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Our health visiting service for families who live in Enfield is here to support you and your child as they begin to grow.
The team work with mothers and fathers and their families to promote the health and wellbeing of children from before your baby arrives, in the early weeks following birth and as your child grows — up until their fifth birthday.
You will be supported with any parenting issues and guided to find local services and groups that can also be beneficial to you as a parent.
Health visitors are nurses or midwives who have undertaken additional training in community public health nursing.
Other members of the team include community staff nurses, early years’ practitioners (nursery nurses) and health visiting assistants.
The service also works closely with children’s centres, children’s services and other healthcare professionals as well as your general practitioner (GP).
In Enfield there are four health visiting teams: Bowes, Highlands, Forest Green and Moorfields. They are based geographically, so where you live will decide which health visiting team will be supporting you and your family.
The following appointments are offered to all families routinely as part of the national healthy child programme:
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during your pregnancy at 28 to 32 weeks
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between 10 to 14 days after your baby’s birth
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six to eight weeks after your baby's birth
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when your child is between 8 to 12 months — this will be a developmental review by a member of the health visiting team
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when your child is between 2 to 2.5 years — this will be a developmental review by a member of the health visiting team.
You can attend any healthy child clinic in the borough. They are held in community spaces such as children’s centres and local libraries. Please remember to bring your red book.
Location
Address
Day and time (drop In)
Carterhatch Children’s Centre
Carterhatch Children’s Centre, Autumn Close, Enfield, EN1 4JY
Friday
9.30 to 11.30am
Christ Church Hall
Christ Church United Reformed Church, Chase Side, Enfield, EN2 6NJ
Wednesday
9.30am to 12pm
Eldon Children’s Centre
Children's Centre, St Peter's Road, N9 8JP
Monday
1.15 to 3.15pm
Ponders End Youth Centre
Ponders End Youth Centre, 129 South Street, EN3 5PA
Tuesday
9.30 to 11.30am
Bowes Road Clinic
Bowes Road Clinic, 269 Bowes Road, N11 1BD
Thursday
9.30 to 11.30am
Southgate Library
Southgate Library, High Street, Southgate, London, N14 6BP
Tuesday
9.30 to 11.30am
Ridge Avenue Library
Ridge Avenue Library, Ridge Avenue, London, N21 2RH
Monday
9.30am to 12pm
Craig Park Family Hub
2 Lawrence Road (Baxter Road), Edmonton, N18 2HN
Wednesday
9.30 to 11.30am
You can also contact your health visiting team any time if you wish to discuss or obtain information relating to:
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your health — before and after the birth of your baby
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your baby or child's health
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your family's health
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emotional wellbeing and postnatal depression
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advice and support for you and your new baby, including feeding, sleeping, crying, minor ailments, and when to see a doctor.
Up to one in five women develop mental health problems during pregnancy or in the first year after childbirth.
Health visitors are ideally placed to support mothers during this transition. They can provide anticipatory guidance, assess for risk and signs of mental health problems, manage mild to moderate perinatal mental illness and refer on to more specialist care. You can also talk to your GP or midwife.
Perinatal mental illness encompasses a range of mental health conditions that can affect women during the perinatal period.
While depression and anxiety disorders are the most common perinatal mental illnesses, other conditions exist including eating disorders, drug and alcohol use disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and severe mental illness such as psychosis, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Postnatal depression is a type of depression that many parents experience after having a baby. It can also affect fathers and partners.
It is important to seek help as soon as possible if you think you might be depressed, as your symptoms could last months or get worse and have a significant impact on you, your baby and your family.
With the right support, which can include self-help strategies and therapy, a full recovery can be achieved. Read more on the NHS website.
Infant crying is normal, and it will stop. Babies start to cry more frequently from around two weeks of age for many reasons.
They are hardwired to cry whenever they need a parent to help them out because their brains have yet to develop the circuits that allow for self-control or understanding.
Crying is meant to be upsetting for a parent, that is nature’s way of making sure they pay attention fairly promptly.
A cry might signal many things, discomfort and startle are common examples. Sometimes, babies cry for no reason at all and sometimes they cry and just cannot be settled. The latter may be upsetting for both baby and parent, but it causes no harm and will eventually cease.
After about five months, experts say that crying becomes more ‘purposeful’. That means after five months of age, your baby is more likely to be crying for a reason.
It is okay to walk away if you have checked the baby is safe and the crying is getting to you. After a few minutes when you are feeling calm, go back and check on your baby.
Never, ever shake or hurt a baby. It can cause long lasting brain damage and death.
For more information about why babies cry, comfort techniques and how to cope visit the ICON or Cry-sis websites, which provide support for families with excessively crying, sleeplessness and demanding babies.
Pregnant women and families with children under four who are receiving income-based benefits and tax credits can apply for support from Healthy Start to buy healthy food, including vitamins and milk.
See the links below for the recommended vitamins to take in pregnancy and to give to your baby:
Our team are committed to supporting parents with feeding and caring for their babies.
Feeding your baby can feel quite overwhelming at first — whether you are breastfeeding, bottle feeding or a combination of both. We are here to guide and support you.
Read more about breastfeeding and how our infant feeding teams can support you
We run breastfeeding support cafes in collaboration with our maternity teams:
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Enfield Breastfeeding drop in group
Wednesdays 1 to 3pm at the Dugdale Centre, 39 London Road, EN2 6DS. Run by a midwife or health visitor.
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Enfield Breastfeeding peer support group
Tuesdays 9.30 to 11.30am, Ponders End Youth and Family Hub, South Street, Enfield, EN3 5PA
For more information contact Adele on 0792 9744 696 or Jane on 078 1636 4361.
You can also contact your health visitor for further support on 020 3988 7300 and select the option for your health visiting team.
For more support with complex breastfeeding issues, please ask your health visitor for a referral for one-to-one support.
Introducing solid foods to your baby can be an exciting but also daunting time. Your health visiting team is available to help you with advice and discuss any concerns you may have.
For health reasons, we recommend that babies are fed solely on breastmilk or infant formula for the first six months.
Here are some helpful resources to support you and your baby with introduction to solid foods:
After the first two weeks, your baby should be weighed:
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no more than once a month up to six months of age
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no more than once every two months from six to 12 months of age
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no more than once every three months from the age of one
Your baby will only be usually weighed more often than this if there are concerns about their health or growth.
For more information about your baby’s growth visit the NHS website.
The child immunisation programme for your baby and child on the NHS website explains what immunisations your baby or child needs, and when they need it.
