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Are you more than 10 weeks pregnant or have parental responsibility for at

least one child under four years old?

In addition, receiving any of the following:

Universal Credit

Pension Credit (which includes the child addition)

if you're under 18 and more than 10 weeks pregnant, even if you don’t receive any benefits.

Follow this link to find out more and apply for the Healthy Start Scheme.

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What is 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. We'll add your benefit onto this card every 4 weeks.

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

If you live in Scotland

You can get help from Best Start Foods (opens in a new tab) instead.

Advice on healthy eating

For more advice on healthy eating, visit:

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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.

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Brining Baby Home - courses for new parents

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Brining Baby Home - courses for new parents

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IW Family Centres FREE Breastfeeding Stay and Play groups

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IW Family Centres FREE Breastfeeding Stay and Play groups

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Our Infant Feeding Support padlet contains information about all the support available to families through collaboration with the Infant Feeding teams within Barnardo's, Midwifery, and Health Visiting Teams

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Our Infant Feeding Support padlet contains information about all the support available to families through collaboration with the Infant Feeding teams within Barnardo's, Midwifery, and Health Visiting Teams

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Dads, Partners and family members and your role in supporting breastfeeding

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Dads, Partners and family members and your role in supporting breastfeeding

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Article to help you understand your babies need to be close to you and breastfeed frequently

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Guest blog: “Is this normal?” The first week with a breastfeeding newborn - Baby Friendly Initiative

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In this guest blog, lactation consultant Emma Pickett explores what’s “normal” in the first week with a newborn, and encourages mums to trust their baby and their own instincts.

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NHS Breastfeeding and bottle feeding advice

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NHS Breastfeeding and bottle feeding advice

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5 ways to make feeding comfortable for you and your baby

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Learn first aid skills for babies and children

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Learn first aid skills for babies and children

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Learn skills to help a baby or child in a first aid emergency

Our First Aid skills are simple, easy-to-learn, and suitable for anyone looking to learn first aid and help others in an emergency. Explore the different skills below to enhance your own learning so you may be able to assist during an emergency.

Staying safe while giving first aid

Please always consider your personal safety when giving first aid. Look out for any dangers and only act when you're confident it is safe to do so.

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Learn simple first aid skills for babies and children so you will feel confident to help in an emergency.

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Breastfeeding Information from Barnardo's family space

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On this page we cover the benefits of breastfeeding, responding to your baby’s cues, positioning, expressing, storing breast milk, plus breastfeeding challenges.

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Hi I'm Charlie, your virtual assistant. I will explain how to use this online noticeboard (Padlet). 

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Hi I'm Charlie, your virtual assistant. I will explain how to use this online noticeboard (Padlet). 

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Please use the column headings to find the information you need

Then scroll down the column to see the information

Click on the links to view the information

To find other headings please scroll right

If you are using a mobile you can click on the 3 dots on this post and choose start slide show. This makes it easier to look through the information on a smaller screen.

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For more advice on Infant Feeding and Staying healthy for Families please visit Staying healthy for families (iow.gov.uk)

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Information from Tiny Happy People

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Knowing when your baby wants a feed and responding to them before they get upset and start to cry is a gradual thing, but keeping them close to you will help you with this learning process.

"All babies are different, so it's important parents watch their baby and look for their particular cues," says Inge.

Click through the slideshow for some of the most common cues - these include:

Another one to look out for is babies opening/closing and moving their eyes.

In time, you'll also learn what signals your baby has to say: "I'm full now, thanks!".

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Knowing when your baby wants a feed and responding to them before they get upset and start to cry is a gradual thing, but keeping them close to you will help you with this learning process. "All babies are different, so it's important parents watch their baby and look for their particular cues," says Inge.

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Feeding babies - a feeding specialist talks us through her job

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Feeding babies - a feeding specialist talks us through her job

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Information from Tiny Happy people

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Feeding babies - a feeding specialist talks us through her job

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‘How should I feed my baby? How do I make it easier’ are common questions - Marjorie Aissani, a feeding specialist, talks us through her job.

