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NCT East Grinstead Autumn 2015
East Grinstead Branch
Newsletter Autumn 2015
Baby Led
Weaning
One Mum’s
experiences and
thoughts on BLW
Sling
Library
More about this new
service provided by
NCT East Grinstead
Cranial
Osteopathy
Five things you
should know about
Paediatric
Osteopathy
NCT East Grinstead Autumn 2015
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NCT East Grinstead Autumn 2015
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Contents
4 Welcome
A word from our branch co-ordinator
6 Pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy
Read more about this common pregnancy related pain
12 Our birth story by Charlotte Stagg
A local Mum’s dramatic birthing experience
14 Five things to know about Cranial Osteopathy
What to look out for when selecting a Paediatric Osteopath
19 Toy library now open six days a week
Great news for East Grinstead parents
21 A dad’s thoughts on the first day at home...
It’s amazing what you learn and experience after baby’s birth!
22 Nothing but love for baby led weaning
A Mum’s review of this approach to solid food for babies
26 East Grinstead Sling Library
Find out more about this new service from NCT East Grinstead
NCT East Grinstead Autumn 2015
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Welcome
Dear Readers,
Welcome to the Autumn edition of the NCT East Grinstead branch
Newsletter.
In this issue we have an article about pregnancy related pelvic girdle
pain, information about our branch services and helpful articles about
resources such as Cranial Osteopathy and music in children's
development. Some exciting news about the Toy Library in East
Grinstead too!
I would also like to say a big thank you to all who volunteered to help
with our recent Nearly New Sale and the team who organised the whole
event led by our Nearly New Sale co-ordinator Sarah Marchant.
We hope to run another in April 2016 so
watch this space! In addition, if you or
someone you know would like to get involved
in volunteering with us in any way, please do
not hesitate to contact us to find out how; we
are a growing branch with many
opportunities to get involved with!
Ella Ella Wormley-Healing
Branch Co-ordinator
Registered Charity Number (England and Wales): 801395
Registered Charity Number (Scotland): SC041592
© NCT, Alexandra House, Oldham Terrace, London, W3 6NH
Printed by South Bucks Business Products • www.southbucksprint.co.uk
NCT East Grinstead Autumn 2015
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About NCT NCT is here to support parents. We don’t tell them what to do or think
– through our classes, branches, and helplines, our volunteers and
qualified representatives give parents accurate, impartial information
so that they can decide what’s best for their family.
Through us, they can join a support network of other parents near by,
which can be a lifeline in the early years. We are the UK’s leading
parenting charity, and, being independent, we have an influential voice
in campaigning and lobbying on the issues that parents care about.
Enjoyed this newsletter? You can get a copy sent to you directly by joining NCT.
NCT membership offers you an easy way to meet other mums and
dads who are going through exactly the same thing.
NCT membership costs less than
£4 a month. Other benefits include:
priority entry to Nearly New
Sales
quarterly parenting magazine
NCT Matters
special discounts at NCT Shop
low-cost holidays using our
members only
NCT family house swap holidays
Join online at www.nct.org.uk/join
Please don’t throw me away, pass me on to a friend today
NCT East Grinstead Autumn 2015
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Pregnancy related pelvic girdle
pain (PGP) in pregnancy Article written by NCT www.nct.org.uk
Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) or symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD) is
common in pregnancy. Read about minimising the discomfort of pelvic,
hip and back pain in pregnancy and treatment.
This article covers what pelvic girdle pain is, what causes it, the
symptoms, how to cope with PGP in pregnancy and your options for
birth.
What is pelvic girdle pain (PGP)?
Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is the umbrella term for all pelvic pain,
including pubic pain which was previously called symphysis pubis
dysfunction (SPD). PGP includes pain anywhere from the lumbar
spine/abdomen down to the thigh, either at the front or back. The pain
may range from a mild ache to severe pain which limits your daily
activities. This may start at any time during pregnancy, labour or in the
weeks after delivery.
