life after birth: insider tips on life with your first baby

life after birth | help and info

help and info

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organisations

National Childbirth Trust
Alexandra House
Oldham Terrace
London W3 6NH
Enquiry line: 0870 444 8707
Membership line: 08709 908040
Breastfeeding line: 0870 444 8708
E-mail: enquiries@national-childbirth-trust.co.uk
Website: www.nct.org.uk
The trust provides information and support in pregnancy, childbirth and early parenthood to promote healthy living for parents and children. The website is the quickest way for mums-to-be and new mums to find their nearest ante-natal or post-natal classes. Callers to the helpline will be put in touch with counsellors and/or local and regional contacts for support groups, including groups for caesareans and miscarriage. The trust also encourages dads-to-be and new fathers with advice and training.

Gingerbread
7 Sovereign Close
Sovereign Court
London E1W 2HW
Tel: 020 7488 9300
Advice Line: 0800 018 4318 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm)
E-mail: advice@gingerbread.org.uk
Website: www.gingerbread.org.uk
Provides day-to-day support and practical help for lone parents and their children via a national network of local self-help groups. Call the helpline for advice on benefits, childcare, CSA, contact, divorce, employment, housing, maternity rights and lone parenthood.

Homestart
2 Salisbury Road
Leicester LE1 7QR
Freephone: 08000 68 63 68
Tel: 0116 233 9955 (Mondays to Fridays 9am-5pm)
E-mail: info@home-start.org.uk
Website: www.home-start.org.uk
Offers friendship, support and practical help to families with at least one child under five years old. Homestart volunteers all work within their communities and organise support through home visits, social events and work groups for all children under five and their families. You can find the nearest Homestart scheme through the website.

websites

Meet-A-Mum Association (MAMA)
Tel: 01525 217064 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm)
Helpline: 020 8768 0123(Mon-Fri 7pm-10pm)
E-mail: meet-a-mum.assoc@blueyonder.co.uk
Website: www.mama.co.uk
This network of MAMA groups and individuals providing friendship and support for mothers and pregnant women who are isolated and lonely. Women are put in touch with other women or groups of women for support. There is a telephone helpline, and leaflets and booklets are available for a small charge.

Association for Postnatal Illness
145 Dawes Road
Fulham
London SW6 7EB
Tel: 020 7386 0868 (Mondays to Fridays 10am-2pm; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 10am-5pm)
Website: www.apni.org
Provides advice and support to mothers suffering from post-natal depression (PND), their partners and families. They have a countrywide network of phone and postal volunteers who have experienced, and recovered from, postnatal illness.

La Leche League (Great Britain)
PO Box 29
West Bridgeford
Nottingham NG2 7NP
Helpline: 0845 120 2918 (24 hours)
Website: www.laleche.org.uk
International organisation that provides support for breastfeeding mums, their families and anyone interested in finding more information on the most natural and healthiest way to feed a baby.

reading

	Birth and Beyond: The definitive guide to your pregnancy, your birth, your family – from minus 9 to plus 9 months by Yehudi Gordon (Vermillion 2002) Addressing both parents, the book looks at all aspects of life, through the nine months of pregnancy and the following nine months of the baby's life. It is both a practical handbook for pregnancy, birth and the early months of a new baby's life, and a stimulating exploration of this period of enormous transition. Get this book
	Becoming a Mother by Kate Mosse (Virago Press, 1997) Told by mothers themselves, this book looks at how it actually feels to be pregnant and give birth. Combining the scientific and medical facts, the author takes the reader week by week, from conception to birth, from the mother's emotional point of view. Get this book

(resources updated June 2005)

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