Mum to mum breastfeeding peer support and information on our drop ins and Breastfeeding Welcome venues.
For individual support please call 020 3316 8439 or send us a message here.
23/02/2026
Ramadan Mubarak!
During Ramadan you may be wondering what the implications are for you if you're breastfeeding. Your body will continue to produce breastmilk for your baby, even if you choose to fast during the day, but if your baby is under 6 months or either of you have any health issues it may be recommended to avoid fasting completely. The Quran does exempt you from fasting whenever you're breastfeeding - instead, you can make up the fast at another time, or alternatively you may be able to pay fidyah (feed a person in need).
If you do choose to fast, some mums find that it helps to change the order of the day around, so that you are resting more in the day and resuming other activities in the evening (although of course this may not always be possible), and listen to your body and your baby to see if you need to take a break.
Talk to your midwife, health visitor or our breastfeeding supporters on 020 3316 8439 or call the National Breastfeeding Helpline on 0300 100 0212, if you'd like support with whether fasting might affect your breastfeeding.
09/02/2026
Looking for a spot to go for a walk in nature, dog friendly, comfort food in the form of cheese and ham toastie, pancakes, waffles or just a good cup of coffee? Then look no further! The Tolpuddle cafe is situated in the heart of Caledonian Park next to the play area so ideal if you have an older child. There are public toilets with nappy changing facilities.
06/02/2026
If you're using any formula, please give this important info a read 👇👇👇
And of course, we're here to help if you have any breastfeeding or breastmilk supply issues alongside - just get in touch on 020 3316 8439 or whh-tr.IslingtonBreastfeedingPeerSupport@nhs.net. The National Breastfeeding Helpline are open throughout the weekend too on 0300 100 0212.
We understand that recent infant formula recalls may be causing worry for parents and carers. Our information page explains which products are affected and what you should do.
Batches from brands including Aptamil, Cow & Gate and SMA have been recalled. If you have formula at home, check the batch code as affected products may still be in your cupboard.
If you have an affected batch:
- Stop using it
- Return it to the store for a replacement
- You can switch to another batch or brand
- If formula was prescribed, speak to a pharmacist or doctor first
Here's a handy reminder if you do any expressing...
How to safely store your breastmilk 🥛
Today, we’re sharing our helpful table showing how to safely store your breastmilk.
Did you know?
Breastmilk can be transported within the safe storage times, as long as storage temperatures are maintained. However, previously frozen milk should be used immediately once fully defrosted.
You can find more information on storing breastmilk on our website, including:
✨ Travelling with your breastmilk
✨ Freezing your breastmilk
✨ Reheating your breastmilk
✨ Variations in recommendations
✨ Save this post (or screenshot the image) to keep it handy for when you need it ✨
[ID: Safe Storage Table - Milk. Place. Maximum Time. Fresh Breastmilk including colostrum. Room temperature. 6 hours. Fridge at 5°C-10°C. 3 days. Fridge at 4°C or lower. 5 days. If temperature rises above 4°C after 3 days then use within 6 hours. Frozen breastmilk. Freezer at-18°C or lower. 6 months. Defrosting breastmilk. When defrosting in the fridge. Usually takes 12 hours to defrost, use as soon as fully defrosted. When defrosting outside the fridge. Use as soon as full defrosted.]
20/01/2026
Rain forecast for the next couple of days. Looking for a breastfeeding friendly place & somewhere to keep kids entertained? Sandscape is a lovely space to do both! Serving light snacks and hot drinks. Located 99 Stroud Green Road.
20/01/2026
Have you seen this sticker when out and about? Venues all over Islington are signed up to the ‘We Welcome Breastfeeding’ scheme. Share your favourite venues with us using
07/01/2026
Tell us what feeding support's been like for you...
We'd love to hear your comments on what it's like to fill in, as well as your answers to the questions themselves, so we can make sure it's as easy as possible!
Check your batch numbers if this is a product you're using...
The safety and wellbeing of babies is our absolute priority. As a precautionary measure, Nestlé is voluntarily recalling specific batches of its SMA infant formula and follow-on formula.