What causes pelvic girdle pain (PGP)?
It’s hard to say what causes some women to develop PGP and not
others. The evidence for risk factors is inconclusive and some
evidence is also contradictory. The main risk factor appears to be a
history of previous low-back/pelvic girdle/joint pain and/or previous
trauma to the pelvis.
Earlier research found that poor muscle function in the back and pelvis
at the beginning of pregnancy is related to severe pain and disability
throughout pregnancy.
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Symptoms of pelvic girdle pain (PGP)
Common signs and symptoms include:
difficulty walking (a waddling gait),
pain on weight bearing on one leg e.g. climbing stairs,
pain and/or difficulty in straddle movements e.g. getting in and out
of bath,
clicking or grinding in the pelvic area (may be audible or palpable),
limited and painful hip abduction (though some women have normal
or only partly limited abduction),
difficulty lying in some positions e.g. side-lying,
pain during normal activities of daily life and/or
pain and difficulty during sexual intercourse.
Symptoms can be aggravated by the increasing weight of the baby,
changes in the body’s centre of gravity, and posture. It usually occurs
in pregnancy due to the
hormone 'relaxin'
softening the ligaments in
your body, allowing your
pelvis to open up and
make room for your baby
to be born.
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Coping with pelvic girdle pain in pregnancy
The condition is usually diagnosed by its symptoms and by a thorough
assessment of the pelvic joints and spine. Your healthcare team will be
able to refer you to a specialist physiotherapist. Getting diagnosed as
early as possible can help to keep the pain to a minimum and avoid
long-term discomfort.
If you suffer from pelvic girdle pain it may be best to try and avoid
weight bearing activities. Many women have found that making small
changes to everyday activities reduce discomfort. You could try the
following:
Remain active within the limits of pain so avoid activities which you
know makes the pain worse.
Accept offers of help and involve your partner, family and friends in
daily chores.
Rest more frequently or sit down for activities that normally involve
standing, e.g. ironing.
Avoid standing on one leg so try dressing sitting down, for instance.
Consider alternative sleeping position, such as lying on one side
with pillows between your legs for comfort. Turn ‘under’ when
turning in bed, or turn over with knees together and squeeze
buttocks.
Explore alternative ways to climb stairs. You could try going upstairs
one leg at a time with the most pain-free leg first and the other leg
joining it on the step.
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Plan the day by bringing everything you need downstairs in the
morning and set up changing stations both up and downstairs. You
might find a rucksack helpful to carry things around the house,
especially if crutches have to be used.
Avoid activities that involve asymmetrical positions of the pelvis,
such as sitting cross-legged, reaching, pushing or pulling to one
side, and bending and twisting to lift or carrying anything on one hip.
Consider alternative positions for sex, such as lying on the side or
kneeling on all fours.
Organise hospital appointments for the same day if possible, such
as combining appointments for antenatal care and physiotherapy.
You should still be able to have a normal birth - talk to your midwife
about the options (see section below).
Planning birth with pelvic girdle pain
The majority of women will be able to have a spontaneous vaginal
delivery if they want to so talk to your midwife about your options. For
instance, you could discuss your pain relief options as well as
alternative positions for birth, such as supported kneeling or side lying
with pillows/knees to chest.
While PGP in pregnancy is common, it isn’t normal. You should always
seek help early if you think you’re suffering; it is a treatable,
manageable condition.
This article is based on content from The POGP (Pelvic Obstetric and
Gynaecological Physiotherapy), a UK-based professional network
affiliated to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, which provides
useful information on PGP.
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NCT East Grinstead Bumps and Babes
Every Monday (except Bank Holidays)
10:30am to 12:00noon
Meridian Hall, East Court, East Grinstead, RH19 3LT
www.nct.org.uk/branches/east-grinstead
Search for:
NCT East Grinstead
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Our birth story
by Charlotte Stagg
After several months of trying for a baby, my husband and I went
to the doctors for help. My husband was first to take the test but
everything came back fine; better than fine, which meant it was
me with the problem.
