Blackpool Infant Feeding Service celebrates one year of giving children the best start in life

Whether you’re breastfeeding, bottle feeding, combi feeding or starting solids, there’s help and advice for Blackpool parents and carers to give children the best start in life.
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Blackpool Infant Feeding Service is celebrating its first year of offering free practical and emotional support on all aspects of feeding babies and young children.

Blackpool Better Start teamed up with healthy choices charity HENRY, with help from the National Lottery Community Fund, to support parents at the early stages of a child’s development.

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The service offers local parents expert guidance on feeding – be that breastfeeding, safe advice on preparing bottles or introducing solid foods.

HENRY is a national charity giving babies and children a healthy start in life, including advice to parents and carers about feedingHENRY is a national charity giving babies and children a healthy start in life, including advice to parents and carers about feeding
HENRY is a national charity giving babies and children a healthy start in life, including advice to parents and carers about feeding

And since launching last year, the team has worked with more than 200 families in Blackpool via their helpline, workshops and face-to-face sessions.

One Blackpool mum said: “The stuff I’ve had from you has been amazing and I wouldn’t be where I am without everything you helped me with.

"It’s made such a difference to me and my baby.”

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The service offers an infant feeding helpline which operates from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday and is staffed by friendly infant feeding practitioners.

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The team also offers two workshops designed to support feeding from the early days through to starting solids, and families can attend either virtually or face-to-face.

Sasha Lasseter, HENRY Infant Feeding Practitioner and Administrator for Blackpool, said: “We are celebrating working with local families over the past year and also have a new timetable of free support for families.

"The friendly, relaxed sessions are designed to be informative and also give parents the opportunity to meet other families and share experiences in a supportive way.”

Appointments or drop-in sessions are held across the resort to give parents chance to speak to an infant feeding practitioner at the following locations:

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- Book an appointment at Talbot and Brunswick Children’s Centre, Gorton Street, Blackpool, between 10am and 12.30pm on Mondays

- Revoe Children’s Centre, Grasmere Road, Blackpool, between 1pm and 2pm on Tuesdays for appointments

- Drop in at Central Library on Queen Street from 10.30am until 12.30pm on Wednesdays

- There’s also a drop in session at Layton Library from 10.30am until 12.30pm on Fridays

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This summer, the service is offering parent or carer workshops on starting solids.

Families are invited to book a place on the workshop which will cover topics such as when your baby is ready for solid foods; what food to start with; when your baby is hungry and full; and how to create positive mealtimes.

Face to face workshops will be held on Friday, July 8, Friday, August 5 and Friday, September 16 while online sessions will take place from 1.30pm until 3pm on Friday, June 17 and then July 1, August 12 and September 9.

Families can also learn top tips about helping their children’s early years development through fun activities like treasure hunts, easy crafts games by following the HENRY Blackpool Facebook page which shares regular posts.

For further information or to book onto a session, contact the Blackpool Infant Feeding Service team on 07305 002 904, email [email protected] or head to the HENRY Blackpool Facebook page.