To learn more about what we do at FSNT, see our 2025 impact report 👏 www.firststepsnutrition.org/impact

🍐Priscilla Mountford | Administrator
Priscilla holds an anthropology degree and has two decades of experience in the charity sector. She undertakes all the key functions that keeps FSNT operational and is passionate about food security.

🍐Tami Mann | Social Media and Communications Intern
Tami holds a BSc in Kinesiology from the University of Victoria, Canada, and is studying for an MSc in Nutrition for Global Public Health at LSHTM. She has experience working in health research and communications.

She is interested in early years nutrition, health inequalities, and translating complex guidance into practical advice.

🍐Sara Esser | Nutritionist
Sara is a dietitian with MSc degrees from London Metropolitan University and Kings’ College London. Her background includes research on infant feeding and formula marketing.

She is interested in early years nutrition, health inequalities, and translating complex guidance into practical advice.

🍐Rachel Childs | Senior Nutritionist
Sara is a dietitian with MSc degrees from London Metropolitan University and Kings’ College London. Her background includes research on infant feeding and formula marketing.

At First Steps, she leads the Baby Feeding Law Group UK, advocating for application of The Code.

🍐Dr. Katie Pereira-Kotze | Senior Nutritionist
Katie is a dietitian with a PhD in Public Health from the University of Western Cape, South Africa. She works across government, academia and research in the UK and internationally, protecting and supporting optimal maternal and child nutrition.

All her work has focused on mothers, infants and young children. She’s been First Steps’ Director since 2021.

🍐 Dr. Vicky Sibson | Director
Vicky is a Public Health Nutritionist with an MSc from LSHTM and a PhD from University College London. In her 20+ year career, she has worked for international NGOs, as a head office adviser for Save the Children, and undertaken her PhD in Niger...

👏 We’d like to introduce you to the all-woman team of First Steps Nutrition Trust who work hard to provide research-based, conflict of interest free guidance on eating well from preconception to five years to influence policy and support practice.

Eating Well resources — First Steps Nutrition Trust The resources produced by First Steps Nutrition Trust provide help and support for pregnancy, infants and new mums, and young children up to five years.

👏 For practical advice on meeting nutritional needs during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, see our Eating Well resources, which can be downloaded for FREE or by donation:

www.firststepsnutrition.org/eating-well-...

These two reports make a strong case for sustained investment in maternal nutrition and for policies that tackle the wider factors shaping women’s diets.

and those from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds. The RCP report calls for the Healthy Start Scheme to be expanded and for payments to keep pace with food price inflation, recognising that financial barriers also must be addressed.

The SACN report compliments the Royal College of Physicians recently published view on maternal health and obesity, highlighting the stark inequalities in maternal health outcomes and call for better support for women from the most deprived communities...

🍐 Focus on diet quality, not supplements. SACN recommends that women follow existing UK dietary guidance and eat a healthy balanced diet. The evidence does not support the use of dietary supplements to manage weight gain during pregnancy for most women.

Women living with overweight or obesity may already be meeting their energy needs without eating more.
🍐 Breastfeeding remains a priority. In particular, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months is linked to lower maternal BMI in the longer term.

🍐 No change in energy advice during pregnancy and breastfeeding – women should consume an extra 200kcal per day in the last three months of pregnancy, and an extra 330kcal per day during the first six months of exclusive breastfeeding (from healthy balanced meals/snacks)...

🍐 Weight before pregnancy matters most. SACN confirms that women’s weight at the start of pregnancy has a greater influence on health outcomes for her and her baby than how much weight she gains during pregnancy.

This if the first of two publications on nutrition and maternal health, with a future position on wider UK dietary recommendations for women of childbearing age to be published. ➡️

A few of the key findings and recommendations include:

❗ ICYMI the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) published its first report on nutrition and maternal weight outcomes.

This BMJ Group news piece explains clearly why this is deeply problematic: doi.org/10.1136/bmj....

If you care about protecting infant feeding from commercialisation, we suggest you avoid this publisher, the journal and the survey.

#EndExploitativeMarketing #CoI #CDoH

Attention all UK midwives and health visitors

The Mark Allen Group and the British Journal of Midwifery are at it again. The 'infant feeding survey' they are circulating is an initiative of Nestle's brand of formula.

If you’re interested in donating to First Steps Nutrition Trust to help us continue to make an even bigger impact in 2026 then please see this link: www.firststepsnutrition.org/donate

👏 Plus, so much more! All of this impact is made possible by the support of our funders, allowing us to maintain independent and free from commercial influence.

🍐Our resources were accessed by hundreds of thousands of users, with our website visited by 239k unique visitors and newly signposted in the ‘e-Red Book’ given to parents of all newborn babies.

🍐Our infant formula price monitoring led to a price freeze by a major retailer.
🍐We contributed to 6 peer reviewed publications and 2 posters, including a narrative paper on commercial baby foods which was cited in the UK Government’s new voluntary baby food guidelines.

🍐We delivered 20 trainings, lectures, webinars and presentations to an estimated 4K participants, consisting of health workers, early years professionals, government staff and parents.
🍐Our practical Eating Well resources were downloaded 17.3K times.

🍐Our expert opinion, independent analysis and practical resources were cited in Government reports, raised in Parliament, and recognised by leading journals including the BMJ and the Lancet.