Coronavirus
Update 10/08/20:
We are now beginning to open up our Health Visiting Service again and discussing with GPs and Children’s Centres how we can provide our Well Baby Clinics safely. We are offering a mixture of home visits and appointments in the community.
If your child is unwell and needs emergency care the Homerton Hospital A&E Department is open and they will be happy to care for your infant or child.
Please read up to date advice from the NHS, the government and Homerton Hospital on coronavirus and what to do if you have symptoms.
We are reviewing the situation daily and are asking you to check our website regularly.
You can contact the Hackney and City Health Visiting Service on 0207 683 4151 or 0207 683 4219 if you need advice about the health and wellbeing of your child or any other queries.
Important
Urgent and emergency care for children
If you are concerned about your infant or child we are here to help
When your child is ill or injured it is very difficult to decide if/when to call your child’s GP, NHS111, or go to the Accident and Emergency Department (A&E). While the government is asking everyone to stay at home, it can be confusing to know what to do.
Please see a guide for what to do.
The Children’s Emergency Area in the A&E remains ‘open’ at Homerton 24 hours a day to care for children.
Please read the CORONAVIRUS ADVICE FOR PARENTS from UNICEF, the NHS and the Lullaby Trust, including on questions such as “Does coronavirus affect children?”, “Is it safe for a mother to breastfeed if she is infected with the coronavirus?”, “Can pregnant women pass the coronavirus on to unborn children?”.
As the situation is changing rapidly advice is updated daily. Check above websites regularly for up to date information
Important
Emotional and mental health, relationship difficulties and domestic abuse
During this time it can be challenging to look after your and your families’ emotional and mental health. Please take a moment to see the available support.
It has been recognised that relationship difficulties and domestic abuse may increase during lockdown. Please see our information on how to access help.
Breastfeeding advice
We are operating a video and telephone breastfeeding support service. The service will operate 5 days a week, Monday-Friday 9am – 3pm.
The process for accessing support once you have been discharged home is as follows:
Email huh-tr.homertoninfantfeeding@nhs.net and include the following details:
- your name and telephone number
- your baby’s date of birth and NHS number
Someone will be checking the inbox several times daily, Monday- Friday, and we will aim to get back to everyone within 24hours, with the exception of weekends.
If you are very worried about your baby’s feeding and can’t wait for a response, are very distressed, or don’t have internet access/email, you can call us instead:
- Monday – Friday, 8am – 3pm call the community midwifery office on 0208 510 5761
- Saturday and Sunday, 8am – 12pm 0208 510 5761
- Outside of these hours, until 6pm every day, or if you cannot reach the community midwifery team, call the maternity helpline on 0208 510 5955
- Our postnatal ward team are available overnight for very urgent queries on 0208 510 5761
We are requesting that you email if possible. However, we are here if you need to speak to us on the telephone. We are committed to supporting you to feed your baby in the way that suits you and supporting your transition to parenthood.
Online baby feeding support
The Daubeney Children’s Centre together with the Breastfeeding Network are offering an online breastfeeding drop in.
It runs every Wednesday at 1.30pm – 3pm on Google Meet.
Please email hackneysupport@breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk
We are requesting that you email if possible. However, we are here if you need us on the telephone. We are committed to supporting you to feed your baby in the way that suits you and supporting your transition to parenthood.
Emotional health assessment via telephone at 6-8 weeks
Normally your emotional well being would be discussed at the 10-14 days and the 6-8 week home visit. Under these new circumstances we will be asking you over the phone.
We will contact you to enquire how you are feeling and ask you to complete a questionnaire with us. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was designed particularly for new mothers and helps us talk about your mental health, screen for postnatal depression and ensure you receive the right support. It would be really helpful if you can look at it before we call you.
Having a baby is one of the biggest events in a woman’s life. Very little remains the same so it can be natural to experience a range of emotions and reactions after the birth of a baby and begin the transition to life as a mum. For some mums these emotions can become difficult and start to have a negative effect on their life, and for some the relationship with their baby.
Around one in five women will experience an emotional or mental health problem during their pregnancy or in the year after giving birth. This might be a new problem or a worsening of a problem they had before. These are known as perinatal mental health problems. The health visitor along with the midwife and General Practitioner (GP) are the health professionals who have a responsibility to identify mums with these difficulties and ensure they receive the correct help and support.
However, we realise it can be really difficult to feel able to talk openly about these feelings as a new mum, it maybe feelings of,
- pressure to be happy and excited
- overwhelmed with the changes in your life
- worried you’re a bad parent if you’re struggling with your mental health
- worried that your baby will be taken away from you if you admit how you’re feeling
But it’s important to ask for help or support if you need it. You’re likely to find that many new mothers are feeling the same way.
Covid-19 resources for parents, carers and childrenChildren with SEND
All children
Parents and children
Support for grieving children and families |