Get Free Breastfeeding Advice While You Shop

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at Southside Shopping Centre during National Breastfeeding Week

People living in Wandsworth have a chance to learn more about breastfeeding at Southside Shopping Centre during National Breastfeeding Week, which runs from Monday 11 May to Friday 15 May 2009.

Staff from the NHS Wandsworth Health Visiting team, including health visitors and dieticians as well as community midwives from St.George’s Hospital in Tooting, will be raising awareness about breastfeeding in the local community and answering questions and offering practical advice each day from 10.30am to 2.30pm outside Primark.

Come along to get free expert breastfeeding advice, enter a free prize draw, and take home a goody bag and lots of breastfeeding information.

You can also find out more about Wandsworth’s new pregnancy website, Wandsworth Little Feet www.wandsworthlittlefeet.nhs.uk, launching in May 2009.

The aim of National Breastfeeding Week is to highlight that breastfeeding is the healthiest option for mothers and babies, and that mums have the right to breastfeed at any time in any place. This year’s theme is ‘Breastfeeding: every day makes a difference to your baby.’

Helen Simpson, Specialist Health Visitor, says:

“NHS Wandsworth health care professionals will support a woman’s choice whether she decides to breast or formula feed her baby. But we would like to take this opportunity during Breastfeeding Awareness Week to highlight that breastfeeding has many health benefits for mum and baby. Coming to our roadshow is a great opportunity for the public to find out more about breastfeeding and ask us any questions.”

If you cannot make it to the roadshow but want breastfeeding advice you should talk to your health visitor, midwife, local breastfeeding café or clinic, or call one of the national breastfeeding help lines.

The Wandsworth Little Feet website has been designed by NHS staff with input from local mums. The website is a one-stop shop for new mums and mums-to-be containing up-to-date information on pregnancy, breastfeeding and weaning. The website has links to local services in Wandsworth giving support to all the family on lots of different issues, like how to stop smoking, and rights and benefits. Members of the public will also be able to go online to find out dates and times of Wandsworth childcare and parent groups, walks, breastfeeding cafés, and other new groups.

People can register via the website to receive a monthly Wandsworth Little Feet newsletter to keep up-to-date on local activities in the borough.

People who provide feedback on the website will also be put forward for a monthly prize draw to win a breastfeeding or weaning goody bag.

 

May 13, 2009