We met with a doctor who specialised in IVF who was very reassuring
but before starting IVF they referred me to have an HSG, which is
where they blast dye into my uterus and then looked at the X-ray
screen to see if I had blocked fallopian tubes. It isn’t meant to hurt
anymore than a smear test but I beg to differ! However, all that
blasting must have worked because two months later we found out I
was pregnant.
Now the fun began, I had it all… morning sickness, heartburn, acid
reflux, migraines, carpal tunnel syndrome, SPD, but worst of all was
from week 26 of my pregnancy I started getting swollen and had high
blood pressure. When I got to 7 months pregnant I started to feel really
unwell so my husband took me to hospital. I was told I had the
symptoms of pre-eclampsia but it was unlikely because they didn’t find
any protein in my urine sample. From then on the midwife was
monitoring me weekly.
A week before I was due to go on maternity leave, I was signed off by
my doctor because she was worried about me. However, the midwives
were not, so for a whole month I was told to sit at home with my feet
up, not that I could move much anyway because my hips were agony.
The day before my due date, I couldn’t feel our baby kicking so we
were told to go to Princess Royal Hospital immediately for blood tests
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and to be monitored. After 4 hours of being strapped up to their
monitor I was told that everything was fine and I could go home but
they wanted me back in two days time to be induced.
On Friday 14th November 2014 at 1:30am I woke up in a lot of pain. I
nudged my husband and told him “the baby’s coming”. I got him to
time my contractions, which were 5 minutes apart. He rang the hospital
and was told, “all first time Mums worry that they baby is coming but
she’ll be hours yet. Run her a bath and get her to take 2 paracetamol”.
Unfortunately we had no hot water because only a few hours before I
had a bath because I was due to be induced at 9am. So my husband
had to make it by boiling the kettle - not ideal but I was prepared to sit
in a few inches of water thinking it might help with the pain. It didn’t,
and the pain was getting worse so he rang back again to say he really
thinks we ought to head over but this time we got “you can but we’ll
only send her home”.
Not impressed with their answer he helped me out of the bath so that
he could get me dressed and take me to the hospital. But as soon as I
stood up, my waters broke and I could feel the baby coming. With the
look of fear in my eyes, I told him to ring 999. He managed to lie me
down on our bed and call them. The ambulance crew were amazing
and arrived within minutes. They tried to get me to sit on the stretcher
but that wasn’t possible anymore so I had to lie down on it.
Because of where we live, the ambulance was too high to fit under our
neighbour’s coach-house so they had to park out on Brookhill Road.
They got me into the back of their ambulance and radioed for a
midwife but none were available. So the crew then started to get ready
to drive me to the hospital - or so they thought they were. With a big
suck on the gas and air, two pushes later our beautiful daughter was
born.
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Five things you should know
about Cranial Osteopathy Article written by Tracey Cambridge DPO Paediatric Osteopath since 1997
1. Cranial Osteopathy works and it works very well when the practitioner has the correct
training and experience. However some Osteopaths and Chiropractors advertise that
they treat babies and children when they don't actually have the correct training to do
so.
2. All Osteopaths are trained to treat ADULTS but you cannot give a child the same
treatment that you would give an adult because a child's body and bones are much
softer than that of an adult and they require different treatment techniques. To treat
children requires further post-graduate training and the gold standard training for all
Osteopaths is at the Osteopathic Centre for Children (OCC) in London which is a 2 year
course resulting in a Diploma in Paediatric Osteopathy called a "DPO". At the end of this
training, it then takes further practice and experience to get good observable results.
3. Chiropractors are now advertising that they treat children and you need to check what
training they have done to treat children. Do not be fooled by the confident talk, the
plush offices, the flash advertising or how many years they have been treating adults as
none of this matters. What matters is if they have post-graduate training to treat children
which makes them safe to treat children. And if anyone wants to do an "adjustment" on
your child or use a hand held clicking machine called an “activator” then get up and
leave fast because they could injure your child.
