Antenatal Infant Feeding Support

Join us for an informal antenatal workshop on Infant Feeding covering:

• Bonding with your baby, before and after birth
• Skin to Skin and feeling confident holding your baby for the first time
• Lots of information and myth busting on feeding your baby
• Sessions available (once a month) on Tuesdays 5:30-7pm at either Kingsway Family Hub or Brookvale Family Hub.

Booking Form

Infant Feeding

Halton Infant Feeing Team are here to support you with feeding your baby. We offer a range of groups, workshops, drop-ins and 1:1 support, including home visits. We have a team of trained Infant Feeding Support Workers and volunteers who are on hand with support and guidance during pregnancy, after birth, as your baby moves on to solid foods, and beyond.

We also work alongside local businesses and community venues to encourage a breastfeeding friendly culture.

To learn more about all the support on offer, take a look at the Halton Infant Feeding Services Guide.

Halton Infant Feeding services are part of the Halton Family Hub offer – to find out more about Halton Family Hubs, visit www.haltonfamilyhubs.co.uk

Introducing Solid Foods

We run FREE advice sessions for parents and other family members who want to find out more about introducing solid foods. 6 months is the recommended age to start introducing solid foods to babies. Book your place before introducing first tastes to baby for advice and tips on how to get started.

For further information please call 0300 029 0029.

Booking Form

​Home visits and telephone support

Our Infant Feeding Team contact all mums after the birth of their baby (after discharge from hospital) regardless of how they are feeding. We encourage a home visit in those early days for breastfeeding mums, to help ensure feeding gets off to the best start. This support is available for as long as it’s needed. We also offer one to one telephone support in addition to home visits.

We work closely alongside Halton’s NHS Infant Feeding Specialist lead, so can help you to access more specialist support if needed.

The team will contact you after you are discharged from hospital, but you can call the team for infant feeding support before we contact you, even while you are still in hospital.

Just call 0300 029 0029 or email breastfeeding.team@halton.gov.uk

Breastfeeding Groups​​

Come along to our friendly Halton breastfeeding groups! The groups are a great place to meet other parents, make new friends, share the ups and downs of looking after a new baby, as well as get help and support from our infant feeding and family hubs teams. There’s no need to book, just drop-in to one of the sessions. All children are welcome and drinks and snacks will be provided.

• Ditton Library - Tuesdays – 1-3pm
• Halton Lodge Family Hub - Thursdays – 9:30-11:30am

If you would like to talk to someone before coming, please call our Infant Feeding Team on 0300 029 0029. Supported by the Halton Infant Feeding Team and Family Hub and Children’s Centre staff.​

Specialist Infant Feeding Team (NHS)

The Specialist Infant Feeding Team supports families with complex or ongoing feeding concerns, including breastfeeding or lactation difficulties, bottle or formula feeding issues, suspected cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA), reflux, or tongue-tie concerns.

If you feel you need further support, please contact your Health Visitor directly.

National Breastfeeding Helpline: 0300 100 0212

The National Breastfeeding Helpline is a helpline run in collaboration with the Breastfeeding Network (BfN) and the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers (ABM). All the volunteers answering calls are mums who have breastfed, and all have received extensive training in breastfeeding support. Calls are diverted to the next available ABM or BfN volunteer. The main Helpline is available 24/7.

​

The National Breastfeeding Helpline is also available via Facebook and Instagram, 24/7. Our team of social media volunteers are here every day of the year, offering evidence-based breastfeeding information and support. They are all also mothers with their own experience of breastfeeding.

The National Breastfeeding Helpline offers a web chat breastfeeding support service for mums and their supporters in the UK. This is perfect if you prefer not to access breastfeeding support via phone or drop in group. It is a confidential one-to-one secure online chat with a trained breastfeeding supporter. It works like instant messaging – it’s just typing, there are no webcams, and the only people who can see the chat are you and the volunteer supporter. National Breastfeeding Helpline - Live Chat and Social Media Support - The Breastfeeding Network

Are you passionate about supporting mothers and parents on their breastfeeding journey?

Are you looking for a meaningful way to make a positive impact in your community?

