Preconception to Birth

The journey of Preconception to Birth will be filled with emotions, challenges and new experiences, this section will guide you through this journey with support from all our service providers.

Preconception
Pregnancy and labour

NHS

This guide includes all you need to know about trying for a baby, pregnancy, labour and birth.
https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/

NHS – Merseyside and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals – Your pregnancy and birth

The Maternity Team aim to provide the best possible experience for mothers, babies and families. The majority of women experience very normal pregnancies and we have a full range of options for maternity care throughout your pregnancy and birth journey.
https://sthk.merseywestlancs.nhs.uk/your-pregnancy-and-birth

NHS – Merseyside and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals – Antenatal Care

Our community midwifery teams offer a full range of antenatal services, parent education, aquanatal, birthing at home and postnatal care.
https://so.merseywestlancs.nhs.uk/antenatal-care

Liverpool Women’s – During your pregnancy

The team of specialists who deliver antenatal care and beyond can include midwives, an obstetrician, an anaesthetist, a paediatrician, health worker and sometimes a dietician.
https://www.liverpoolwomens.nhs.uk/our-services/maternity/your-antenatal-care/during-your-pregnancy/
Healthy you, healthy baby

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. Money will be automatically added to your card every 4 weeks.
https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/

Healthy Start – Vitamins

Young children may not get enough vitamin A and D even if they’re eating well. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you may not get enough vitamin C, vitamin D or folic acid. Get these important vitamins for free by using your NHS Healthy Start card. You can get NHS Healthy Start women’s tablets and children’s drops.
They do not contain milk, egg, gluten, soya or peanut residues. They’re suitable for vegetarians and halal diets.
You can get the vitamin tablets while you are pregnant and up to your baby’s first birthday.
https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/getting-vitamins/
Local support and contacts

Knowsley Early Years Service

Groups and support for ante-natal and families with children 0-5.
https://knowsleyearlyyears.co.uk/home/

Home-Start Knowsley – Perinatal Support

The Perinatal Project is here to support you from pregnancy to when your child reaches 2 years old. Home-Start Knowsley’s Perinatal Support Worker and volunteers offer non-judgemental support and will provide you with information to make sure you get the best support possible for your family from day one.
http://homestartknowsley.org.uk/perinatal-support/

Centre 63 -Social Supermarket

Centre 63 are supporting users long term through the devastation and financial pressures which were and are still impacting on them today as a direct result of Covid19. This service has helped reduce the number of people using Food banks. It also offers support and promotes a balanced diet offering a variety of healthy food choices.
https://www.centre63.org.uk/social-supermarket/

TDCA – Social Supermarket

The Social Supermarket will be open from 9am till 3pm in the Hub at New Hutte Neighbourhood Centre and provides discounted products to Halewood Residents registered with the Social Supermarket.
https://tdcaonline.co.uk/?page_id=909
Mental health and infant mental health

If you are in mental health crisis and no longer feel able to cope or be in control of your situation and need urgent help, you can call the NHS Mental Health crisis line. NHS staff will then support you to get the help you need. Available for people of all ages, including children and young people, available 24/7.
Call freephone 0800 051 1508.

Knowsley Council – Mental Health and Wellbeing Support

We know that sometimes life can be tough – money worries, relationship problems, stresses with school life – but you’re not on your own and there’s lots of help and support available to you. Whether it’s to a friend, family member, a teacher, your GP or one of the many support agencies, it’s good to talk.
https://www.knowsley.gov.uk/residents/health/mental-health-and-wellbeing-support

Specialist Perinatal Service

One in five women experiences mental health problems during pregnancy or in the first year after birth. Specialist Perinatal Service provide important mental health assessment and support for local women and birthing people experiencing mental health issues during this time.
They provide one to one assessment and ongoing support if you are pregnant or have a baby who is under 24 months. They offer pregnancy planning support appointments if you are thinking about, or planning to have, a baby.
https://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/our-services/liverpool/specialist-perinatal-service

Building Attachment and Bonds Service (BABS)

BABS offer specialist, therapeutic parent-infant mental health support during pregnancy and in the postnatal period – they can help parents to ‘separate out’ their own past and present struggles and issues, which without this specialist support, can have a huge impact on the parent-infant bond, relationship and mental health of both.
They provide easy to engage, non-judgemental parent-infant therapy and support, for pregnant women, new parents and their partners, who struggle with their emotional wellbeing, other vulnerabilities, and who have concerns about their bonding and relationship with their baby. They are a team of clinical psychologists parent infant therapists and multi-disciplinary professionals and volunteers who are passionate and committed to supporting parents in the Knowsley communities.
https://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/our-services/knowsley/building-bonds-and-attachment-service-babs

The DadPad App

The DadPad app is an easy to use, freely downloadable resource for new dads, partners, parents and dads to be in the Cheshire and Merseyside area, packed with relevant information, as well as details on local support groups and service providers. Its aim is to provide new fathers with guidance on how to develop the mindset, confidence and practical skills needed to meet their babies’ physical and emotional needs.
https://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/about-us/news/new-app-marks-international-fathers-mental-health-awareness-day

