Beside You Kent

Beside You Kent Beside You is here to support, advocate and celebrate breastfeeding in Kent Beside You is here to support, advocate and celebrate breastfeeding in Kent.

We have a website with lots of information about breastfeeding and an interactive map to pinpoint support available in your area of Kent.

We want to say something important today 💛Attunement isn't always easy. And that's not a failing — it's human.When you'r...
10/06/2026

We want to say something important today 💛
Attunement isn't always easy. And that's not a failing — it's human.
When you're exhausted, overwhelmed, anxious, grieving or struggling with your own mental health, tuning in to your baby's needs can feel impossibly hard. When a baby cries constantly and nothing seems to help, it's natural to feel disconnected, frustrated or even detached.
🤱 Breastfeeding can be part of this picture too. When feeding is difficult — whether that's due to pain, latch challenges, low supply worries or sheer exhaustion — it can feel like a barrier to that closeness you hoped for. If that's where you are, please know that support is available, and asking for help is a sign of strength, not failure.
These feelings don't make you a bad parent. They make you someone who needs support.
What we know is that when parents are supported — emotionally, practically, professionally — their capacity to attune to their baby grows. You cannot pour from an empty cup 🧡
🔗 Find support and guidance for families on the Kent Family website: family.kentcht.nhs.uk/baby/
📞 To speak to your local Kent Health Visiting team about breastfeeding support or any aspect of early parenthood, contact your GP surgery or your local KCHFT team

Attunement doesn't require a course or a checklist. It's in the small, everyday moments 🌱👀 Making eye contact during a n...
09/06/2026

Attunement doesn't require a course or a checklist. It's in the small, everyday moments 🌱

👀 Making eye contact during a nappy change
🗣️ Narrating what you're doing as you go about your day
😄 Copying your baby's expressions back to them
🤲 Picking them up when they cry — you can't spoil a baby with comfort
🎵 Singing the same little song at bedtime, every night
😌 Sitting quietly alongside a toddler who's upset, without trying to fix it
🤱 And breastfeeding itself — pausing to make eye contact, stroking your baby's hand, talking softly during a feed. Every breastfeed is a moment of attunement, not just nourishment. Babies who are fed responsively — offered the breast when they show hunger cues rather than by the clock — experience attunement from the very first days of life.

These everyday acts of attunement lay the groundwork for emotional resilience, healthy relationships and positive mental health throughout life 💙

🔗 For more ideas on connecting with your baby every day, visit the Kent Family website: family.kentcht.nhs.uk/baby/

📱 And download the Born to Move app — packed with activities designed to help you build that close bond from the very start.

Did you know that a baby's brain doubles in size in their first year of life? 🧠Those early months and years aren't just ...
08/06/2026

Did you know that a baby's brain doubles in size in their first year of life? 🧠

Those early months and years aren't just about growth — they're about connection. Every time a parent notices what their baby needs and responds warmly, tiny neural pathways are being built that shape how that child will feel, relate and cope for the rest of their life.
This is why attunement matters so much. When babies experience consistent, loving responses to their needs, they learn:

✅ That the world is a safe place.
✅ That their feelings are valid.
✅ That the people around them can be trusted.

🤱 Breastfeeding supports this process beautifully. The hormones released during breastfeeding bring feelings of calm and closeness for both mother and baby, reinforcing that sense of safety and connection with every feed.

💛 Looking for guidance on supporting your baby's development? The Kent Family website has lots of helpful information for parents: family.kentcht.nhs.uk/baby/

This week is Infant Mental Health Awareness Week and this year's theme is Attunement 🧡Attunement is the ability to tune ...
08/06/2026

This week is Infant Mental Health Awareness Week and this year's theme is Attunement 🧡

Attunement is the ability to tune in to another person's emotional world — to notice, understand and respond to how they're feeling. For babies and very young children, it's one of the most powerful things a parent or carer can offer.

