Antenatal guide for pregnant people

Health visitors are qualified nurses with special training and experience in child and family health and development. They work in teams with other health professionals such as nurses, nursery nurses and clinical support workers and are based in four neighbourhoods across Waltham Forest, aligned with Family Hubs. You can find details of all Family Hubs and related activities on the Best Start in Life webpage. 

At around 28 to 32 weeks of pregnancy, the health visiting service will contact you for a phone or face-to-face appointment to talk about keeping healthy and well in pregnancy, preparing for the baby to arrive, what support and sessions are available in the community, and how the health visiting service will support you.

Once your baby is born, you will see your health visitor at:                                      

• New Birth Visit: This visit will be offered between 10 and 14 days at your home address. The health visitor will check with you and your baby and they will cover topics such as feeding, sleeping, safety, coping with becoming a parent or welcoming the addition to your family. They will also check with you about your physical and mental wellbeing and give your baby free vitamins.                    
• 6 to 8-week check: This check is with the health visitor and different to the 6-week check you have with your GP. The health visitor will discuss your wellbeing, how your baby is feeding and other topics such as immunisation.

Child Health Clinics are held in Family Hubs and enable an opportunity for your baby or child to be weighed, or to speak to a member of the Health Visiting Team with any questions about your child’s health, growth or development. There will be no need to pre-book an appointment to attend Health Visiting Clinics. Parents and carers are encouraged to bring their babies red book when attending. 

If you require any advice or support for you or your child’s health, development, and wellbeing, contact the Duty Healthy Visitor by email: thgpcg.wf0-19spa1@nhs.net or on the phone: 0300 033 6200 (open Mondays to Fridays except Bank Holidays, 9am to 5pm). Please note if you or your child are seriously ill, please contact your GP, NHS 111 or the emergency services as necessary.

More information

Our commissioned health visiting service Tower Hamlets GP Care Group has detailed information covering important milestones in a child’s development from pregnancy through baby, toddler and preschool, as well as offering support, information and advice specifically for parents and carers. 

Family Nurse Partnership in Waltham Forest

The Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) is a voluntary home-visiting programme that supports first-time young parents, providing personalised care from early pregnancy until the child’s first or second birthday.

You may be eligible if you are:

• pregnant with your first child and within the first 28 weeks of pregnancy, and
• aged 21 and under, or
• aged 22 to 24 and meet our extended criteria, in discussion with the FNP team.

Your family nurse will help you to:

• Have a healthy pregnancy and prepare for labour and birth
• Look after your mental and physical wellbeing
• Help you to foster healthy relationships
• Support your child’s health and development
• Build confidence in your own parenting style
• Work towards your personal, educational and career goals

You can self-refer using our online form Self-referral to Family Nurse Partnership (Waltham Forest) or you can ask your midwife or GP to refer you.

Contact the Waltham Forest FNP team on 0204 534 4132 or thgpcg.wffnp@nhs.net to find out more.

More information:

FNP empowers parents to build a strong foundation for their family's future, supporting their educational and personal aspirations, whilst fostering the best early childhood outcomes.  By building strong parenting skills and encouraging healthy child development, FNP aims to create lasting benefits for both children and their families. 

More information about the FNP programme can be found on the GP Care Group website Family Nurse Partnership for Young Parents | GP Care Group or on the Family Nurse Partnership Programme (GOV.UK) website.