6-8 week baby check pointless!

[JadeT2]

I'm interested to know if anyone else has had a similar experience, but my daughter's 6/8 week check was today (she's almost 9 weeks now) and the doctor didn't seem to check that much. She checked her tone by moving her around in different places, then her eyes, hips, mouth and pulse/heart beat. There was no weight, height or head circumference.

My health visitor weighed her two and a half weeks ago and told me she may have silent reflux as she has all the symptoms and had dropped 30 percentiles in weight as she cries and fights when feeding. The doctor didn't seem concerned by this and said it probably wasn't reflux as she doesn't cry everytime she is put down, only sometimes. But she regularly vomits clear liquid, cries at almost every feed and has been congested since birth. She eventually prescribed me Gaviscon but told me it probably wouldn't make a difference...

She didn't ask me anything about myself or my recovery either, which doesn't bother me as I'm fine but I thought, given that'd I'd had an emergency section, it may be standard procedure to check my scar was healing?

I'm just wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences or whether this was odd?

[AveEldon]

Did you check what the GP wrote in the red book?

In some areas the mother's check and the child's check are separate

• are you sure it was also your postnatal check?

[GlitteryFluff]

Sounds similar to my check up. Nothing asked about me and I too had had a section (after failed induction.) I wasn't impressed either but we were both in good health so I shrugged it off, Ds didn't have any reflux issues. Maybe book another appointment with a different dr to check your dd over again?

[purplefizz26]

My postnatal check was a separate appointment to the baby's appointment.

I don't recall much but I'm pretty sure the babies check was only basics, weight, hips, eyes and heartbeat. Length and head circumference weren't done.

I don't think it's pointless, they are checking for the most common problems that crop up in newborns.

[PotteringAlong]

I'm not sure I would class checking your newborn's eyes, hips, tone and mouth as pointless. Both my boys had their testicles checked too.

If you were worried about her weight you wouldn't have waited 2.5 weeks since getting the HV to weigh her.

Did you ask them to check your scar?

[MoreThanUs]

DD had hers today - it was very thorough and there were plenty of opportunities for me to raise any concerns. Do you think you could have been more proactive if you had concerns.

[LittleBearPad]

I'd suggest that what the Dr did do is more useful than measuring your baby's head. Can't you do that if you're concerned.

Did you book your mother check at the same time. Sometimes they are separate. That one is largely pointless and focussed on contraception.

[girlelephant]

I was advised the "6 week check" just needs complete before 12 weeks. My DC had his completed at 8 and 8 weeks.it was a physical check as described above and his measurements were also completed. This was all done by the HV. The Dr only completed the physical checks and that was at 8 weeks I think.

When the HV compelled his 8 week check she completed the PND questionnaire with me.

When I had my 6 week check with the GP she checked over my CS scar, asked if I had any pain & discussed contraception

[BaileysOClock]

I've had 2 emcs within a year and a bit of each other and never had a postnatal check after either, was I meant to? No one ever mentioned it to me

[Figgygal]

I had a emcs too and the dr did look at my scar in fact it was the first time I think it had been touched since hospital as I had (and still am) avoiding it - funnily enough I learned from that it is all very very numb.

Dr did all the hip and eye checks you mentioned but he also did weigh and measure height and head circumference. We also arranged a referral for a hip scan.

It does sound like yours was particularly crap

[PunkrockerGirl]

Over 20 years ago but the baby and mother 6 week check was done at the same time by the gp. Tbf, the baby check was quite thorough but on both occasions, my check up consisted of the gp asking me if everything was 'ok down below'

[JadeT2]

Yeah sorry I didn't mean it was completely pointless of course, just thought that given that I'd mentioned concerns over her feeding the doctor may have weighed her at least. I mentioned her being congested and waking herself up from squealing so thought she may have been able to check throat, nose or ears for any problems. I did ask if she could be weighed but she said to return to the clinic next week to see a HV. I went to clinic last week to be weighed but the HV was stuck in traffic and over an hour late. By which point the baby was obviously due a feed and screaming so not ideal, sods law of course.

It was a double appointment so 20 minutes long, so I just assumed that was to cover me and the baby? May have just been a slight miscommunication from my HV I guess. I was definitely not in there that long, more like 10 at the most.

I'm not particularly bothered because as I say I didn't have any major concerns, interesting to hear of others' experiences. Also my midwives and health visitor have been amazing throughout the pregnancy and birth so I think maybe my GP didn't quite live up to them!

[welshweasel]

My HV came to the house to do her part of the 6 week check which included developmental stuff and weight. GP did the physical stuff. I had to book a separate postnatal check, which was the most pointless visit to the doctors ever. Didn't even want to look at my section wound when I told him it was still weeping. Wouldn't bother next time.

[Crustyoddsocks]

Hi ladies, I had a separate postnstal check for me that I had to book myself, I was thinking of complaining about it so its interesting to hear some similar comments about the pointlessness of it. I tried to be proactive but I also didnt wish to tell the GP her job. Im getting a lot of pain with feeding and I wanted her to look at my stiches too as nobody has looked at them since they were done. She didnt think it nessessary to look at either. She also said I could have asked the pactice nurse for contraception. She rushed me through the whole apointment (I had a double apointment booked but was there about 4 mins) she even got up to openthe door I was still trying to ask questions about the pill she had prescribed. My postnatal check last time was much more in depth so I was very dissappointed and will have to go back