When you pause to read your baby's cues, respond to their cry, mirror their smile or soothe their distress — that's attunement in action.

🤱 Breastfeeding is one of the earliest and most powerful ways attunement begins. Learning to read your baby's hunger cues, responding to their needs, and the skin-to-skin closeness of feeding all help build that essential bond from the very first days.

It sounds simple. But it's actually the foundation of everything: how babies feel safe, how they learn to manage their emotions, and how they begin to understand the world around them.

All this week, we'll be exploring what attunement means, why it matters, and how our Kent Health Visiting Team supports families to build those incredible early connections 💙

🔗 Find tips and support for you and your baby at the Kent Family website: family.kentcht.nhs.uk/baby/

📱 Download the Born to Move app for activities to help you connect with your baby from day one

06/06/2026

Dads: you don't have to figure this out alone.

There are local groups in Kent where dads connect, talk honestly, and support each other through the early days — and beyond.
Whatever's on your mind, help is closer than you think 💙

🔗 kent.gov.uk/becomingadad

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFD7_QvW_zU

⚠️ Suspected poisoning is one of the most common reasons young children end up in A&E.This , here's what every parent a...
05/06/2026

⚠️ Suspected poisoning is one of the most common reasons young children end up in A&E.

This , here's what every parent and carer should know 👇

💊 Medicines, cleaning products and laundry pods
Bright colours and interesting shapes can look just like sweets or toys to little ones. A few simple habits make a big difference:

→ Store everything in a high, lockable cupboard
→ Put products away immediately after use — never leave them out
→ Don't rely on safety caps. They slow children down, but they're not childproof
🌿 Garden and outdoor plants
Many common plants are toxic, and children don't know the difference. Teach yours never to eat anything picked outside, however harmless it looks.
💨 Carbon monoxide
You can't see it, smell it or taste it — but it can kill a child in seconds. Fit a CO detector in every room with a fuel-burning appliance. Check yours is working today.
Find more advice on keeping your little one safe 👇
🔗 family.kentcht.nhs.uk/baby/you-and-your-older-toddler-2-to-3-years/accident-prevention/
🔗 capt.org.uk/poisoning-prevention/

Eye-to-eye contact is such a precious way to strengthen the bond with your little one. 💕Even as early as four days old, ...
05/06/2026

Eye-to-eye contact is such a precious way to strengthen the bond with your little one. 💕

Even as early as four days old, a newborn starts to recognize their mother's face. One way to nurture this development is by lovingly gazing into your baby's eyes during those tender feeding moments.

These moments offer a beautiful opportunity for your baby to explore the world through your loving gaze. Your face becomes their first window to understanding emotions and building social communication skills. During these times, your baby can only see about eight to 15 inches away; the perfect distance to focus on your face as you hold them close💕

🗺️Come along to a child health clinic for advice, information and support for you and your child's health and developmen...
03/06/2026

🗺️Come along to a child health clinic for advice, information and support for you and your child's health and development from your local Health Visiting Team. You can find details of your local clinic including whether you need to book and whether they have breastfeeding support sessions running alongside at https://family.kentcht.nhs.uk/healthychildclinics.

02/06/2026

Welcoming a baby takes a village — and everyone in that village has a role.

Partners, grandparents, friends: the support you offer in those early weeks can make a real difference to a new parent's wellbeing.

Mental health support is also available if anyone in the family needs it.

🔗 kent.gov.uk/beststartinlife

Discover Togetherness – your free online learning platform for emotional health and connected relationships.These online...
02/06/2026

Discover Togetherness – your free online learning platform for emotional health and connected relationships.

These online courses support emotional wellbeing for grown-ups and children. With resources on brain development, emotional health and parenting, Togetherness can help you build healthier relationships and happier lives.

Created by NHS clinical psychologists, alongside practitioners and parents, these online courses will help you and your family better understand and manage your emotional health in daily life.

👉 Start your learning journey: www.togetherness.co.uk/learn and use the local access code 'Invicta.'

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