The first 1001 days of a child’s life, from conception to age two, is a window of opportunity. It is a time of particularly rapid growth and brain development. Here you will find useful information and links to websites.
On this page
- The red book
- Health and development reviews for your baby
- Your child's first two years
- Baby and us videos
- Looking after your baby's health and wellbeing
- Infant feeding
- Keeping your baby safe
- Baby apps
- Worried about your child's hearing
The red book
After your baby is born, parents are given a personal child health record, often called the red book. This book has important information about your baby’s health and development and includes advice and people to call for support. There are spaces to record your baby's height, weight, and when they have had their vaccinations. It is a good idea to take your baby's red book to all your baby's health appointments.
Find out more about the red book at Your baby's health and development reviews (NHS).
Health and development reviews for your baby
New families will receive home visits from the community midwifery team once they are discharged from hospital (or the first day following a home birth). At the visit the midwifery team will
- complete their postnatal checks
- give advice on infant feeding
- weigh your baby/ies.
On day 5 you will be offered the Newborn Blood Spot Test to check for rare but serious health conditions. Find out more at Blood spot (GOV.UK)
Families are then followed up by the Healthy Family Team from around day 10 to 14 and again around 6 to 8 weeks for health and development reviews.
New baby review
Usually when your baby is 10 to 14 days old, they will have their new baby review.
Find out what to expect at a routine birth to 14 days visit in this 2-min Healthy Family Team YouTube video.
6 to 8 week review
Find out what to expect at a routine 6 to 8 week review visit in this 2-min Healthy Family Team YouTube video.
Your baby will also have developmental reviews when they are 1 year old and between 2 and 2.5 years old. Find out more about these review on our Your child's development page.
The Healthy Family Team
The Healthy Family Team will offer you additional care and support if you or your baby need it. You can also access advice and support by booking an appointment at a Healthy Family session or phoning the advice line.
The Healthy Family Team is based at local health centres and in some local Family Hubs. There is a single telephone advice number.
Contact the advice line 0300 123 5436
For more contact information, visit our Healthy Family Team service page.
For more information about the Healthy Family Team, visit Healthy Family Teams (NHS Nottinghamshire Healthcare).
If you breastfeed, then you can find out what support is available from the Healthy Family Team on the page Breastfeeding and infant support (NHS Nottinghamshire Healthcare).
Your child's first two years
Welcome to Your Child's First Two Years is a guide to your baby’s first 1001 days, from conception to two years. This booklet shows you the things to expect in the first two years of your baby's life. The booklet was produced by Nottinghamshire Family Hubs Network and is currently being revised by Nottinghamshire Family Hubs. The revised version will appear here soon.
Download the Welcome to Your Child's First Two Years booklet
Find out more about the support on offer from Nottinghamshire Family Hub Teams
You can also explore more information on our pages:
Trusted health websites
Health for Under 5s
A website for healthy happy early years with support from trusted NHS professionals, covering all topics from pregnancy right through to pre-school. It offers details on support, advice, events and services in Nottinghamshire.
For information on practicalities, feeding & nutrition, health, learning and play visit the sections for Baby and Toddler at Health for Under 5s
NHS Baby guide
The NHS Baby guide includes everything you need to know about caring for a new baby, baby development, first aid, weaning and feeding, and more
Visit: NHS baby guide
Maternity leaflets from Sherwood Forest Hospitals
Sherwood Forest Hospitals have a range of maternity and pregnancy leaflets for during pregnancy, and after the birth of your baby.
Visit: Maternity (Patient information Library - NHS Sherwood Forest Hospitals)
Healthier Together
Provides pregnant women, babies, children and young people across South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw with advice from local health professionals.
Visit: Pregnancy/Baby (Healthier Together)
Better Start in Life
Trusted NHS help and advice during pregnancy, birth and parenthood.
Visit: Best Start in Life
The National Childbirth Trust (NCT)
The NCT website has a range of information to support you during your pregnancy, with your new baby and toddler, and with life as a parent
Visit: Baby and toddler information (NCT)
Baby and us videos
The NHS Centre for Parent and Child Support produced a series of short videos to help mums feel calm, confident and connected with their new baby.
Giving birth - your experiences
Real parents share their birth experiences, both positive and less positive, in this 9-minute YouTube video.
Access the other videos in this series:
- Great ideas for capturing your baby's magical moments, plus songs to sing with them!
- Perfect parent
- Looking after ourselves
- Feelings
- Managing stress as a new parent
- Routines and feeding
- Routines and sleep
- Personality
- Understanding babies' moods and crying
- Connecting with your baby - part 1
- Connecting with your baby - part 2
Looking after your baby's health and wellbeing
There is a lot to learn when you have a new baby. It is important to reach out for help if you are ever unsure because advice is always changing. For useful tips, visit Getting to know your newborn (NHS)
Baby brain development
Having an emotional bond with your bump during pregnancy improves your baby’s brain development and improves their emotional wellbeing once they have been born.
