Dear Health Visitor...

[AugustBlue]

Who can relate to this?

mamabeanblog.blogspot.co.uk

[mewkins]

Actually not me. I had a lovely hv who was helpful, encouraging and was fantastic at putting me in touch withe other local mums.

The blogger is entitled to write her views but not all hvs are the meanies we are led to believe. (Also I am not keen on her style of writing -has anyone really felt THAT good about sleep deprivation? ? Really??)

[neversleepagain]

Nor me. My health visitor visited twice and didn't give any advice.

I did what the HV in that blog suggested with my twins bad mum. They are happy and healthy and sleep from 5:45pm-7:30am each day. I found having a newborn difficult but from 20 weeks onward things became considerably easier.

[Sleepybuttons]

I do, my hv runs a mums and babies group so I see her every week and therefore am always getting her 'helpful' advice, whether asked for or not! (Mostly not as I've quickly learnt her opinion is pap!) In the early days she made a home visit to me to assist me getting baby to sleep in the cot, 40 mins of screaming later I questioned as to whether this was right as we were just waiting for him to give up she said 'yeah, that's right, that's what we want', erm no, what I want is for my baby to feel happy and secure enough to fall asleep, not pass out through sheer exhaustion (we are talking 2 months old at this point). And it didn't even work, she had to admit defeat and I was left with an overtired traumatised baby!

The only other health visitor ive seen told me that I was over feeding my ebf baby and that I need to stop night feeds, when asked how I go about this she replied 'buy headphones'. Amazing. He was waking every hour at this point, didn't occur to her that it might have been the 4m sleep regression/growth spurt.

Needless to say that when she asks me (every week) how he's sleeping I smile and nod and lie!

[Nicknamefail]

No. I saw my hv early on a few times and they only offered advice after being asked. They never ever told me anything about sleep. Don't know why people who think the advice is unwanted or wrong for them don't tell the hv that.

[JanePlanet]

Mine was a complete arse hole. We changed GP to get away from him. He actually said to me 'if the baby is crying and you can't cope just put him down and leave the room, you don't want to end up another Louise Woodward now do you'. I found the whole experience quite upsetting and never let him in the house again.

[brettgirl2]

I'm with nickname. If you don't want their advice don't ask for it. I've had 3 and they were all really nice.

[mumofthemonsters808]

Mine were lovely for both children, I only had 1 visit though when I came out of hospital but she did tell me to call her if I needed any help/advice.

[EthelredOnAGoodDay]

I also can't fault my HVs. I have to say, I struggle to relate to that blog at all.

[breatheslowly]

Mine were all lovely and only offered advice when asked. But then again I think I give off a bit of a "don't mess with me" vibe.

[brightonbythesea]

I really liked my HV, and in fact all the HVs and family workers I have met over the course of my baby's first year. Her weight has jumped around a bit, no one has ever queried my feeding and have only offered advice when I ask questions.

The only advice I was offered early on was a) try not to worry too much b) current SIDS guidelines about sleeping. I though this was all helpful and useful advice that they should give all first time mums!