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Breastfeeding Support : Isle Of Wight Family Centres

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NHS Start for Life Breastfeeding Information

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NHS Start for Life Breastfeeding Information

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Breastfeeding is a skill that takes time to get the hang of. Lots of mums wonder if their baby's feeding well and getting enough - especially in the first few days.

But once you've mastered it, you'll probably find it's the easiest and most satisfying way to feed your baby.

We're here to provide lots of helpful information and advice on breastfeeding.

If you have any breastfeeding worries or concerns, the best thing to do is speak to your midwife or health visitor, or join a local breastfeeding support group.

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Breastfeeding can take practice - read our guides on breastfeeding to find out what works best for you

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IW Family Centres Free Stay and Play Sessions 

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IW Family Centres Free Stay and Play Sessions 

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Information on Mixed Feeding from the Start for Life NHS Website 

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Information on Mixed Feeding from the Start for Life NHS Website 

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Find out all about mixed feeding (combining breast and bottle feeding using expressed breast milk or infant formula), how to start and common challenges.

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IW Family Centres Free 8 week antenatal course. Welcome to the World

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IW Family Centres Free 8 week antenatal course. Welcome to the World

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Support for Transgender and non-binary parents and carers

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Support for Transgender and non-binary parents and carers

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La Leche League is an international, nonprofit, nonsectarian organisation. 1 LLLGB supports everyone who wants to breastfeed or chestfeed in reaching their goals. We do not discriminate based on sex, gender or gender identity.

Trans men, trans women and non-binary individuals may choose to breastfeed or chestfeed their babies. You do not need to have given birth to breastfeed or chestfeed, as we can also see in the experiences of those nursing adopted babies.

Transgender dad Trevor MacDonald writes that, "It is equally important to note that some trans people experience severe gender dysphoria when breast or chestfeeding, and that they may decide not to nurse their babies for mental health reasons. Trans parents choosing to breast or chestfeed and those choosing to suppress lactation and bottlefeed may require the support of breastfeeding counsellors or lactation professionals." ²

Amazing milk

One of the concepts La Leche League is founded on is that: human milk is the natural food for babies, uniquely meeting their changing needs. Human milk is amazing. It has everything a growing baby needs in exactly the right amounts and babies can easily digest it all. Research shows that a baby who is not fed on human milk is more likely to suffer from illnesses and diseases, both as a child and later in life. By meeting your baby's needs for warmth, food and security at your chest you give them a secure attachment so they can develop into a conﬁdent child.

Skin-to-skin

Skin-to-skin contact is beneficial for babies and parents; it simply means holding your naked baby on your bare chest. You can drape a blanket over you both for warmth. Within minutes, you will see the benefits of skin-to-skin as you and your baby relax. Your baby's body temperature, breathing, and heart rate will stabilise. Babies often latch on and nurse more efficiently during and after skin-to-skin contact.
It is a lovely way to nurture your baby even if you are not nursing.

Your milk supply

Some transgender and non-binary parents have a full milk supply. If you have had chest (top) surgery you may be able to produce some milk. Many factors will affect the amount of milk you can make.

Two reasons that a trans man might have a reduced milk supply are:
1. Milk-making tissue has been surgically removed, and/or ducts have been damaged in surgery.
2. Testosterone interferes with the hormone necessary for lactation (prolactin) and can cause a significant decrease in milk supply. However, taking testosterone would not prevent someone from using an at-chest supplementer and having a nursing relationship.

Trans women can use a protocol similar to adoptive and other non-gestational mothers and stimulate their milk supply: it is called the Newman-Goldfarb protocol. You can read more here https://laleche.org.uk/relactation-induced-lactation/ and here http://www.asklenore.info/breastfeeding/induced_lactation/protocols4print.shtml.

You can also give human milk or formula supplements using an at-breast supplementer. Your healthcare provider can help you look at your options, and your local LLL Leader can offer support with your breast or chestfeeding goals and journey.

