Infant feeding
Thurrock Infant Feeding Service is now available 7 days a week!
Thurrock Infant Feeding Team, part of the Thurrock Healthy Families Service and Thurrock Family Hubs, are delighted to announce the expansion of their service to now include 7 days a week support service.
- Talk to an infant feeding specialist Mon-Sun, 9am to 5pm.
- Send us a direct message via our Facebook Page here: Thurrock Infant Feeding Team on Facebook
- Call us on 0300 300 1999
Help and advice on infant feeding,from an expert when you need it.
About the Thurrock Infant Feeding Service
The Healthy Families Team, alongside the Family Hubs across Thurrock, strive to offer you the support you need to have a successful and enjoyable experience feeding your baby.
Our aim as the Infant feeding and Family Hub team is to support parents with all aspects of feeding their baby, whether that is helping them to breastfeed for as long as they want to, or support and guidance with formula feeding and introducing solid food. We work to make this experience as enjoyable and as successful as possible.
We are proud that all Staff in our team and Family Hubs who provide one to one Infant feeding support and advice have successfully completed a UNICEF baby friendly Tier 3 Course in Infant Feeding Support and have regular updates and reviews of practical skills.
Parents who have made the decision to formula feed are supported to do so as safely and responsively as possible.
When to expect contact from the Infant Feeding Team
Antenatal - (Before baby is born)
After 28 weeks pregnancy
We will contact you to offer information and advice regarding infant feeding in preparation for when your baby is born. You will have ongoing open access to our service
Postnatal (Once baby is born)
Within 24-48 hours
We will contact you to find out how you have decided to feed your baby and provide support and information if required. You will have ongoing open access to our service
4 weeks
We will contact you to find out how you are getting on with your feeding journey and offer you further support if needed. You will have ongoing open access to our service.
3 months
We will contact you to offer advice and information and give you any updates on our service. You will have ongoing open access to our service.
4 months
We will contact you to invite you to our Introducing Solid Food Workshop in preparation for when your baby reaches 6 months old. You will have ongoing open access to our service.
What is UNICEF Baby Friendly?
The UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative is a global campaign by the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Children’s Fund which recognises that implementing best practices in the health service and wider community children’s services is crucial to the success of breastfeeding.
NELFT has recognised the importance of initiating, supporting and sustaining breastfeeding and in 2014 Thurrock Healthy Families (Health Visiting Service) achieved level 3 accreditation and are working towards our Gold Award.
Family Hubs and Start for Life Programme
The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme helps meet the commitments in The Best Start for Life: a vision for the 1,001 critical days.
This programme is jointly led by the Department for Education (DfE) and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme guide outlines:
- the programme’s vision and objectives.
- what the 75 eligible local authorities are expected to deliver and achieve to meet the expectations of the programme.
The programme’s objective is to join up and enhance services delivered through transformed family hubs in local authority areas, ensuring all parents and carers can access the support they need when they need it.
£50 million of funding nationally has been provided to establish infant feeding support services.
Thurrock has allocated funding to provide additional services/programmes which will commence in early 2024. Some of these are detailed below:
A Breastfeeding support service to provide universal and enhanced support to parents. This will be a 7 day a week service.
The development and promotion of ‘breastfeeding friendly’ places and the creation of a Thurrock wide breastfeeding welcome scheme across the Borough.
Development of peer support groups – in person and virtual.
Our partners
Family Hubs
Brighter Futures family hubs – formerly children's centres – support families with children of ages 0 to 18 years-old, or to 25 years-old for young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). Family hub services include:
· information and advice for parents and carers
· drop-in sessions and activities for parents, carers and children
· child and family health services
· family and parenting support
· child development support
· baby and child play sessions
· SEND support for children and young people
For information on local support services during pregnancy and for families with a baby up to 2 years-old, go to Start for Life .
There is a focus on supporting expectant parents and children aged 0-2. This is called the Start for Life Local Offer and you can find out what is available in each locality by clicking on the sections under 'Our hubs' below.
For contact information of the Hubs visit their website.
Family Hubs Start for Life Local Offer | Ask Thurrock
Family hubs | Thurrock Council
Thurrock Children's Centres - Facebook page
Parents 1st
Specialise in effective volunteering and peer support during the key life change of pregnancy, birth and becoming a parent, they provide breastfeeding support across Essex as part of their perinatal peer support offer. 
