Babies and Breastfeeding Information Encouragement Support (B.A.B.I.E.S.) is held weekly on Wednesday mornings 9.30-midday (except between Christmas and New Year) at Lanterns Nursery Winchester, Bereweeke Road, Winchester, Hants, SO22 6AJ and facilitated by Ruth Webster, Lianne Price and Lucy Scott, NCT Breastfeeding Counsellors.

B.A.B.I.E.S is available to any mother or pregnant woman who may have questions about getting ready to breastfeed, establishing breastfeeding, continuing breastfeeding, expressing, mixed feeding, formula feeding, introducing solids or stopping breastfeeding. We provide a safe place for mothers to come for feeding support, to ask questions, share their difficulties and meet other mothers with similar concerns.

B.A.B.I.E.S costs approximately £9,000 annually to run. Since our launch on 16th May 2007 we have received funding from the NCT Winchester branch, National Lottery Awards For all Grants and donations from Winchester Round Table, Lanterns Children's Centre who host us, as well as many very generous individual donations, matched funding and fundraising from a wonderfully committed and hardworking team, including running a fun day for many years. We are currently applying for further National Lottery funding, but never know if this will be successful, so please donate if you can do keep us running.

You can also show your support by donating any amount, large or small via this page to ensure this vital service continues. We need your help as we rely on grants and generous donations to fund it, £25 for example pays for one appointment for future parents - could you pay it forward and enable us to continue to deliver this critical service?

Email bfcounsellors.winchester@nct.org.uk for any help or more information.

"Attending BABIES helped build my confidence in breastfeeding and without the support, I'm not sure how long I would have persevered. They were incredibly non-judgemental and provided respite when it just seemed nothing was going right." Mum user A

"The BABIES sessions were a great way to get used to breastfeeding out and about and also fun socially.” Mum user B

“More groups like this are vital if babies are to receive the benefits of breastmilk, BABIES helped me see I was not alone and that mothers can have problems breastfeeding.” Mum user C

Felt very supported in changing to formula, which is ‘a thing in Winchester you get judged for’. ‘I went from being scared of breastfeeding in public, ducking in and out of toilets to hiding the fact I was bottle feeding’. Mum user D