You may find the following websites have useful information:
Breastfeeding After Breast and Nipple Surgery http://bfar.org/index.shtml?fref=gc
Low Milk Supply http://www.lowmilksupply.org/

Many parents worry about whether their baby is 'getting enough'. LLL meetings are a good place to get support from others. These LLL posts are great for checking signs your baby is feeding effectively:
https://laleche.org.uk/is-my-baby-getting-enough-milk/
https://laleche.org.uk/signs-effective-feeding-early-days-2/

Using a nursing supplementer

If your baby needs a supplement of expressed milk or formula you might want to consider using a nursing supplementer. Doing this can give your baby that extra milk while they are nursing.
Supplementers can help parents have an at-breast or at-chest relationship with their baby whether or not they are able to produce milk.

This post has lots of useful information about nursing supplementers: https://laleche.org.uk/nursing-supplementers/.

Milk sharing

Some transgender and non-binary parents use milk banks to acquire human milk for their babies. La Leche League fully supports the use of human milk for babies; we cannot facilitate or set up milk sharing networks, though your local LLL Leader can help you with contact information for non-profit human milk banks, other regulated collection centres, and formal/medically supervised or informal milk sharing networks. 3 Human milk banks provide pasteurised, screened donor milk.

There are documented benefits and risks to informal milk sharing. Benefits of human milk include, but are not limited to:

optimal nutrition

easy digestibility

immunological protection

Risks of sharing milk can include, but are not limited to:

transmission of certain infectious agents, like bacteria or viruses, some of which may be found in milk expressed by asymptomatic people

medicines and other drugs

environmental contaminants as a result of unhygienic storage and handling of unprocessed donated milk

Human Milk for Human Babies (HM4HB) is an "informed milk sharing network", and is an international organisation that many parents use to source human milk: https://www.facebook.com/HM4HBUK/

LLL Support

All parents need support and La Leche League is a great place to find it. There are over 70 LLL groups across Great Britain, most offer meetings open to all - contact your local group to find out how they can support you. Many groups also have closed Facebook groups where you can ask questions and connect with other nursing parents.

LLL meetings are held in a wide range of venues - LLLGB is not affiliated to, and does not endorse or support, any business, organisation or religion whose premises we use. https://laleche.org.uk/find-lll-support-group/?fref=gc

LLLGB also offers these services:
National Helpline: 0345 120 2918 https://laleche.org.uk/telephone-helpline/
Online Helpform support: https://laleche.org.uk/submit-help-request/
Contact us for non judgmental information and support.

Find more LLLGB support listed here:
https://laleche.org.uk/get-support/?fref=gc<

Other support

International Facebook group for 'birthing and breast or chestfeeding trans people and allies': https://www.facebook.com/groups/TransReproductiveSupport/?fref=gc&hc_location=ufi

La Leche League - Inducing lactation and relactation Facebook group

Resources

Where's the Mother? Stories from a Transgender Dad. Trevor MacDonald: Trans Canada Press, 2016

LLL article: Support for Transgender and Non-binary parents

Defining Your Own Success: Breastfeeding After Breast Reduction Surgery. Diana West: LLLI, 2001:
https://www.bfar.org/book.shtml

My Journey: Non-binary Nursing - from LLLUS
https://lllusa.org/my-journey-non-binary-nursing/

Trans breastfeeding FAQ:
http://dianawest.com/trans-breastfeeding-faq/?fref=gc

US based website Kellymom's post:
http://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/transgender-parents-chestbreastfeeding/?fref=gc

Transmasculine individuals' experiences with lactation, chestfeeding, and gender identity: a qualitative study:
https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-016-0907-y?fref=gc

Transgender/transsexual/genderfluid Tip Sheet - General Information, LLL Canada
https://www.lllc.ca/sites/default/files/REVISED-Trans-Nursing_Tip-Sheet.pdf

Breastfeeding without giving birth, LLLI article by Aylssa Schnell
https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-without-giving-birth-2

Language

We are aware that transgender and non-binary individuals use a variety of different terms to describe their anatomy and the acts of feeding and nurturing their babies. We have used the terms "chestfeeding" and "nursing", with the second of these capturing the nurturing relationship associated with this way of feeding a baby.