Parents 1st Essex - Parents 1st
Telephone: 01268 525758
Email: info@parents1st.org.uk
Midwifery
Mid and South Essex NHS Trust, Midwifery Team has a designated Infant Feeding Lead Midwife and a Specialist Midwife for Infant feeding. They are responsible for training all of Midwifery staff, auditing the service to ensure that they are complying to the UNICEF Standards and providing specialist support to both staff and families . Midwives provide infant feeding support to all parents during the antenatal period and up to 10 – 14 days and can continue to support until baby reaches 28 days if needed.
Basildon & Thurrock BRAs
Covering South Essex. Online and face to face support available.
Trained breast/chest-feeding & lactation support from ABM (association of breastfeeding mothers) breastfeeding counsellors and peer supporters.
We offer online support through our Facebook page/email as well as weekly in person support/social groups that can be booked here - Link to book support groups
Infant Feeding clinics and drop-ins
Monday to Friday we hold face to face Infant Feeding Clinics where you can discuss any matters relating to feeding your baby; breastfeeding, formula feeding & introducing solid foods. Advice can also be provided to expectant parents.
We hold monthly Introduction to Solid Food virtually on Microsoft Teams and Face to Face workshops held at the Family Hubs. These are offered to all families in Thurrock. Our Support Workers will contact you when your baby is around 4 months to invite you to a session.
Infant feeding advice can also be given at the drop-in Child Health Clinics.
Appointments at our Infant Feeding Clinics are held across Thurrock at the following Health Centres and Family Hubs:
Contact the Healthy Families Team on 0300 300 1999 to book your appointment at one of the Infant Feeding Clinics.
Monday
Tilbury Family Hub
London Road
Tilbury
Essex
RM18 8EY
Tuesday
Stifford Family Hub
Belmont Castle Academy
Parker Road
Grays
RM17 5YN
Chadwell Family Hub
Claudian Way
Chadwell St Mary
Grays
RM16 4QE
Wednesday
South Ockendon Family Hub
2a Afton Drive
South Ockendon
RM15 5PA
Thursday
Corringham Integrated Medical and Wellbeing Centre (CIMWC)
105 The Sorrells
Stanford Le Hope
Essex
SS17 7ES
East Tilbury Village Hall — First Thursday of the month
Princess Margaret Road
East Tilbury
Essex
RM18 8RB
Friday
Stifford Brighter Futures Family Hub
Belmont Castle Academy
Parker Road
Grays
RM17 5YN
Breast pump loan service
We have a number of Medela electronic breast pumps which we provide on a loan service to breastfeeding women who require support to maximise their breastmilk supply in order to continue to breastfeed their babies, this could include mother’s providing expressed breastmilk to their babies in NICU or those with a medical condition.
To discuss a breast pump loan please contact the Infant Feeding Support Workers on 0300 300 1999.
Below is information and guides on the breast pumps we loan.
For Moms and Babies | Medela | Breastfeeding products and medical vacuum technology
Volunteering and Volunteer groups
Become a Volunteer
If you are a parent or carer living in Thurrock and are caring, compassionate and non-judgemental. And has an interest in supporting other parents and babies in their feeding journey.
We have exciting opportunities for volunteering within the Thurrock Infant Feeding Team. Roles Include: Assist with Health Promotion in the Local Community and to support with Infant Feeding in a Group Setting.
Volunteers are provided necessary training including BFI training and ongoing peer support from the Senior Support Workers.
If this is something you would be interested in, please contact:
Di Marson: 0300 300 1999 / 07534 227974 ot Michelle Byron: 0300 300 1999 / 07712 390316 For More Information.
Blooming Together Group
Blooming Together is a monthly group held at the Family Hubs across Thurrock and is run by the volunteers.
Come along to the group meet the volunteers, other mums and share your feeding experiences.
May
12th May – Tilbury Family Hub -10.30am - 12.30pm
27th May – Stifford Family Hub -12pm -2pm
28th May – Aveley Family Hub -12.30pm -2.30pm
June
10th June – Tilbury Family Hub -10.30am-12.30pm
24th June – Stifford Family Hub -12pm– 1pm
25th June – Aveley Family Hub -12.30pm-2.30pm