4. There needs to be plenty of time for your appointment and if your Osteopath or
Chiropractor treats your baby in half an hour or less, then know that it is a rush job. If
your baby needs feeding, a nappy change, or a cuddle if it is crying during your session,
then there will be little time left for the actual treatment. You should be given at least an
hour for your appointment, especially if it is the first appointment.
5. If you cannot see any observable improvement in your child's symptoms after at least
two visits, or your child seems worse, then find another Osteopath with more experience
in treating children. Cranial Osteopathy does work but be aware that there are some
Osteopaths and Chiropractors who falsely claim to treat babies and children when they
do not have the correct training or experience to do so. Your child is precious. Do your
homework and search out the very best Paediatric Osteopath that you can find.
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1st visit £45 and further visits £35
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We exclusively support experienced professionals in f inding the type of
part-t ime or f lexible work that meets their work, career and family needs.
07810 541599
www.ten2two.org
NCT East Grinstead Autumn 2015
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The Medela Symphony
Electric Breast Pump Hire
The Symphony is a high quality hospital grade double breast
pump which imitates a baby’s sucking motion, giving you the
best chance to achieve the best results possible.
For more information or to hire, please contact
Amanda Broughton on 07818 003003 or email
amandabroughtonnct@gmail.com
www.medela.co.uk
NCT East Grinstead Autumn 2015
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Toy library now open
six days a week Article courtesy of East Grinstead Online www.eastgrinsteadonline.com
The Toy Library, which is housed in the library foyer as part of the
Children and Family Centre will now be open whenever the library
is, instead of only two and a half days a week as previously.
Families with under-fives, or carers and grandparents, can borrow two
toys for a three week loan period for a one-off membership charge of
£2.
Toys are issued through the Library Self Service machines, and there
are no fines on late returns.
The Library service is now able to send out reminders by email to
customers – including those who have borrowed books – three days
before items are due back.
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Book reviews
Artemis Churchill-Smith, age 2½
What is your favourite book?
‘The Giving Tree’ by Shel Silverstein
What is it about?
A boy and a tree are friends. The tree helps
the boy as he grows up to be happy.
Why do you like it?
At the end they are happy and together.
Who do you like reading it with?
I like when Mama reads it.
Benedict Parker, age 2
What is your favourite book?
‘Wow! Said the Owl’ by Tim Hopgood
What is it about?
It's a book about colours. An owl stays awake all day because she is curious
to see what daytime is like.
Why do you like it?
I have enjoyed reading it since I was 18
months old. It's really helped me to learn
my colours. I love saying 'Wow!'... that's
what the little owl says every time she
sees a new colour.
Who do you like reading it with?
I like reading it with Mummy. She sings the song about the colours in the
rainbow and asks me which colours I can see.
NCT East Grinstead Autumn 2015
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A dad’s thoughts on
the first day at home... Article written by Darren Shaw
Sophia May Shaw born Sunday 20th Sept at
11.35am weighing 7lbs 1oz
First day at home with Sophia has resulted in the following lessons
being learnt:
1. The big steamy thingy on the side (steriliser) is easy to use but
bloody hot if you want to access it too quickly.
2. You can get to 21:48 in the evening and realise that you've not
brushed your teeth.
3. Hearing John Legend 'all of me' will make me and Gemma (but not
Sophia) burst into uncontrollable tears.
4. Being fed and changed is not a recipe for sleep.
5. Pampers nappies have a yellow stripe on them that goes blue when
the wearer has done a wee.
6. Pampers nappies have a white inside that goes like full grain
English Mustard yellow when the wearer has done a poo.
6. Pampers nappies are useless if the person in control of fitting them
(me) has had 4 hours sleep.
5. You can confuse a fitted Moses basket sheet that is folded in half,
for a pair of maternity knickers.
7. When you’re this hungry and its this late in the day, I lose the ability
to count.
