Newish mums - what's the health visiting service in your area

[gracepoolesrum]

Just something I'm curious about because I often see people on Mumsnet advising posters to speak to their health visitor about almost any worry big or small.

In my area now you only get a health visitor for 6 weeks after the birth. After that if you want advice you have to go to their clinic which is weekly but is held alternate weeks at different ends of the area they cover and it's just 2 hours in the morning. Unless they assess you as being high risk, then I believe you get more ongoing support.

I'm not necessarily complaining as I didn't find HV particularly useful anyway, but if I did have a query I'd need to wait up to 2 weeks to see a HV to ask. I have a friend in a neighbouring area who has just had a 2nd baby and she won't get any health visitor at all, not even for weighing in the very early days (maybe because she FF so will know her baby is gaining weight?)

Is this normal now? Based on Mumsnet you'd think most people had a regular HV for the first year or so. Not sure if times have just changed.

Pretty good, we get a pre-birth visit, one when they are about a week old, 6 weeks and then I think 4 months. Then you can book yourself into the clinic for 9m review etc or go the drop in baby weighing clinics in the childrens centre.

I tended to use the GP and the chemist more though when DS was a baby/toddler but I can see how they'd be good for weaning/sleep advice etc if you didn't have mum friends to ask.

My baby is 12 weeks and I've had a lot of contact with my HV as we have health issues. She has been a brilliant support, I'm very lucky and grateful.

I'm not sure what the norm would have been if things weren't complicated.

Ours is all home visits no clinics, every two weeks at the start then 3 months 6 months and the one year check etc.

It’s ok in practice until a gp wants a weight for something, some how they won’t weigh babies so you need to go home ring the hv and have them come out. Instead of a clinic you could pop into regularly yourself. And obviously the area they cover means some times they run an hour or so late for appointments so a days a right off unless you’re first and no ones in the office all day for advice or to book an appointment so it’s 24-48 hours before they call back, ok for weaning or sleep advice but not really medical when the chemist tells you on the spot.

However seeing them at homes a little more private and it lets them see baby calm n in their own space.

In ours you have to go to the clinic past a certain point. I'm happy with that. I don't feel comfortable with my HV and hated having her in my house. We have to see her next week and I'm not looking forward to it but there's no alternative unfortunately

Our service offers the core contacts (antenatal, new birth, 6-8 week check, 1&2 year developmental reviews) either at home or in a clinic setting. There is also a direct dial to speak to a HV or nursery nurse for advice during working hours and Saturday morning. There are virtually no baby clinics, but there are 'self-weigh' stations in the libraries where you can weigh your baby whenever you fancy!

I much prefered having to go to the baby weighing clinics in the early days as it was practise for going out of the house by yourself with the baby (plus you don't feel the need to tidy up )

It's ok here, East Midlands .
Home visit pre birth
Home visit at 2 weeks
Book an appointment to go to clinic at 4 weeks
Letter with an appointment at 8 weeks
After that you can book appointments for clinic on a Friday or attend the drop in clinic on a Thursday (same venue every week)
Then apparently you get a home visit at 2 years.

I’m 6 weeks post partum, I’ve had home visits at 2 & 6 weeks and I’m next due to been seen for the 8 month review.

I can attend a drop in, baby weighing clinic which is held every 2 weeks and have a number to phone if I have any concerns or need support.

My HV was nice enough but not a great deal of help to be honest!

Sounds like ours is not so different to everywhere else then, strange as before I had a baby I was under the impression they were much more involved for longer (not that I wanted or needed that, just from the way people talk about them).

My baby was born last April. We had a HV come to our house when he was 2, 4 and 6 weeks old. They run a clinic once a week during term time only, although there's a desk number you can ring for advice if you need it. I haven't had my son weighed since July and I've got no intention of dragging him down to the clinic. I think I'll get a letter when he's due his next milestone review which is done between 18 months and 2 here.

Babies/children are under the health visiting service until they reach 5 years old under the Healthy Child Programme. The absolute standard checks are new birth visit, 6-8 week check, 9-12 month review and 2-2.5 year review. Between times you can ask for advice by calling or accessing them a clinics. If you need more support, you get it. Sometimes it can be a visit or advice over the phone.

A lot of people get disgruntled because they only get a small amount of contact but if you are getting along ok, then you don't need a lot of input but the service is there if and when you need it. You just don't get a lot of visits as standard. The service is far too stretched to see mums at home who will go 'everything is fine but little Johnny isn't saying mum at 6 months old'.