Elsewhere on the site we use 'breastfeeding', 'breastmilk' and 'mother': they reflect the founding and unchanged mission of LLLI to provide mother-to-mother support for breastfeeding. They also reflect the stated identity and valued role of the majority of people whom we support and provide information to - those who identify as breastfeeding mothers.

Whatever language you use we hope that much of the information we share is still helpful and relevant.

References
1 La Leche League International Bylaws, Section 1: General Purpose
2 http://kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/transgender-parents-chestbreastfeeding/?fref=gc
3 http://leadertoday.breastfeedingtoday-llli.org/milk-donation-policy/

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Support for Transgender & Non-binary Parents - La Leche League GB

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La Leche League is an international, nonprofit, nonsectarian organisation.1 LLLGB supports everyone who wants to breastfeed or chestfeed in reaching their goals. We do not discriminate based on sex, gender or gender identity. Trans men, trans women and non-binary individuals may choose to breastfeed or chestfeed their babies.

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Video showing how to achieve a good attachment to ensure effective breast feeding

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Video showing how to achieve a good attachment to ensure effective breast feeding

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In this video, a breastfeeding counsellor helps a mother with her positioning and attachment whilst breastfeeding.

Key to achieving the Baby Friendly standards is a workforce able to support mothers to breastfeed effectively. This video provides some guidance on this.

You can see more of the 'From Bump to Breastfeeding' DVD on the Best Beginnings website.

Video not working? Contact us

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Positioning and attachment video - Baby Friendly Initiativ

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In this video, a breastfeeding counsellor helps a mother with her positioning and attachment whilst breastfeeding. Watch to learn more.

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Five to Thrive is for first time parents with a baby up to 6 months, it is an interactive 5 week course that explains how the 5 different aspects allow your baby’s brain to grow, enabling baby to develop

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Five to Thrive New Parents : Isle Of Wight Family Centres

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Breastfeeding Information from the World Health Organisation 

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Breastfeeding Information from the World Health Organisation 

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WHO actively promotes breastfeeding as the best source of nourishment for infants and young children, and is working to increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months up to at least 50% by 2025.

WHO and UNICEF created the Global Breastfeeding Collective to rally political, legal, financial, and public support for breastfeeding. The Collective brings together implementers and donors from governments, philanthropies, international organizations, and civil society.

WHO's Network for Global Monitoring and Support for Implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, also known as NetCode, works to ensure that breast-milk substitutes are not marketed inappropriately.

Additionally, WHO provides training courses for health workers to provide skilled support to breastfeeding mothers, help them overcome problems, and monitor the growth of children.

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Breastfeeding is the normal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. Virtually, all mothers can breastfeed, provided they have accurate information and the support of their family, the health care system and society at large.

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Comfortable breastfeeding - quick read - La Leche League GB

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Comfortable positioning and attachment are important for all mothers. You will have time to practice with your baby while your breasts are still soft before your milk increases. The earlier you start, the easier it is. Hold your baby in skin-to-skin contact right after birth -continue this for as much time as you can during […]

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UNICEF guide around night-time and safe sleep 

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UNICEF guide around night-time and safe sleep 

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NHS advice for Transgender and non binary parents and carers

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NHS advice for Transgender and non binary parents and carers

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Chestfeeding if you're trans or non-binary

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If you are trans or non-binary and are thinking about chestfeeding your baby, find out your options and further information here.

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Unicef Baby Friendly Initiative - Breastfeeding in the UK

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Unicef Baby Friendly Initiative - Breastfeeding in the UK

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Get the latest news and research updates from Baby Friendly

Sign up today

Find out about breastfeeding rates in the UK and our work to improve them.

Breastfeeding: a public health issue

Breastfeeding is a highly emotive subject in the UK because so many families have not breastfed, or have experienced the trauma of trying very hard to breastfeed and not succeeding. The pain felt by so many parents at any implication that they have not done the best for their child can close down conversation. It is time to stop laying the blame for the UK's low breastfeeding rates in the laps of individual women and instead acknowledge that this is a public health imperative for which government, policy makers, communities and families all share responsibility.

