PARENTING
Mums Marian, Amy and Sam with their children
at Grange Children’s Centre
Being baby friendly
New parents often complain that they are given contradictory advice when they
are coping with the many challenges a baby and toddler provide. A free service is
setting out to change all of that.
E
aling Council is currently
implementing UNICEF’s Baby
Friendly Initiative throughout
its children’s centres and
health visiting service. Having ‘Baby
Friendly’ centres means that parents
can access consistent, accurate advice
about everything from feeding to
sleeping and even forming a close
relationship with the baby.
It is being co-ordinated by Caroline
Neale, a registered midwife and
lactation consultant; and
specialist health visitor
Katharine Curren.
and to never need picking up when
they cry.
“Those who use our free service have
lots to say about how overwhelmed
they had felt and how getting consistent
advice and reassurance about normal
newborn feeding and sleep patterns
have helped them through it.”
In different centres throughout the
borough, parents can book one-to-one
appointments with feeding specialists
as well as attend baby massage classes
and newborn behaviour
classes. There is also a
baby-sling ‘library’ which
lends parents a sling
‘LOTS OF MYTHS
for up to four weeks,
NEED BUSTING’
free of charge. There
As Caroline
are weekly group
explained: “Parents
drop–in sessions for
need support but
mums, no matter how
they are not always
they are feeding their
Dani Collins with
baby Ella
given realistic advice.
baby; as well as a ‘six
We live in a culture that
months and over club’ where
expects babies to eat at fixed
mums discuss going back to work,
times and to sleep through the night
baby-led weaning and the joys and
challenges of having an older baby.
All these sessions are free.
‘IT MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE’
We asked a group of mums at Grange
Children’s Centre in South Ealing what
they thought.
Sam Froggatt has been attending
sessions there since her son was five
days old. She said: “It made all the
difference and I wish I had known then
what I know now.”
Mariam Al-Bahrani from Greenford
said: “Lactation consultants are really
under-emphasised and not suggested
enough.”
“I was in a bit of a mess when I
found the phone number,” said Amy
Charlwood, of South Ealing. “This
place is a real lifesaver, and it is free.”
“I don’t know what I’d have done
without it,” agreed Dani Collins from
West Ealing.
Read the full story, and get more
details, at ealingnewsextra.co.uk/
features/baby-friendly
around ealing June 2018
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