NCT East Grinstead Autumn 2015
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Nothing but love for
baby led weaning Article by Gemma Brighton, Suffolk for NCT East Grinstead
My little boy is called Ashley and he is 7 months old. We have
been following the baby led weaning approach with him for a
month.
Ashley has just started to eat full meals; in the first couple of weeks
baby led weaning (BLW) was more about learning about food and
discovering the colours, textures and taste of the foods we gave him
rather than actually eating them.
But a couple of weeks ago he started clearing his plate and being able
to eat more complex meals. We started off offering food to him at just
one meal a day and we just offered simple vegetables and fruits. This
progressed to three meals a day quite organically, as and when Ashley
was ready. After only a few days of simple meals Ashley was eating
the same meals we were; some of his favourites are curry, burritos and
pasta.
Some parents start with all three meals, but we weren’t that organised,
so it took us a week or so to get going properly. Actually the first
weekend Ashley started to BLW we were away in Yorkshire for a
family holiday. We were staying in a lovely house in Reeth with my
parents and I remember my Dad offering Ashley some baked beans
and some toast off of his plate.
My parents have been so supportive of our choice to BLW Ashley, and
even though this isn’t how myself and sister were weaned they have
never questioned my approach. Rather the opposite, my mum came
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up to me after our weekend away saying ‘I think you should try and
make Ashley some egg muffins, he’ll love them’, and he does love
them! It’s such an enjoyable process for both myself and my husband
seeing Ashley learn about food and how to eat. I also sense that my
parents are very proud of how confident Ashley is with food, as they
tell everyone what he’s been eating and how clever they think he is.
If you’re considering baby led weaning, you might be thinking ‘what
about the mess?!’ Well, we haven’t had any major issues with mess,
we just have a normal high chair, a bib that has a little food catcher at
the bottom and a cheap vinyl tablecloth to cover the carpet. Saying this
we have had to move from bathing Ashley every other day to every
night, especially when he has a tomato based dinner – he may not
make a mess on the floor, but his
face and hands sure do get
covered!
Seeing how our little man has
developed and improved his
hand eye coordination and how
much he looks forward to and
enjoys mealtimes in such a short
time is so rewarding. At the start
of our BLW journey, I admit I felt
a little overwhelmed thinking
about what to feed him, when to
feed him, how much to feed him
etc., but I promise you if you just
let your baby lead you you’ll find
everything happens naturally and
progresses as it should.
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Remember some babies eat more than other and some babies may
not seem to be eating much at all and all of it is fine – I heard a lovely
phrase that I kept in my head in the beginning which is ‘food before
one is just for fun’, I found this out on a wonderful Facebook BLW
support group and I’d urge you to join something similar as the wealth
of knowledge you can gather is amazing, as well as learning and trying
lots of new recipes that are suggested by fellow BLWer’s.
My renewed love of cooking and baking has been rekindled thanks to
our method of weaning. I love trying out recipes that the whole family
can enjoy and I’m eager to build a freezer stash of goodies for us all to
make those nights where a quick meal is required all the easier. One
of my close friends, who works with my mum, has asked to meet up in
the half term to have a cooking day for the babies – my mum has been
telling her about all of the meals I’ve been trying and cooking that
she’d like to learn too. It’s nice that BLWing is helping me to bond with
my friends and it’s great to share recipes and ideas.
You may also be wondering how a BLW baby copes when going out to
eat in a restaurant, well our little one just has bits off of our plates
when we are out. We went to a well-known Portuguese chicken
restaurant for lunch with one of my husband’s work colleagues a
couple of weeks back and Ashley had pitta bread, chicken, corn on the
cob, lettuce and potatoes all quite happily – although he did skip the
hot sauce!
Our experience of baby led weaning so far has been wonderful and I
am so glad we knew about this approach and that Ashley has taken to
it so well. He looks forward to mealtimes, he isn’t fussy and he’s more
than will to give lots of different flavours and textures a try. He is also
able to regulate how much he eats and how fast he eats which is
lovely to see at such a young age as he is already developing
independence.
