Baby Cafes in Newcastle are going to drop their fancy names - same great support, no more corporate branding

The cost of subscribing to the Baby Cafe scheme is pretty pricey and Sure Start have decided to keep the costs down by renaming them "breastfeeding support". Although it means no more cool blue logo, this change also means more money to spend on breastfeeding support directly - where it matters most.

For more information on breastfeeding support in Newcastle contact Sure Start on 0778 639 1369.

Home again: Baby Cafe Canning Street will start again on September 27th

After a summer spent at Bridgewater School, the Monday Baby Cafe will return to a new improved children's centre facility at Canning Street Primary School, starting on September 27th.

Baby Cafe Canning Street Primary School
Wellfield Road, Benwell, NE4 8UE
Mondays 1-3pm
(not bank holidays)

Come along and have a cuppa, while chatting with other breastfeeding mums and our resident midwife.

Baby Cafe Canning Street is now at Bridgewater

Due to refurbishment of the Canning Street Primary School Children's Centre, the Baby Cafe has moved to Bridgewater School. It will still run Mondays 1-3pm (not bank holidays). The plan is for the session to return to a new, improved Canning Street Primary School in September.

Sure Start West Riverside Children's Centre
Bridgewater School
Delaval Road
Scotswood
Newcastle NE15 7NL

For queries on this session phone 0191 274 7308.

Voting day is nearly upon us!

It's that time of year again, and the thought of voting for our favourite photos for the calendar has arisen. Bring your babies and your opinions to

Monday September 14th, 1-3pm
Baby Cafe Canning Street Primary School
Wellfield Road
Newcastle NE4 8UE

The twelve favourite images will become the months for this year's breastfeeding calendar. As Sure Start West Riverside are kindly paying for the printing, all funds raised from the calendar will go to local breastfeeding support (BAPS).

Have you got a great idea for an image for the calendar? There's still time! Get your photo sorted and send it to me at newcastleBF@gmail.com! The deadline for images is September 4th.

For more information on BAPS or Sure Start's role in breastfeeding support, contact Natasha Nicholson on natasha.moulding@newcastle.gov.uk

For more information on the calendar project, or to submit images for the voting day, contact me newcastleBF@gmail.com

Friendly faces at Baby Cafe Canning Street

Sure Start West Riverside has chosen some great staff to attend the Baby Cafe at Canning Street Primary School. They have committed midwife Julie and playworker Claire to the session every Monday afternoon.

Julie is trained in breastfeeding support, and Claire has experienced the ups and downs of breastfeeding a baby. Both are enthusiastic about the benefits of breastfeeding, and good listeners - making them a perfect choice for Baby Cafe.

The Baby Cafe is a support and social session for breastfeeding mums and babies. Trained healthcare staff and volunteer peer supporters are there to help with any information or difficulties.

The session is run in the Children's Centre room, to the left of the main entrance of Canning Street Primary School, every Monday from 1-3pm (not bank holidays). Come along, have a cuppa and meet some nice mums who are also breastfeeding their little ones!

Baby Cafe Canning Street to stay!

After the sad farewell to roaming midwife Michelle Corkhill, the Baby Cafe has been promised a new staffing arrangement! SureStart West Riverside, who run the session, have selected a new midwife to attend regularly. This spells relief for all of us who worried that the Baby Cafe might have to close without the necessary staff to run it.

When the arrangements are finalised and the new midwife starts attending we'll introduce her here. In the meantime, watch this space....

The Baby Cafe Canning Street is every Monday (not Bank Holidays) from 1-3pm. Socialise with other mums, access breastfeeding books and information, and talk to a midwife trained in breastfeeding support. A full list of Newcastle's breastfeeding support sessions is available here.

It's calendar season once again!

SureStart West Riverside has pledged funding for the third annual breastfeeding calendar for the area. Previous years have been massively successful in raising awareness and celebrating the mums and babies who've contributed. We hope that this year's will be the best one yet!

If you'd like to contribute images to this year's calendar, send them to me before the end of August. Once all the images are in, we will have a voting day at the Baby Cafe Canning Street in early September, to choose the 12 favourite images for the calendar.

We want to show that life doesn't stop just because you're breastfeeding - and we need your images of breastfeeding in interesting or unusual places. On holiday? Out and about? Nursing twins? Upside down? Get the photos coming in! Email me at newcastleBF@gmail.com

Baby Cafe Canning Street in peril!

Due to midwife extraordinaire Michelle Corkhill's new calling as a health visitor, the Baby Cafe at Canning Street Primary School has a questionable future! To continue as a Baby Cafe it will need another health professional trained in breastfeeding to attend the sessions. If nobody is available to fulfil this role, then the session may be downgraded to just "breastfeeding support", with the help of peer supporters still available. Still support, but not the Baby Cafe we know and love.


Good luck to Michelle in her new role, and a big thank you from all the mums and babies she's helped over the years. Come back and visit!

Baby Cafe Canning Street will be running on May 4th and 11th, 1-3pm. After that, its fate lies with SureStart....