Silver Birch Hubs – Maternal Mental Health Service

Working in collaboration with the Improving Me, Local Maternity System in Cheshire and Merseyside and Cheshire & Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to deliver the Maternal Mental Health Service. The service supports local communities to access treatment and care if they’ve experienced loss, distress or trauma during pregnancy and birth.
The service is made up of therapists, psychologists, assistant psychologists, specialist midwives and peer support workers. Their role is to identify distress that has come from your maternity, neonatal or reproductive journey. They work to support trauma, loss and fear around pregnancy and the maternity setting for those experiencing moderate to severe mental health.
https://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/our-services/liverpool/maternal-mental-health-service
Health visiting

Wirral Community Health and Care – Health Visiting Knowsley

The Health Visiting Service in Knowsley delivers the Healthy Child Programme to all parents and families of pre-school children.
Their team includes health visitors, community health nurses and nursery nurses. They are specialists in child health and development and provide a range of information, support, and advice to ensure families are fully supported to give their children the best possible start in life.
https://www.wchc.nhs.uk/services/health-visiting-knowsley/
Healthy knowsley

Healthy Knowsley

When you’re pregnant it seems like you’re offered a lot of information. The different magazines, website and books tell you what you should, and should not do, for the next nine months. Understandably it can be hard to know where to go for trustworthy advice. Healthy Knowsley have pulled together some top tips and the week by week guide is full of useful Knowsley information.
https://www.healthyknowsley.co.uk/Home/PregnancyLanding
Financial support

Knowsley Council – Cost of Living Support

We know that the extra costs of food and essentials and the rising domestic energy prices are adding significant pressures to household budgets for many people in Knowsley. But there is help and support available to help you with essentials such as food, help with energy costs (prepayment and credit meters).
https://www.knowsleynews.co.uk/cost-of-living-support/

Knowsley Citizens Advice

Citizens Advice Knowsley provides free, impartial, independent and confidential advice to residents of Knowsley.
https://www.citizensadviceknowsley.org.uk/

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. Money will be automatically added to your card every 4 weeks.
https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/

Healthy Start – Vitamins

Young children may not get enough vitamin A and D even if they’re eating well. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you may not get enough vitamin C, vitamin D or folic acid. Get these important vitamins for free by using your NHS Healthy Start card. You can get NHS Healthy Start women’s tablets and children’s drops.
They do not contain milk, egg, gluten, soya or peanut residues. They’re suitable for vegetarians and halal diets.
You can get the vitamin tablets while you are pregnant and up to your baby’s first birthday.
https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/getting-vitamins/

Centre 63 -Social Supermarket

Centre 63 are supporting users long term through the devastation and financial pressures which were and are still impacting on them today as a direct result of Covid19. This service has helped reduce the number of people using Food banks. It also offers support and promotes a balanced diet offering a variety of healthy food choices.
https://www.centre63.org.uk/social-supermarket/

TDCA – Social Supermarket

The Social Supermarket will be open from 9am till 3pm in the Hub at New Hutte Neighbourhood Centre and provides discounted products to Halewood Residents registered with the Social Supermarket.
https://tdcaonline.co.uk/?page_id=909
Breastfeeding Pledge

A new Breastfeeding Friendly Pledge has been launched in Knowsley this week during World Breastfeeding Week (1-7 August).
World Breastfeeding Week aims to raise awareness of the health and wellbeing outcomes of breastfeeding around the world and to support mothers to breastfeed.

Many public venues and businesses across Knowsley already welcome and support breastfeeding families and this new Breastfeeding Friendly Pledge will help families identify where these places are.
By signing the pledge, businesses are committing to a small number of acts that can make a big difference to a parent who is breastfeeding, including providing a clean and comfortable environment, offering a drink of water and where possible taking drinks and food orders to the parent so not to interrupt a baby’s feed.
Venues and businesses that are signed up to the pledge will display a Knowsley Breastfeeding Friendly sticker in their window and a signed copy of the pledge on the premises.
Already, 15 venues have signed the pledge, including cafes, bars and restaurants across Knowsley and Knowsley libraries in Halewood, Huyton, Kirkby and Prescot.

Cllr Christine Bannon, Knowsley’s Cabinet Member for Health said: “Breastfeeding for even a short period brings many health benefits to mother and baby, but the longer breastfeeding continues the better.
“World Breastfeeding Week is an opportunity to highlight the fantastic services available to support mothers and babies in Knowsley and by launching the Breastfeeding Friendly Pledge, we are helping parents to find places where they will feel welcome and supported.”

Support when you need it

Families in Knowsley can access support from their health visiting services.
Knowsley’s Breastfeeding Buddy support service offers virtual and face-to-face support for all families both ante-natal and post-natal. There are also weekly drop-in sessions at Hilltop Children’s Centre and The Pride Children’s Centre.
The Infant Feeding Team offer a range of opportunities for families to access support in the local community.
Knowsley Early Years Service offer the HENRY programme to support families through the weaning journey.

Benefits of breastfeeding

One of the most effective ways to ensure a mother and child’s health and wellbeing is breastfeeding. Breast milk is safe, clean, free, and in the first six months of life solely provides all the nutrients needed for protection and development. The current breastfeeding recommendations produced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests exclusively breastfeeding for six months after delivery and then up to 2 years and beyond along with complimentary foods.
Research shows that breastfeeding has a range of long-term and short-term health benefits for mother and baby including reducing the likelihood of obesity, reducing the risk of developing asthma and allergies, a positive impact on mental health issues and a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer for mothers.
Knowsley has one of the lowest rates of breastfeeding in England. In Knowsley 43.6% of babies first feed is breastmilk, this is significantly lower than both the North West (62.4%) and England (67.4%) averages.

Next: 0 - 1 Years

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