment and Responsive Breastfeeding
• Medications and breastfeeding:
  • Breastfeeding Network: drugs factsheets 
  • Facebook Drugs in breastmilk information service 
• Expressing:
  • UNICEF - Hand expressing video
  • Expressing and storing breastmilk
• Videos on breastfeeding
• UNICEF - Infant formula and responsive bottle feeding:
  • Bottle feeding information 
  • Information about prep machines, hot taps and baby kettles
• New baby and parent resources
• Overcoming breastfeeding problems

• UNCIEF Illustrated infosheets and guidance in additional languages (دیگر زبانوں میں رہنمائی / wskazówki w innych językach)

Introducing solid foods to your baby can be an exciting but also daunting time. Your health visiting team is available to help you with advice and discuss any concerns you may have. 

For health reasons, we recommend that babies are fed solely on breast milk or infant formula for the first six months.

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

• CLCH Introduction to solids leaflet
• Eating well in the first year - First Steps Nutrition
• First Steps Nutrition Eating Well Resources
• Watch Introduction to solid foods video

Is your baby aged 16-26 weeks?  

Your health visiting team runs virtual introduction to solids workshops on the 3rd Wednesday of every month, call to book your place: 03300 539 264. 

Parents, carers, grandparents all welcome to attend!

Safer sleep for babies resources:

• Safer sleep for babies: The Lullaby Trust guide for parents
• Baby sleep information source (Basis)

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.

• Vitamin D
• Healthy Start Application