Do you get to keep the same health visitor for all children?

[gingerbreadsprinkle]

I'm pregnant and just wondering if I'll be able to keep the same health visitor that we are currently assigned under (I hope so I really like her) or if we get assigned another one... ?

What has been your experience?

TIA.

We got a different one every visit, let alone every child.

Not sure where you live to have the same HV for more than one appointment (I've lived in London and elsewhere with young kids and not had this experience!)... Presumably if it's somewhere small/rural then yes, unless she changes jobs you can request the same person?

In a lot of places most families are under 'universal' services which means you might see a different health visitor every time, they only visit the house once etc. Then some people are allocated a specific health visitor, for example if social services are involved.

Might differ from place to place though

My health visitors were different every visit (32 weekers) and they were all shit.

I've had the same HV for all four of my DC. Where I live, each member of the HV team is assigned to one of the local GP surgeries so because I've been with the same surgery throughout I've had the same HV throughout. It's a really good because it means she knows us as a family, I'm actually going to miss her once youngest DC is too old for the HV service as she's been a great support to me during some very difficult times.

We had the same HV for both too, for the same reason as Mauis above.

I think it completely depends on if the HV you had is still in that job and gets assigned you (if there is more than one HV per area). I moved about a mile (in a rural area) and had a different HV for #2. I think probably the first one had retired, which was for the best, because she was awful. The one I had is the only HV who covers our area, so presumably, if I was having more babies and I'm not, I would have her again. Unless she changed jobs.

Where we live the health visitors obviously couldn't cope. DS1 had about 3 in the space of 18 months. Then when I had DS2 a new one started. Both DC saw her for about 2 years and then she went off on long term sick and never came back.

Where we live is meant to be intensive health visiting. But they don't have the man power or resources to meet the demand.

I've had the same assigned HV for both DSs, but had a different one for one of the standard checks.

I live in a small, rural village. I’ve been under the same very small HV team for all 3 babies (recently had an antenatal visit for DC3 as she’s still cooking at the moment!), and I’ve met all of the HV’s on the team a few times. they run lots of playgroups etc from their home base in my village so they get to know the DCs too through that rather than just through routine appointments.

I can’t even remember having an allocated Health Visitor.

There were some at the baby weighing sessions but I don’t think any of them were ‘mine’. Random ones did the 2.5 year check with my older children and I can’t even remember having the check for my littlest.

Do other people see theirs loads then?!

I've seen mine loads because the HV team run the baby/toddler weight clinic, baby massage, meet a mum group (six sessions organised by month of birth so that everyones babies are the same age), breastfeeding support group, baby group, toddler playgroup, and weaning group (four sessions including one on baby first aid). They also run pre bookable education sessions around specific subjects such as home safety, challenging behaviours, learning together through play, healthy eating, etc.

I've had the standard health checks with mine and when I had a difficult birth and complications with one of my DC she came out and did extra home visits during the first six weeks purely to sit and chat for half an hour or so. At that point my baby didn't look like the other babies and I was a little sensitive about it, she came to my house to do weigh-ins until I felt ready to go to the baby weigh clinic.

The same as Mauis, and there are 7 years between my youngest and eldest. I think I was very lucky.