Early Years Support in Middlesbrough

Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond Classes

Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond is a friendly and supportive course for expectant parents.

The course includes four sessions before your baby is born, plus an extra session after birth where you can meet other parents and their babies.

The sessions are led by a team of midwives, health visitors, and Family Hub staff who work together to support you through your pregnancy and beyond.

You can ask your community midwife if you’d like to know more.

For more information, visit the Healthier Together website.

If you are having any difficulties with breastfeeding, it’s important to get help as soon as possible.

You can speak to your midwife, health visitor, or an infant feeding specialist – they are there to support you.

The NHS website also has lots of useful information about common breastfeeding problems and what you can do to manage them.

You’re not alone, and support is always available to help you and your baby.

Visit the NHS website for more information.

If you need advice during pregnancy or after your baby is born, you can call the Maternity Advice Line on 01609 763093.

Support and information about breastfeeding is also available, and you can arrange a visit to the Friarage Maternity Centre if you would like face-to-face help with feeding.

You can also find helpful videos about breastfeeding on the South Tees NHS website.

If you need non-urgent support with feeding your baby, you can email us at stees.infantfeedingteam@nhs.net

As part of the email, please include:

• your name

• your contact details

• a brief message about the support you need

A member of the team will get back to you as soon as they can.

Please note: Emails are only checked during regular working hours (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday).

Our team includes health visitors and nurses who have had extra training in breastfeeding and infant feeding.

Some members of the team are IBCLCs (International Board Certified Lactation Consultants), which means they have special expertise in supporting babies and families with feeding.

You can get in touch with the HDFT Infant Feeding Team for advice, support, or just a listening ear by calling 0300 303 1603.

Breastfeeding support groups are friendly, informal drop-in sessions for anyone who has questions about breastfeeding or wants to meet other parents who are breastfeeding their babies.

You’re welcome to come along:

• before your baby is born, to learn what breastfeeding is like

• after your baby is born, for advice, support, or just a friendly chat

Some sessions also offer support with other infant feeding questions, including bottle feeding or expressing milk.

Everyone is welcome – you don’t need to book, just drop in when it suits you.

For more information, please visit the Middlesbrough Family Hubs website.

Need support with breastfeeding?
Parents are welcome to come along for help — both before and after their baby is born. The infant feeding team is there to offer advice, answer questions, or simply have a friendly chat with other breastfeeding mums.

There are lots of support sessions happening across South Tees, and most don’t need a referral — you can just turn up! If you’d like to attend the session at Middlesbrough Sports Village, though, you’ll need a referral from your health visitor or the infant feeding team.

Breastfeeding Support Sessions

Tuesdays, 10am to 11:30am – Middlesbrough Sports Village, TS4 3AE

By appointment only. If you have any infant feeding concerns, please book an appointment through your Health Visitor.

This session runs alongside other activities.

If you do not have any feeding concerns, you are welcome to come along, meet other breastfeeding parents, and share your experiences, hints, and tips.

Please note: there are no facilities to have your baby weighed at this session.

Tuesdays, 10am to 11:30am – West Middlesbrough Family Hub, TS5 4JS

Come along and meet other breastfeeding parents to chat about your breastfeeding journey and share hints and tips with our Peer Supporters (trained parents who can offer friendly advice).

No need to book – just drop in.

Thursdays, 12:30pm to 2:30pm – Abingdon Family Hub, Abingdon Road, TS1 3JR

Appointments are available if you have any feeding concerns – please book through your Health Visitor.

You are also welcome to come along to meet other breastfeeding parents and chat with our Peer Supporters.

A self-weighing station will be available for you to check your baby’s weight.

To book an appointment, call 0300 303 1603.

If you would like your baby weighed and do not have a booked appointment for feeding concerns, please book into one of our Healthy Weight Clinics.

We are here to support you on your breastfeeding journey. Whether you are just starting out, have questions, or need a little extra help, our friendly drop-in sessions are a great place to get support from trained professionals and connect with other parents.

• Abingdon Family Hub, Abingdon Road, TS1 3JR
  Thursdays, 12:30pm to 2:30pm
  Please contact your Health Visitor to arrange an appointment for this session.

• Easterside Library and Community Hub, Broughton Avenue, TS4 3PZ
  Mondays, 11am to 12:30pm
  This is a drop-in session – no appointment needed.

We welcome all parents and carers who are breastfeeding or expressing milk. Come for advice, reassurance, or just a friendly chat.

The Healthy Child App is a handy way to find advice and support for your child’s health and development.

It includes a live Health Chat feature where you can message a health professional directly, plus helpful advice and links to trusted websites about the health of children and families.

Visit the Healthier Together website for more information on the app.

If you have questions about breastfeeding or just need someone to talk to, the National Breastfeeding Helpline is here for you.

You can speak to a trained volunteer who understands what you’re going through and can offer friendly, non-judgemental support.

The helpline is free to call on 0300 100 0212

The helpline is open every day from 9:30am to 9:30pm and is available in multiple languages.

The Association of Breastfeeding Mothers (ABM) offers free support to parents through trained breastfeeding counsellors.

They also run a National Breastfeeding Helpline (in partnership with the Breastfeeding Network and provide easy-to-read resources and factsheets about common breastfeeding questions and challenges.

For more information, visit the ABM website.

The NCT Infant Feeding Line is a free helpline ran by the National Childbirth Trust (NCT). It offers practical and emotional support for anyone who has questions or concerns about breastfeeding, bottle feeding, expressing, or mixed feeding.

For more information, visit the NCT Breastfeeding website.

Or call the free helpline (option 1) on 0300 330 0700

The line is open every day from 8am to midnight, including bank holidays.

We encourage everyone to try breastfeeding if they can, but we know that every family is different. If you choose to bottle feed, we are here to support you too.

You can still build a strong, loving bond with your baby by:

• using skin-to-skin contact

• feeding in response to your baby’s hunger cues

• holding your baby close during feeds

For advice on how to prepare formula safely and tips to help you get off to a good start with bottle feeding visit the Unicef website