Pregnancy
On this page, you can find support available to you during pregnancy.
| Support | More Information |
|---|---|
|
Finding out you're pregnant |
You can find out what happens and things to think about when you're first pregnant on the NHS website. |
| How you can look after yourself pre-pregnancy |
It is vital to understand the factors that could put your baby’s health and wellbeing at risk. Some of these factors are smoking, alcohol consumption, not taking folic acid or not eating a balanced diet to help you maintain a healthy weight. Not smoking or inhaling smoke passively from smokers, consuming alcohol or any other substances while you're pregnant is vital for ensuring your baby develops healthily. You can find resources on quitting smoking on the Newham Council website. You can also access a lot of resources through NHS live well. Find out more using this resource. |
|
Screening and checks for Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) |
See a midwife or GP as soon as you’re pregnant. They will help you to book in your antenatal (before birth) care including screenings, tests and checks for Special Educational Needs and Disability. Find more information about the support that is available if these screenings identity an issue. |
| Early childhood development education for all parents during pregnancy or shortly after birth |
While you are pregnant, it is the perfect time to start to learn about your child's early development and what you can do in their early years to help them grow up healthy and happy. It's not too early to start thinking about how you will bond with your baby and find opportunities for them to play. All of this will help their development as they get older. Find out more on the Health Visiting Service pages. |
| Work-related benefits and entitlements - maternity and paternity leave/pay |
During and after your pregnancy, you are entitled to various work-related benefits, so you don't have to worry about earning money and working while you're pregnant or while caring for your new-born baby. Check if you're entitled to Maternity or Paternity Leave or Pay, or Maternity Allowance. Find out more about general work-related benefits and entitlement. |
| Parental mental health support - all ages |
It is important to take care of your baby and also yourself. There are services available to support you with your mental health while you're pregnant and when you become a new parent. If you need immediate help, you can call the Newham mental health crisis helpline. |
| Good housing and home learning environment |
Having a stable and safe home environment is an important part of ensuring your baby's early years give them the best start in life. Find out about your housing entitlement and Newham Council's housing provision. |
| Parents receive support during pregnancy - pre-natal screens/class |
Parents are entitled to support during their pregnancy. This is important to help you prepare for when your baby is born. You can access antenatal support through Newham's Children's Centres. You can access online antenatal classes through Bart's Health. Newham's 0-19 Children's Health Service provides a range of resources on getting ready for your baby. The Healthy Start Programme provides payment cards, vitamins and further support up until a child's fourth birthday. |
| Your dental health |
You're entitled to free NHS dental treatment if you're pregnant when you start your treatment and for 12 months after your baby is born. To get free NHS dental treatment, you must have:
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Postnatal depression
Postnatal depression is a type of depression that many parents experience after having a baby.