Antenatal guide for pregnant women

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 for first-time young parents and their families, dedicated to supporting first-time young parents who are:

• pregnant with their first child and within the first 28 weeks of pregnancy
• aged 21 and under (or aged up to 24 with additional vulnerabilities).

Support is offered from early pregnancy until the child's first or second birthday. The voluntary programme offers personalised support, helping parents nurture their child's health and development and establish their own unique parenting style. The FNP empowers parents to build a strong foundation for their family's future, supporting their educational and personal aspirations while fostering the best early childhood outcomes. 

By fostering 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 National Family Nurse Partnership website. You can refer yourself to the Waltham Forest FNP programme by either filling in the self-referral form below or calling the Waltham Forest FNP team on 0204 534 4132 or 07718422692 or by speaking to your midwife or GP.