Growing Healthy 0-25 Northumberland

24/09/2025

23/09/2025

⚖️👶 When Should Your Baby Be Weighed?
Baby weigh days can feel like a big deal — and it’s totally normal to feel a bit anxious about how your little one is growing. Lots of parents want to pop into clinic often, just for peace of mind (you’re not alone 💕).

But the good news? Babies don’t usually need to be weighed every week! Here’s the usual guidance:

🗓️ In the First Weeks:

🧑‍⚕️ Day 5 – Usually weighed by your midwife as part of the feeding assessment.

📅 Between 10–14 days – Follow-up check from your health visitor to ensure your baby has regained their birth weight (most babies are back to birth weight by 2 weeks).

📈 Routine Weight Checks with Your Health Visitor:

✅ 6–8 weeks

✅ 3–4 months

✅ 9–12 months

✅ 2 years

ℹ️ Important Notes:

⚖️ Weight will usually be measured only during the routine reviews as above, unless there is a concern about your baby’s health or development.

👩‍⚕️ Your health visitor may ask you to bring your baby to clinic more often to monitor their progress.

🚫 Weighing your baby too often may lead to unnecessary concern.

📘 Check your baby’s Red Book (Personal Child Health Record) for guidance.

23/09/2025

ICON Week 2025

📢 Parents, we’ve all been there…
Baby Evie Pig is not happy today — and the tears are flowing! 😭🐷

Whether it’s colic, tiredness, or just one of those days, crying is tough — for babies and parents. But remember, crying is normal, and you’re not alone.

💡 That’s where the ICON message comes in:
✨ I – Infant crying is normal
✨ C – Comforting methods can help
✨ O – It’s OK to walk away
✨ N – Never, ever shake a baby

Even when it feels overwhelming, there are ways to cope safely.
https://iconcope.org/
https://bit.ly/ICON-day1

23/09/2025

Parents and carers, we know how exhausting and lonely crying can feel. 🤗

Remember:
✨Crying is normal
✨You are not a bad parent
✨It’s OK to step away for a few minutes if your baby is safe
✨Looking after your mental health matters

Keep your baby safe, and keep yourself safe too.

22/09/2025

It’s here – has officially begun!

All babies cry, and it can feel really tough at times – but remember: babies cry, you can cope.

Crying often increases around 2 weeks and peaks at 6–8 weeks. This phase will pass, and you are not alone.

Find out more: https://bit.ly/ICON-day1

22/09/2025

LET'S TALK TEENAGE SLEEP AND TEENAGE BIOLOGY 😴💤🧠

Is your teenager struggling to fall asleep or waking up tired? This could be why...

CIRCADIAN RHYTHM - this sounds fancy but this is actually our internal body clock that tells us when to be awake and when to start winding down for sleep. For teenagers, this clock shifts and can make switching off for sleep, difficult. The important thing to remember is that it is normal.

The Teen Sleep Hub is a great resource for families. Check the link out below to read a fantastic guest blog from Dr Sarah Gilchrist.

CREDIT: The Sleep Charity

https://teensleephub.org.uk/circadian-rhythms-and-sleep-what-you-need-to-know-guest-blog-with-dr-sarah-gilchrist/?fbclid=IwY2xjawM6MpFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBtczgwRkI0MHBKNkZVcEpYAR53AHlwQ9YfvS7TZV7vNLSqKyqeaxjg_pve7nho3WsyWoMY73MmpbrhgYIwxA_aem_r7moLg1oom7ZssOo-42c2Q

22/09/2025

A regular and consistent oral hygiene routine is essential for achieving overall healthy teeth and gums 🦷
Children aged 7 years and older should be able to brush their own teeth, however it is still a good idea to supervise and watch them to make sure that they brush properly and for about 2 minutes - we want all children to have lovely healthy smiles 😁

Here are some tips on how to give your child a helping hand...

20/09/2025

🧒💬 Finding your child’s behaviour challenging? You're Not Alone.

Tantrums, frustration, shouting, refusal—it’s all part of growing up. But that doesn’t make it easy for parents or carers.

There are many reasons young children may act out:
😴 Tired
🍽️ Hungry
🥱 Bored
😤 Frustrated
🎉 Overstimulated

When challenging behaviour starts to affect your child—or your whole family—it's okay to ask for support. ❤️

💡 Here are some helpful strategies:

✔️ Do what feels right for you and your family
✔️ Be consistent—children need routine-based boundaries
✔️ Reward good behaviour with praise, attention, or small treats
✔️ Avoid overreacting—stay calm and move on
✔️ Talk to your child—even if they can’t talk yet, they can understand
✔️ Lead by example—children copy what they see

And remember:
💬 Children may act out just to get your attention—even if it’s negative
💔 Big life changes or stress at home can also affect their behaviour

🤝 You’re not in this alone.

Need support?
⬇️ Download our 'Children's Health Service HDFT' App for more support.

19/09/2025

For those night feeds🩷

19/09/2025

Today is a very bittersweet day for the Infant Feeding Team as we say goodbye to Lauren.

She will be such a big miss to us as a team, but she isn't going far and staying in the 0-19 service to complete her health visiting training!

I'm sure anyone who knows Lauren will join us in wishing her her all the very best in her new venture!

Good luck Lauren🍀, you will be an amazing health visitor 🙂🩷

19/09/2025

We thought it would be useful to share the feeding support that is available🙂

Breastfeeding is natural. It's not always natural like breathing but instead like walking, learning is easier with support. 🤱🩷

19/09/2025

Good Morning!

Hope everyone has lovely day☀🍂🍁