Advice and help with your pregnancy
Having support, be it from family, friends or a local service is important as you undergo your pregnancy. We are here to give you the most accurate advice and guidance throughout your pregnancy.
NHS Children's Hub
There are dedicated medical teams in your community who are there to support you throughout your pregnancy. By going to your check-ups, these teams will be able to make sure that you and your baby are healthy.
The Children's Hub offers a live chat service and can also be contacted on 0800 170 7055.
NHS
The NHS offers valuable resources and support for you during your pregnancy. These offerings include:
- antenatal care and health visitors
- bonding with your unborn baby
- safety in pregnancy
- emotional, nutritional and physical wellbeing
- illness and symptom management
- what happens when pregnancy doesn't go to plan
Strong Start Antenatal support
Strong Start is a local service, staffed by skilled professionals, who give advice and support to pregnant mums. The team works closely with health and children's services and also supports any parent or carer who contacts them.
Finding out that you are going to become a parent or carer can be amazing and exciting but can also leave you with a lot of questions. Building a relationship with baby starts from conception. The Strong Start virtual support programme aims to provide information on the most frequently asked questions and topics to help guide you into parenthood, different aspects of pregnancy and the first few weeks of life for a newborn.
YouTube videos
Pregnancy
- Body changes
- Foetal development
- Keeping active
- Medication during pregnancy
- Mental health
- Oral health
- Support services
Preparation
- Preparing for baby
- Safety
Arrival
- Feeding your baby
- Safe sleep
- Sudden infant death syndrome – SIDS
- Support services
1-to-1 support
Strong Start offers advice and support on a 1-to-1 basis.
Face-to-face
Strong Start offers face-to-face group events including Bumps and Babies, a weekly bookable session available for families from around 28 weeks gestation to 6 months. The sessions include key messages and public health information relevant to your stage of pregnancy and there will be opportunities to socialise with other families and develop peer support groups. There is a free library service offer of pregnancy and baby books and leaflets to borrow and read at your leisure. Different professional guests are on hand from week to week with any relevant support and information. Sessions are tailor made to suit families needs.
Vitamins
Healthy Start vitamins support during pregnancy and breastfeeding if you are more than 10 weeks pregnant.
You may be entitled to free vitamins while you are pregnant and up to your baby's first birthday.
Once registered for the scheme, Healthy Start vitamins can be ordered through the Strong Start team.
Nappy loan
Strong Start operates a real nappy loan scheme for parents or carers to be. A pack of reusable newborn sized cloth nappies are loaned for 6 weeks to help families decide if they want to use real nappies.
Last updated 14 June 2023