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East Grinstead Sling Library The sling library run by NCT East Grinstead branch has been up
and running for nearly four months and is proving to be a great
success. Thanks to the generous support of Tunbridge Wells,
Uckfield and East Grinstead Baby Sensory the branch has a range
of woven, structured and new-born carriers available for hire.
Available for 2-week or 4-week periods for just £6 and £9 respectively,
the sling library allows Mums (and Dads!) to try out a range of
babywearing options to see what suits them before making an
investment, with some carriers topping the £100 mark to purchase new.
The sling library runs at our Bumps and Babes group on Monday
mornings (except Bank Holidays) at the Meridian Hall, East Court, East
Grinstead, from 10:30 to 12:00. Our volunteers are available to provide
advice and support on the options and to assist with babywearing.
Around half our hirers have subsequently gone on to
buy carriers or slings of their own.
You can also email us at
slinglibrary.eastgrinstead@nct.org.uk for
advice outside of our usual weekly slot.
Great work NCT - I think the
Sling Library will do really well,
plus it's something I feel
passionate about. It is a
pleasure to sponsor something
that will be so beneficial to
mums who want to babywear!
Katie De Ioia ” “
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tunbridgewells@babysensory.co.uk
Tunbridge Wells, Uckfield & East Grinstead
NCT East Grinstead Autumn 2015
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Meet the team Branch Committee
Branch Co-ordinator
Ella Wormley-Healing
coordinator.eastgrinstead@nct.org.uk
Treasurer
Michelle Taylor
treasurer.eastgrinstead@nct.org.uk
Membership Secretary
Priya Shah
membership.eastgrinstead@nct.org.uk
Parent Support
Co-ordinator
Vacancy
parentsupport.eastgrinstead@nct.org.uk
Newsletter Editor
Andrew Taylor
newsletter.eastgrinstead@nct.org.uk
Bumps and Babes
Co-ordinator
Kate Pullen
katepullennct@gmail.com
Nearly New Sale
Co-ordinator
Sarah Marchant
nns.eastgrinstead@nct.org.uk
Support Services
NCT Parent Services
Administrator
for booking classes
Ali Tierney
bookings4n@nct.org.uk
Antenatal Leader
Helen Scott
hdwjscott@btopenworld.com
07887 928442
Breast Pump Hire
Amanda Broughton
amandabroughtonnct@gmail.com
07818 003003
NCT East Grinstead Autumn 2015
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The information in this newsletter is for the benefit of NCT (National Childbirth Trust) members and beneficiaries. It may be used only in connection with NCT activities and may not be used for any commercial purposes. The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of NCT. The information contained in this newsletter should not be reproduced without the editor's consent in writing. The appearance of an advertisement in this newsletter does not imply endorsement of the company or its products by NCT, nor does it constitute a recommendation. However, it is always worth mentioning when replying to an advertisement that you saw it in an NCT newsletter. NCT cannot be held liable for loss, damage or injury arising out of goods sold through any advertisements in this newsletter. Any discount offered to NCT members by any advertisement is done so entirely at the discretion of the advertiser.
Our branch is run by volunteers. We are mostly parents with young children working from home which means we are not always available. Please be considerate of meal/bed times if you telephone us, and allow a few days for us to respond to emails. This includes our agents such as bra fitters, valley cushion and pump agents, and also our breastfeeding counsellors and peer supporters.
Contact details
Email us at:
eastgrinstead@nct.org.uk
Find us online at:
www.nct.org.uk/eastgrinstead
Or on Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/NCTEastGrinstead
NCT contact details:
Helpline number: 0300 330 0700
Website: www.nct.org.uk
NCT Shop number: 0845 8100 100
NCT Shop website: www.nctshop.co.uk
NCT East Grinstead Branch covers East Grinstead, Felbridge, Crawley Down, Copthorne,
Lingfield, Dormansland, Ashurst Wood, Forest Row, West Hoathly, Sharpthorne and Turners Hill.
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