30/12/2025
FRIENDLY REMINDER our drop in support groups will reopen Monday 5th January 2026. For feeding support before than call the office phone on 020 3316 8439 or for out of hours support The National Breastfeeding Helpline on 0300 100 0212
23/12/2025
Merry Christmas from all of us at BfN Islington 🎄 We will be running a reduced service over the Christmas period. If you need any feeding support you can reach us on 0203 316 8439. Groups will be open again from Monday 5th January 2026. The National Breastfeeding Helpline will be open 24/7 for any out of hours support on 0300 100 0212.
22/12/2025
Merry Christmas from all of us at BfN Islington 🎄 We will be running a reduced service over the Christmas period. If you need any feeding support you can reach us on 0203 316 8439. Groups will be open again from Monday 5th January 2026. The National Breastfeeding Helpline will be open 24/7 for any out of hours support.
23/10/2025
Do you have breast milk which is surplus to your baby's needs? It could be donated to help premature babies in hospital neonatal intensive care and can help save lives.❤️ Becoming a milk donor is a simple process which our team can talk you through. It involves a blood test and questionnaire, and you will need to be:
⭐️A non-smoker / non-vaper
⭐️Able to express at least 2 litres of milk within a 10 week period, or have a freezer stash of surplus milk which was expressed in the last 10 weeks and frozen within 24 hours of being expressed.
⭐️Based in Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent, North London, Sussex, Bedfordshire or South Wales
⭐️If you are taking certain medications this may not be compatible with donating milk. Please contact our team for more information.
Taking the time to become a milk donor is an amazing step. You could be changing the lives of a tiny baby and their family forever.
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Our breastfeeding peer supporters - mums who have breastfed their own babies before having training to help other mums - are here to help Islington’s families with feeding from pregnancy through infancy and beyond. Whatever your breastfeeding goals, we aim to make sure you have the information and support you need to achieve them successfully, comfortably and confidently. You may meet our team, in their distinctive purple shirts, on the postnatal ward and will usually receive a phonecall when you first get home from hospital. You can also call or message us yourself whenever you need support. We run breastfeeding support groups across the borough every day of the week, or we may be able to visit you at home if needed. Our free service is available to all Islington families.
Our breastfeeding support groups are all ‘drop ins’ so you can come along at any point during the session. Some of them run alongside health visitor or midwife clinics so you can pop in after you or your baby have had a health review. If you have particular issues or questions, our supporters are on hand to help, of course, but if you’re looking for a way to meet other breastfeeding families or simply a comfortable place to feed your baby, we’ll be just as happy to see you. Babies and children of any age are very welcome, and so is anyone you bring to support you (although we do ask that men understand that we may need to be flexible according to the needs of other mums). We love to meet bumps as well as babies, so do come along while you’re pregnant too so you know where to find us, and to find out more about what you can expect from breastfeeding in the early days.
Outside of office hours, national support is available between 9.30am-9.30pm from the National Breastfeeding Helpline on 0300 100 0212 (press 2 for support in Polish) or the Breastfeeding Network Supporterline on 0300 100 0210 (or 0300 456 2421 for support in Bengali/Sylheti), or by webchat at www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/chat. There’s lots of useful videos at globalhealthmedia.org/breastfeeding and information and videos at unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/support-for-parents. If you need to take any medication, the pharmacists at www.facebook.com/BfNDrugsinBreastmilkinformation can support you and your health professionals to find the most appropriate options.
Fancy training with us to support other mums yourself? There’s more info on how it works at www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/get-involved/. Let us know you’re interested by phone or message, and we’ll keep you posted on course availability in Islington and nearby boroughs.
About your data: Our staff and volunteers are trained and managed by the Breastfeeding Network but we collect, access and process your data exclusively within and on behalf of Whittington Health NHS Trust, as part of your antenatal, postnatal and early years care. Data is stored on secure Trust systems for the purposes of providing care to you and your child(ren) and for service evaluation, and may be shared with health or social care partners should they be involved or required to be involved in providing care or treatment to you or your child. No personal information is shared with the wider Breastfeeding Network organisation without your express consent. More information on Whittington Health’s privacy and data protection policies, under which we operate, can be found at www.whittington.nhs.uk. Our breastfeeding support groups are also part of the Bright Start Islington family of support and activities for under-fives and families (www.islington.gov.uk/brightstart) but your data is not shared with Bright Start and you will be asked to register separately to receive other services from them. Information collected in groups may be temporarily stored in Children’s Centres but where this occurs it is held securely with restricted access and safely transferred to our offices as soon as possible.