Looking after your baby's emotional wellbeing
Nature shows us that babies need to be close to their parent or care provider. Skin to skin contact has benefits for both baby and parent. It helps baby regulate their breathing, temperature and heart rate while soothing them. For mum it helps kickstart breastmilk supply. When your baby is upset or unsettled, if their immediate needs have been cared for, they might just be asking for a cuddle. Keeping babies close improves your baby’s emotional wellbeing, you cannot ‘spoil’ your baby by giving them ‘too much’ attention.
UNICEF Baby Friendly have produced a guide for parents on building a happy baby.
Download the UNICEF guide Building a happy baby. A guide for parents [PDF]
This article from Parenting Science tells you a little more about how stress affects babies: Stress in babies: How to keep babies calm, happy, and healthy (Parenting Science)
Find out more about how to look after your baby’s mental health from psychologist and child development expert Dr. Lisa Damour in this 5-minute UNICEF YouTube video.
Vitamin K
You'll be offered an injection of vitamin K for your baby. This helps prevent a rare bleeding disorder called haemorrhagic disease of the newborn.
If you'd prefer for your baby not to have an injection, they can have vitamin K by mouth instead, but they'll need further doses. Please chat to your midwife or doctor for further information.
Newborn and infant physical examination (NIPE)
All babies are offered an initial examination by a doctor or trained midwife within 72 hours of birth and then followed up again by your GP at 6-8 weeks. This an assessment to screen for conditions relating to the:
- Eyes
- Heart
- Hips
- Testes (in boys)
For further information, visit Newborn and infant physical examination (NIPE) screening programme handbook - GOV.UK
Infant feeding
All parents will be given advice on feeding their baby from the midwives and healthy family team throughout pregnancy and following the birth. You can find more information on your chosen feeding method on our Breastfeeding page or our Baby feeding and weaning page.
Keeping your baby safe
Safe sleeping
For information on safer sleeping, including reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), visit our Baby sleep page.
Infant crying
Infant crying is normal, but it can be stressful and overwhelming when you are a new parent. Help is available from ICON.
Visit ICON's Advice for parents
Never ever shake your baby
This 3-minute YouTube video provides advice to parents on what to do if your baby is crying.
Childhood illness
It is common for babies and children to become ill, but this can be a worrying time for parents, here are some useful websites for information. Please remember that nobody knows your baby better than you, if you are worried always see medical attention.
Baby Apps
Baby Buddy
Baby Buddy supported by Babyzone is a free NHS-approved pregnancy and parenting app, co-created with parents and the Royal College of Midwives. The app works as a virtual friend to guide you through your pregnancy and the early stages of your baby’s life up to their 1st birthday
Baby Buddy includes daily info for dads, information about local maternity services, personal care and support plans, and digital child health records. Find out more about the app in this 1-minute YouTube video.
Download the app from the App Store or Download the app from Google Play.
Download on the App Store (opens in new tab) Get it on Google Play (opens in new tab)
Baby Check App from The Lullaby Trust
The Baby Check app helps you to check if your baby is really ill. It is simple to use. You answer some questions about your baby's signs and symptoms of illness. Each question tests for a different symptom. When completed, a score is calculated that tells you how ill your baby is. The app then lets you know whether your baby needs to see a doctor or health professional.
This short YouTube video provides a quick introduction to the app.
Download the app from the App Store or Download the app from Google Play.
Download on the App Store (opens in new tab) Get it on Google Play (opens in new tab)
DadPad
DadPad is a guide for new dads developed with the NHS. The guide covers all the essential information a new dad needs; from how dads can support their partners to breastfeed, how to hold and care for a new baby, getting to know your baby, what to do when your baby won’t stop crying and more.
DadPad is available as an app.
Download DadPad from the AppStore
Download DadPad from Google Play
Download DadPad from the App Store (opens in new tab) Download DadPad from Google Play (opens in new tab)
A 38 page wipe-clean printed guide can be purchased from the DadPad website.
Worried about your child's hearing
All newborn babies in Nottinghamshire will have their hearing tested in hospital, either before they leave or as an outpatient very soon after birth. Find out further information at Newborn Hearing Screening (NHS).
You can also find out further information on hearing tests for children as they get older at Hearing Tests for Children (NHS).
However, if you are worried about your child’s hearing as they get older, see your Health Visitor, School Nurse or GP. A hearing problem can affect a child’s whole development, so it is important to pick it up as soon as possible. To find out where your nearest GP is located, use the NHS GP Search.