Get health support and advice for your children and family through health visitors, school nurses and the baby feeding support team.
You can also use ChatHealth (for young people aged 11-19) and Parentline (for parents and guardians), our confidential text messaging service for any health questions you might have.
Health visitors
From antenatal visits until your child goes to school, health visitors ensure that your child has the best start possible in life.
Bedfordshire health visitors support the health and well-being of your whole family through the Healthy Child Programme.
The programme has the following key milestones:
- antenatal contact
- new birth visit within 10 - 21 days
- 6 to 10 weeks contact
- 9 to 12 month review
- 3 and a 1/4 year review
Your midwife will inform the health visiting team automatically on your behalf, who will make contact with you directly. If you need to contact the health visiting team yourself, contact 0300 5550606.
Baby and infant feeding support
Get friendly support on how to feed your babies and infants, whether you breast feed or bottle feed. The Baby Friendly Team help you have a close and loving relationship with your baby, whatever the method of feeding.
Find out where to get breastfeeding support with other mums in Bedfordshire.
School nursing
Bedfordshire School Nursing can support your child aged 5-19 with their physical and emotional needs from when they start school until they leave. This includes:
- a confidential health service
- physical and emotional health and wellbeing support of children, young people and families
- advice on healthy choices, dental health, sexual health and substance misuse
- childhood immunisation programme
- support and information for teenage parents
- support for families with complex needs such as diabetes and asthma
- the rights and educational needs of young carers
- bed wetting and constipation advice and information
School nurses are mobile health professionals, based in community settings like health centres who can support children and families at all maintained schools across Bedfordshire.
Please note we are not permanently based in schools.
Find out more about what is on offer from Bedfordshire School Nursing or contact them on 0300 5550606.
ChatHealth - a confidential text chat with a school nurse if you are aged 11-19
Sometimes, you may not want to talk in person to your school nurse.
You can use the ChatHealth text messaging service to ask any health related questions including mental health, drugs, healthy eating and much more.
Parentline - text advice for parent and carers of children aged 0-19
Parentline is a secure and confidential text service for parents and carers of those aged 0-19. It offers advice and support on a range of issues such as weaning, sleep and emotional health or how to make an appointment with our team.
