Pregnancy and Parenting

Becoming a parent is a major life event that brings all sorts of changes. Here are some useful links to Southwark Council webpages, partner organisations, the voluntary sector and government websites.

If you think that we should include any other links in this section, please let us know. 

Pregnancy and parenting

Our website for Southwark Health and Social Care has lots of information on pregnancy and parenthood in the healthy living section.

Your pregnancy from NHS Direct. Discover how your body and your baby are developing week by week.

Directgov has a wealth of information for parents.

BBC parenting webpages are a good source of information on pregnancy and parenting.

The National Childbirth Trust is a charity dealing with pregnancy, birth and early parenthood, offering relevant information, reassurance and mutual support.

Southwark Children's Information Service is a single point of entry for children, young people, their families and those working with them to find services and activities available in Southwark.

Benefits and entitlements

Welfare benefits, information, advice and legal help for all ages and life stages about entitlement to all kinds of welfare benefits.

The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for a range of benefits and services for families.

Lone parent families

Gingerbread, a support organisation for lone parents and their children.

Disability, pregnancy and parenting

Disability, Pregnancy & Parenthood, a charity, controlled by disabled parents, which promotes better awareness and support for disabled people considering, during and after pregnancy and as parents.

Contact a family is a charity providing advice, information and support to the parents of all disabled children.

Fertility concerns

Infertility network UK, an organisation offering advice, support and understanding on infertility issues.

Food, nutrition and health

Eat well, be well. Nutritional information when you're trying for a baby and when you're pregnant, from the Food Standards Agency.

Stop smoking services for pregnant women/parents in Southwark, information from the Southwark health and Social Care website.

Dental care information for mother and baby from the British Dental Health Foundation.

The Association for Post Natal Illness helps women who suffer from post-natal depression.

Registering a birth in Southwark

All you need to know about registering the birth of your child can be found in our Registry section.

Adoption and fostering

For information on the services we provide please visit our adoption and fostering webpages. 

British Association for Adoption and Fostering provides information and advice about adopting and fostering children.

Information on adoption and fostering for gay and lesbian couples can be found at Stonewall.org.uk.