Unicef UK urges the UK and devolved governments to implement four key actions to create a supportive, enabling environment for women who want to breastfeed. Find out more about our Call to Action campaign.

Breastfeeding rates in the UK

In the UK we have some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world, with eight out of ten women stopping breastfeeding before they want to.

The last UK-wide Infant Feeding Survey was conducted in 2010, and we are calling on UK governments to reinstate this. Key findings were:

Breastfeeding initiation: 81% (up from 76% in 2005).

Exclusive breastfeeding at six weeks was 24% in England compared to 17% in Wales and 13% in Northern Ireland - see below for more recent survey results from Scotland.

Exclusive breastfeeding at three months: 17% (up from 13% in 2005).

Exclusive breastfeeding at four months: 12% (up from 7% in 2005).

Exclusive breastfeeding at six months (as recommended by the World Health Organization) remained at around 1%.

The rate of any breastfeeding at six weeks was 55% (rising from 48% in 2005), while at six months it was 34% (rising from 25% in 2005). These improvements coincided with a marked increase in engagement with the Baby Friendly Initiative.

In 2018 Scotland released results from its Maternal and Infant Nutrition Survey, highlighting marked improvements in breastfeeding rates - particularly the rise in breastfeeding at six months from 32% in 2010 to 43% in 2017. The results highlight the positive impact of a national infant feeding strategy, including supporting 100% of maternity and community services in Scotland to achieve Baby Friendly accreditation.

All about breastfeeding

Find out more about the benefits of a successful breastfeeding relationship

Improving UK breastfeeding rates

Improving the UK's breastfeeding rates would have a profoundly positive impact on child health. For example, increasing the number of babies who are breastfed could cut the incidence of common childhood illnesses such as ear, chest and gut infections and save the NHS up to £50 million each year. Breastfeeding rates in comparable European countries, with similar population sizes and demographics, show that it is possible to increase rates with a supportive breastfeeding culture and the political will to do so.

A key aspect of improving breastfeeding rates is the provision of face-to-face, ongoing, predictable support to families across all public services, and social support in the local community. The Baby Friendly Initiative enables mothers to receive this help within healthcare services, delivering a holistic, child-rights based pathway for improving care. We provide the crucial impetus that busy health professionals need to raise standards, enabling them to prioritise what is best for each and every child above the pressures of tightening funds and staff numbers, and providing an achievable roadmap for improvement.

Unicef, working in partnership with the WHO, is uniquely placed to deliver this life-saving work. We have the knowledge, credibility and infrastructure to work with an organization the size of the NHS to put the standards in place to make a difference to children's lives across the UK. For an outline of how Baby Friendly can impact long term public health outcomes, see our Theory of change document on the About Baby Friendly page.

Find breastfeeding statistics and policies for each country in the UK

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Breastfeeding in the UK - Baby Friendly Initiative

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Get the latest news and research updates from Baby Friendly Sign up today Find out about breastfeeding rates in the UK and our work to improve them. Breastfeeding is a highly emotive subject in the UK because so many families have not breastfed, or have experienced the trauma of trying very hard to breastfeed and not succeeding.

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Safe Sleep - latest research and information from BASIS

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Safe Sleep - latest research and information from BASIS

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The Breastfeeding Network                     Independent breastfeeding support and information           

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The Breastfeeding Network                     Independent breastfeeding support and information           

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The Breastfeeding Network | Independent Breastfeeding Support

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The Breastfeeding Network (BfN) is an independent source of support and information for breastfeeding women and others.

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Scroll through the list of podcasts to find our infant peer support worker Jo talking alongside NHS Infant Feeding Lead and lactation consultant, Nikki, and Clinical Team Co-ordinator with the Health Visiting Team, Harriet, all about breastfeeding and the support available on the Isle of Wight

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Vectis Radio Supporting the Islands Community

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The Birth Hub is an all inclusive, welcoming community of respected, independent service providers on the Isle of Wight that, together, build a network that empowers and supports families before, during and after birth.

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The Birth Hub is an all inclusive, welcoming community of respected, independent service providers on the Isle of Wight that, together, build a network that empowers and supports families before, during and after birth.