From providing a warm welcome to offering breastfeeding support, every role is valued and impactful. Join our team of dedicated volunteers and become a part of our infant feeding team.

Who can volunteer?

• Anyone over the age of 18
• If you have breastfed
• You will need to have an enhanced DBS check
• We value diversity in our volunteers and welcome applications from all sorts of people, from all backgrounds

What roles can I do?

• Peer Supporter Volunteer– giving families basic breastfeeding support at sessions
• Host Volunteer– giving families a warm welcome when they arrive at sessions, antenatal workshops, events
• Managing Socials

If you have a specialist skill or experience that you think may be useful then please talk to us

Our commitment to you

We believe that everyone has the right to access the support and resources they need to breastfeed successfully. We strive to create a welcoming and inclusive environment that values diversity and recognises the unique experiences and needs of each individual.

We are committed to actively dismantling any barriers that prevent families from accessing the support they need and to continuously improving our services to better meet the needs of our diverse community.

We provide a comprehensive induction as well as ongoing support, development and supervision to ensure you feel confident and empowered in your role.

How much time do I need to give?

Many of our roles involve helping at our weekly in-person sessions. Each session lasts roughly two hours. We’re flexible though, so it is possible to help every fortnight or every month in different areas and ways.

Our future roles may be even more flexible.

How do I apply to volunteer?

Next you need to fill out an application form, then we will contact you for a brief interview. We’ll organise your induction and arrange for you to do safeguarding training. You will also need to have a criminal records check (Enhanced DBS), as our volunteering roles involve children. If you want to become a peer supporter then you’ll need to complete a training course provided also.

Halton Borough Council is pleased to launch the Breastfeeding Family Development Grant, offering funding to support projects that make Halton an even more welcoming place for breastfeeding families.

The grant is available to community groups, voluntary organisations, charities, and workplaces looking to create or enhance breastfeeding-friendly environments.

Funding can be used for:

• Purchasing equipment
• Improving or upgrading existing facilities
• Delivering infant feeding training
• Hosting family-friendly events that promote and support breastfeeding

Grant value: £500–£3,000 (awarded at the Council's discretion).

Application window: 1st August – 1^st October 2026

Before submitting an application, please consider whether your proposed project may already be eligible for support through another Council department.

Together, we can help make Halton a place where breastfeeding families feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to thrive.

Breastfeeding friendly grant Application Form

The Halton Breastfeeding Award Scheme

The aim of the Halton breastfeeding award scheme is to support and empower our families to feel empowered to breastfeed out and about in our local communities.

We are passionate about supporting businesses and organisation to work towards being more breastfeeding friendly. We want, with your support, to raise awareness about the benefits and barriers when it comes to breast feeding.

Information for businesses and organisations

The Halton breastfeeding friendly scheme is open to businesses, venues or organisations that wish to sign up to show that they actively welcome and support breastfeeding families.

How do I join the scheme?

• If you want to join the scheme you need to complete the online form here
• You will be provided with support, certificate and stickers to display
• Your business or organisation will be included/promoted on our Family Hub APP and website venue​​​

Funded by the Halton Family Hub Network, these free workshops are a gentle space for mothers to pause, breathe, and reconnect with themselves.

Designed with breastfeeding mothers in mind, but open to anyone, whatever your feeding journey looks like, these sessions invite you to relax, reflect, and explore your creativity alongside your little one.

There’s no need to worry about grammar, spelling, or “getting it right.” This is not about rules, but about expression. Through simple writing prompts and supportive conversation, you’ll have the chance to discover stories, memories, and moments of imagination, all in a safe, welcoming space.​

Whether you’re seeking connection with other mums, a way to process your journey, or simply an hour to do something just for you, this workshop is yours. Bring your baby or toddler, bring your words (or just a willingness to try), and come as you are.

Everyone is welcome.

Course dates: June 8^th, 15^th, 22^nd, 29^th & 6^th, 13^th July

Time: 10:30am - 12pm

Venue: Kingsway Children’s Centre - Widnes​​​

Apply here:https://halton.me/creative-writing-for-mothers/