Ante-Natal and Pregnancy
BFS: delivering education, health and wellbeing for children and young people aged 0 to 19 in Birmingham.
BFS antenatal and breastfeeding support
What is the BFS Antenatal Offer?
Birmingham Forward Steps offers all pregnant women the opportunity to explore their thoughts and feelings during pregnancy. We can support you to recognise and respond to your baby's needs and develop a positive relationship with your growing baby in utero.
We can also support you to explore your thoughts and feelings about feeding your baby.
Antenatal and new baby activities
Your local Family Hub or Children's Centre runs the following activities that will give you opportunities to meet other parents and ask any questions you have regarding your baby's development.
- Learn about Baby Massage has a variety of benefits for both parent and baby. Your calming touch will let your baby feel nurtured, loved and cared for. It will allow your baby to feel more relaxed which may improve sleep, help with colic, constipation, and teething pains. Each gentle stroke will bring you and your baby closer together building your bond with baby.
- Baby Group will give you ideas and inspiration of what to do to help with your baby development at home. These include communication, language, physical development, and social and emotional development.
- Parental Emotional Wellbeing Workers support women, children and the wider family by offering a range of interventions to support mental health through pregnancy and up to the babies first year of life and beyond. They offer wellness skills to help you feel emotionally well one-to-one or in group work.
To find out more information and how to access these activities by contacting your local Family Hub or Children's Centre.
Antenatal parenting programmes
***SOLIHULL APPROACH NO LONGER EXISTS - IT'S NOW TOGETHERNESS - DO WE RUN IT?***
The Antenatal Solihull Approach Course, offered by Birmingham Forward Steps is a free five week course designed for all pregnant women, partners and family members.
You'll learn about pregnancy, labour and birth and your baby in a friendly, safe space. You can find details on the next available course by contacting your local Family Hub or Children's Centre.
We also offer free Solihull Approach understanding your pregnancy, labour, birth and your baby virtual classes. (Available in Arabic, English, Urdu, and Welsh. Women couples classes are also available) please click here to book.
A whole range of other courses including Bump and Me are available. Contact your local Family Hub or Children's Centre or visit their Facebook page for updates and timetables.
Antenatal home visit
Every expectant mother in Birmingham will receive a letter from a local Health Visiting team between 28 and 34 weeks gestation informing them of Health Visiting services and what the Family Hubs and Children Centres offer.
Once received, expectant mothers can have the opportunity to contact the Health Visiting team if needed for support, advice and an antenatal visit to help prepare a positive bond with baby and enable professionals to identify any extra support which may be needed for families.
This early engagement will compliment support from the midwife.
To contact your local Health Visiting team, please call the BFS Health Visiting Hub on 0121 683 2330.
As part of the Antenatal Offer, you can also contact the Antenatal Infant Feeding Worker in your local Family Hub or Children's Centre. They also have a Duty Worker who can give you advice and guidance on wider issues.
Dad groups
We provide Dads groups across the city to provide a network of support and advice. For more information, get in touch with your local Family Hub or Children's Centre.
Exploring feeding options
To explore options on how you could feed your baby:
BUMP Feeding your baby booklet
You can discuss these options further with your midwife, health visitor or your local antenatal infant feeding worker who will help you make an informed decision that is right for your family: contact your local Family Hub or Children's Centre..
Your local Antenatal Infant Feeding Worker runs local Breastfeeding Support Lounges, which offer friendly spaces for you to access information and support towards getting breastfeeding off to the best start.
At the lounges you can establish breastfeeding with positioning and attachment advice before baby is born. We also offer advice on responsive breastfeeding to help you, your baby and partner have a positive feeding journey.
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NHS: Best Start in Life: from finding out your due date, early pregnancy signs and symptoms, to getting ready for labour and birth - this is your complete pregnancy guide. |
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National Childbirth Trust: supports thousands of expectant and new parents across the UK. |
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