0-1 year

In this section you will find useful information to support you as a parent or carer of a child aged 0-1 years old.

Caring for your newborn baby

Helpful information and advice can be found from the NHS and Unicef Baby Friendly Initiative websites including breastfeeding and bottle feeding advice, postnatal care, being a new parent and support available, newborn essentials, sleep and night time resources and newborn screening tests.

For those looking for a trusted, evidence-based pregnancy app, the Baby Buddy App is free to download. It has tools to help parents in their transition to parenthood and can help develop knowledge and confidence.

Babies Cry You Can Cope. During this challenging time, stress levels at home may be increased. ICON provide guidance for coping when your baby is crying, visit the website for more information.

Nutrition and staying healthy

Bottle feeding advice including how to help keep your baby safe and healthy, how to make up bottles, winding your baby and sterilising equipment.

Start 4 Life and Unicef Baby Friendly Initiative provides useful advice and videos including how to breastfeed, positioning and attachment, how to know your baby is getting enough milk, expressing breastmilk, challenges and the support available.

Change 4 Life provides information, advice and support to help your family be healthier and happier by providing healthy recipe ideas, food facts and exercise activities.

Introducing your baby to solid foods also referred to as weaning is recommended from around 6 months of age, unless clinically indicated otherwise. Start 4 Life and First Steps Nutrition provide useful information on when and how to introduce solid foods to your baby’s diet, healthy recipes, portion sizes and safety advice.

Our Community Nursery Nurses run free virtual weaning sessions. To find out more scroll to the bottom of the page.

The Infant and Toddler Forum provide information to ensure every child has the healthiest start in life.

Start 4 Life provides useful information on baby vitamins.

Prolonged jaundice

Jaundice is one of the most common conditions in newborn babies. However, if your baby appears to still be jaundiced at 2 weeks of age, further assessment is required to decide if further treatment is needed. Click here for more information and prolonged jaundiced screening information for parents.

Yellow Alert app provides additional information about prolonged jaundice

Dental care

It is encouraged that you should brush your baby’s teeth as soon as their first milk tooth is visible. For general dental care advice and how to care for your baby’s teeth click here.

For tips on making tooth brushing less stressful click here.

NHS dental care is free for children. To find an NHS dentist in your local area click here.

Healthier together provides useful information on teething and dental care.

Safe sleep

The Lullaby Trustand the NHS provide safer sleep advice for you and your baby to help reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, including ideal room temperature, sleeping positions, sharing a room with your baby and sleeping environment (Available in various languages).

The safest place for your baby to sleep is in a cot or Moses basket clear of excess blankets, pillows or toys. However, some families choose to bed share, to increase safety when co-sleeping advice can be found at The Lullaby Trust.

Immunisations

Your child will be offered a number of vaccinations at 8, 12 and 16 weeks as well as 1 year. Here are some vaccination tips for parents and the UK vaccination schedule.

Your child’s development

Born to move is an NHS app to help parents or carers with their newborn babies right up to pre-school. Born to move is about encouraging daily active play and interaction to help the learning and wiring of your baby’s brain at this critical early stage. It’s designed to give you friendly advice and tips to support your child to develop intellectually, emotionally, socially and physically and build the foundations for a healthy, happy and confident baby.

Playing and interacting with your baby will help develop their social, intellectual, language and problem-solving skills. Start 4 Life and Hungry Little Minds provide playtime ideas and activities for you and your baby, including advice on tummy time.

The Paediatric Physiotherapy service at Poole Hospital  provide a wide variety of information and advice leaflets around development, injuries and disabilities.

Remember, you can speak to a member of the health visiting team by ringing your local hub in your area if you require further support

Virtual Weaning Talks

Do you need advice, support, or information around weaning? Would you like to learn more about how to get started? Join our Community Nursery Nurses for an online session to find out more and have your questions answered.

Topics include:

• How do you know your baby is ready?
• When should you start weaning?
• What is baby led weaning?
• How to get started
• Finger foods
• Foods to avoid
• Safety around eating
• Drinks/sugar
• Teeth cleaning

To enquire about the next available session and book a space on one of our online virtual weaning sessions text ParentLine 07312 277162