Beside You

12/05/2026

Singing Mamas short courses across Medway 💜

See post below for more information 💫

12/05/2026

🤱 Breastfeeding socials for May, June and July🤱

Perfect for new mums 💫

Join us at our breastfeeding social drop-ins. They take place every Wednesday at .court.garden.centre in Gillingham and in Rochester on alternative weeks.

Bring your baby, grab a drink and talk to other mums!

Our socials are a great way to:
💚 socialise with new people 🥰
🤎 meet other mums
💛 share experiences with others
❤️ a safe space to talk all things baby
💙 find out more about local breastfeeding support groups.

If you’re nervous about feeding in public, we’ll be there to support you.

No need to book, just pop by and say hi!

See you there! 💜

11/05/2026

Who you might meet along your feeding journey ✨

There is so much support for you in Medway when it comes to feeding your little one.

🔸Peer supporters
Our peer supporters are fully trained and experienced breastfeeding mums who run free antenatal feeding information sessions. At these sessions you can chat about your feeding choices, pick up some handy hints and tips to get for getting feeding off to a good start as well ask any feeing questions you may have. You can also find out about support available for when your baby arrives.

Come along and speak to them once your baby arrives for support with latch, feeding issues and reassurance chats.

🔸Infant feeding support workers
Our infant feeding support workers are based in the Medway hospital maternity unit and are also out in the community alongside midwives. They can support you with that first feed in the hospital and visit you at home in the first few weeks.

🔸Lactation consultants
Are clinically trained professionals in feeding. You may need to see a lactation consultant for more specialist support to overcome challenges such as slow weight gain, tongue-tie, supply issues and can be referred by peer supporters, health visitors or the infant feeding support workers.

Find out more about feeding support available to you👉 https://bit.ly/3tw2HRc

10/05/2026

Tomorrow sees the start of National Smile Month 😃🦷

National Smile Month is a charity campaign all about championing the benefits of having good oral health and promoting the value of a healthy smile.

Did you know that breastfed babies have a lower risk of developing tooth decay?

Breastmilk contains antibacterial properties. These antibacterial properties actively help to neutralise bacteria* which can cause tooth decay 🤱🦷

We all know breastfeeding has many benefits for both you and your baby, but do you know it plays a significant role in infant and maternal oral health?

For more information on looking after your teeth, visit 👉 https://www.medway.gov.uk/oralhealth

08/05/2026

Free antenatal sessions run by Medway Maternity

See post below for more details 👇

We’re super excited to announce that our Welcome to Core and Pelvic Floor classes now have monthly dates until the end of the year.

Please book in plenty of time as spaces are limited for these courses.

This is a great addition to any of our other antenatal education courses.

If you’re looking for a spot on our other courses we have release overflow dates for the Full Day Weekend courses on:
13th June
20th June

Our next Welcome to Parenthood online course is:
22nd May

Our next Welcome to Feeding online course is:
16th May

All can be booked on the link here: https://www.trybooking.com/uk/eventlist?aid=17696

Any questions please email us on: medwayft.antenataleducation@nhs.net

08/05/2026

When breastfeeding is so normal you forget to cover up your breasts when going out 😂

Anyone else?

07/05/2026

Are you a parent aged 25 or under and live in Medway?

Your feedback on local services will help us understand what young parents need to support you and your child.

This will help us improve services, support, and opportunities so young parents and their children have better health and lives 💛

If you fill in the survey, you can leave your email for a chance to win an Amazon voucher. The winner will be chosen after the survey closes on 29th May.

Complete the survey here 👉 https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/RKCUO5/

07/05/2026

Healthwatch are looking for people who would like to take part in an in-depth semi-structured interview exploring their perception of ‘if all people are treated with equity in health and social care, and if they have any experiences where they've experienced discrimination’.

Would you like to share your experience?

Any feedback would be incredibly helpful 💛

Get involved and have your say 👉 https://portal.ek360.co.uk/discrimination-and-health-inequalities-2026

06/05/2026

Every postnatal mental health journey is different 💛

On World Maternal Mental Health Day we are sharing another beautifully honest poem by Maria Tempany at Therhymingone

“What a gorgeous baby!
He must be a dream come true?”
Please don’t forget to say to mum:
“He’s great, but how are YOU?”

This precious new arrival
will have brought much disarray.
So, make sure you inquire:
“Can I help in any way?”

“He’s perfect, but I’m struggling.”
A tale as old as time.
These overwhelming feelings
are a challenge to define.

“Every inch of me is aching.
I’ve been truly torn apart.
It’s hard to grasp this newfound love consuming all my heart.”

Tiny steps, my dear old friend,
for baby and YOU too.
This world is new for baby
but it’s also new for you.

Give yourself some time, my love.
Just take it day by day.
You’re growing too. You’ll find your feet.
The pain WILL go away.

And, when you think you’ve grasped it:
This mothering, I mean.
Another hurdle will appear
To rip you at the seams.

You’ll stumble all along the way,
but falter you will not.
You’ll never cease to be amazed
by the strength that you’ve now got.

And on those days that push you
to the depths of much despair.
Look right into their little eyes
and you’ll find comfort there.

Nothing could prepare us
for this ocean of unknown.
Please always know, no matter what,
that you are not alone.

Maria Tempany Therhymingone
Art by

05/05/2026

It's international Day of the Midwife, a chance to celebrate all amazing midwives 💙

These are just some of the midwives from across Medway and Swale who work so hard in both the community and the hospital.

Thank you to all midwives for supporting local families day in, day out, as well as being part of the Beside You family helping women to breastfeed for as long as they want to 💜

We'd love to hear about your experience with the nurses and midwives across Medway and Swale. Give a shout out below to a midwife who has supported you on your journey to being a mum📢✨