if health visitors re universally hated, and thought to be useless, then why have them?

[stitch]

????? so many people dislike their hv. so mny think they are useless and ignore their advice. then what is the point of having htem? surely the money could be spent elsewhere?

[Blandmum]

I loved both of mine. They were funny and supportive and helpful. Exceptionally nice people and dd's was great when she was chronically constipated.

they both helped my self confidence in my mothering abilities no end

[McDreamy]

I too have really liked all my HV's, have the utmost respect for them.

[TheBlonde]

Mine are both very well informed and helpful

I thought the point was for public health eg to pick up on any problems with young children

[fryalot]

My HV is great and I won't have a word said against her.

[stitch]

i agree mb, mine have lways been fab as well, but just reading some of the opinions about them on a sleep thread horrified me. one poster suggested the advice of the hv be ignored completely and the advice of other moms with similarly aged children be followed.
surely someone who has studied and qualified in child helthwould be a better bet than random strangers on the net who can only speak from there ownexperience?

[VioletBaudelaire]

I had one who was an angel.
And one who was an evil harridan from the gates of hell - scolding and vicious.
I think they serve an important role for lots of families. Investment is needed to ensure they are all up-to-date with their training so that their advice is accurate and helpful.

[pooka]

I like my Health Visitors. Never been given dodgy advice. I am glad the service exists.

[grannycrackers]

they're not all bad. the first one i had was horrendous - i was only 21 with a baby and was very lonely. i was very shy and i summoned up the courage to tell her. she just laughed and told me that i lived in such a small community i'd have to have something wrong with me not to make friends she made me feel like a freak. the one i've got now is very well informed, sensible and kind (and about 10 years younger than me!)

[BizzyDint]

but health visitors aren't THAT qualified in child health. they don't just deal with babies, they deal with all sorts of health visiting work. they aren't baby specialists. the rouble is, lots of mums take what they say as being the best possible information. and it isn't a lot of the time. most HVs have little knowledge of breastfeeding for example.

[exbury]

Oh they're not useless. Mine is lovely. Hopelessly overworked, and not infallible, but certainly not useless.

[Themis]

I have a very good experince with HV.

Out of interest what would the alternative be ?

[trice]

I think that people who do not have confidence in their parenting abilities like to have an "expert" on hand to ask for advice. Personally I found my health visitors ill informed and intrusive. I could happily have done without them. but then I am a pompous know-it-all when it comes to my dcs. I think they are supposed to act as a safety net.

[motherinferior]

I think it's a valuable service in principle, and I've dealt with some very good HVs through work - but I have to say the ones I've dealt with for both my kids were quite stupendously awful.

[nikkie]

I hada fantastic one and all the ones in her group were great, when i got transferred my new one was cr*p so I never saw her.

[Kif]

there is deffo a public health aspect (regular checks etc.).

The thing they do that raises such strong love/hate feelings is that 'surrogate grandmother' thing of coming out with advice which is 50% factual and 50% vprejudice/preference/folklore. I can imagine that if you're really stumped for ideas then 'their' idiosyncratic way will get from A to B in a fashion. however, if you've defined ideas of your own, you end up on the defensive. A little like rea; grannies, then.

I think, given that they're largely voluntary, the system is fine. The one thing I'd change though is to separate the cosy chat hv from the weighing hv,I think the latter necesary evil can stop a dsecent chat relationship developing.

[lulumama]

I have had one horrendous HV and a marvellous one i still have now !!

she is a shining example of how good a HV can be....when i had severe PND she visited weekly to have tea and a chat, when i had DD, she kept a close eye on me to make sure i was ok, when DD stopped eating, she did not scare me, when DD slipped down the centiles, she told me not to bring her in for weighing , but as long as she was happy, then leave it ! she advises 26 weeks for weaning, hates rusks and promotes breastfeeding......she remembers DS and DH and always asks after them , she is on the MSLC for our hospital, and had a meeting with me regarding doula-ing, she wants to tell other mums about it...!

it is like the thread recently about midwives...cannot tar an entire profession with the same brush as it does a disservice to the great ones...

but yes, there are some appalang ones..same in every profession..at least mumsnet can steer mums in the right direction !

[lulumama]

think specific baby/ child HVs would be better......

[edam]

The one I had when ds was a baby was fantastic (if you need a good HV, move to Battersea and see Maisie, assuming she's still there). But when I moved house, the new ones were useless. And had a baby clinic where all the mothers were in one room with loads of scales - hardly an incentive for anyone with PND, for instance, to ask for help.

In theory, dedicated support for mothers (parents) and children is fab. But the government is keener on HVs identifying 'problem' families than on them working with everyone. And Primary Care Trusts don't provide any continuing education or support - so HVs never get funding or time off to go on training courses. Which is why so many spout drivel that was outdated when I was a baby. Of course, you could argue that there's a level of professional responsibility to read a journal occasionally...

[beckybrastraps]

We do have one who deals with babies, and one who deals with older children (trained as a nursery nurse I think).

Both have been great. The nursery urse in particular has been wonderfully helpful with regards to dd's speech delay.

[mamijacacalys]

Loved both of mine too.

Like Lulumama's, both supportive of bf and gave good advice. Also agree that there are good and bad in all professions.

[nickytwotimes]

i had 2 health visitors who were fab, especially when i was getting a bit depressed. can't praise them enough, though i know of others who aren't so good. like every profession there are good and bad

[stitch]

so good to hear all your positive thoughts. ive been getting bit depressed by all the negtive criticism ive read bout hv recently. mine were fab.
im glad a lot of you also think they do a good job. and of coruse like any profession hte re are some 'cr''p ones!

[HuwEdwards]

Both mine were fab - loved 'em.