To think the health visitor shouldn’t be optional anymore?

[Belindaminder]

Over the years I’ve been aware of situations that may not have escalated if a professional had noticed and intervened.
A previous neighbour refused any visits from both midwife and HV after the birth as they are ‘know it alls and it’s not necessary’. Her baby needed an emergency operation due to an illness that hadn’t been noted. Also it was discovered later on he had partial deafness which would have been picked up during the hearing test.
Someone I know well opted out of seeing a health visitor when her baby was born. As a result she has never been weighed (since birth), and has never reached out for advice or support with several issues the baby has had ‘because she’ll grow out of them naturally’.
I worry babies like this disappear into the shadows and miss out on health or developmental support they may need. Also the potential hiding of abuse (in parent or child or both), neglect, depression etc that may not be picked up until nursery age or later.
I’ve heard many horror stories that could have been prevented with a professional being aware.
I was thankful for my HV when my eldest was born. I was in an abusive situation. I really wanted to breastfeed but I was ‘forbidden’ from doing it. The HV was great at giving me a confidence boost and reassuring me my baby was healthy. The support I was given lead me to the happy situation I am now in, which wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for her. (I’ve had awful ones too, I’m not praising them as royalty, just that their profession is necessary).
I know I will see responses that it’s our human right to decide and many babies and families are absolutely fine and gain nothing by the HV visits, but what about the ones who aren’t? In my eyes as a HV I’d be concerned and suspicious about why someone opted out of something that was to provide advice and care for their child. There were no ‘repercussions’ for the people who refused a HV when they needed one. Shouldn't it be viewed as neglect?
Does anyone agree that HV visits should be part of the deal of having a baby or face the consequences, or am I on my own here?

I might agree with you, if it was a professional and well run service.

In reality it is not. There is no continuity of advice - I was given a lecture on not cosleeping with my baby, while my friend down the road with a baby at the same time had a different HV who waxed lyrical about the benefits of cosleeping.

I rang them when one of mine was 2 to ask about speech referrals (he had not said a word), she insisted I had to see the GP before she could make a hearing referral (turned out to be rubbish, GP made a complaint to them), and went on about me teaching him phonics?! Luckily I managed to speak to a different HV with a modicum of common sense later who made the appropriate referrals.

But even with a decent HV, the hearing test wouldn’t be their role, and an illness may or may not be something they would pick up on depending on the circumstances. Let’s get them doing their own jobs properly before suggesting more for them!

Right. That’s not what you said though, is it? You didn’t say that they shouldn’t offer advice on c-section wounds, but that they wouldn’t know about them and why should they because they’re not midwives? Which is not true.

Ok, so now my DS is 16 and I will never have to deal with a HV again, what EXACTLY is their role?

Perhaps if we knew that, it would be easier to understand what they are meant to achieve, and whether to decline their visits or not.

fuck me …..you the MN police today??? 🙄
some will be ex midwives
some will be ex childrens nurses
some will be ex LD nurses
some will be ex mental health nurses
some will be ex adult nurses

its like a lucky dip….you don’t know who is going to visit

Never had a useful HV so refused the services for my last one. Didn't feel I missed anything in fact I felt I benefited because we had a great GP and she did the health check ups instead. Probably the reason dd got a referral to the developmental paediatrician at 13 months is because we didn't have a HV.

Artificial feeding? Bloody hell 🤣

https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/public-health/roles-public-health/health-visitor#

Our sons HV reported us to social services because I had given a dangerous electronic device. It was his hearing aids, why should someone so incredibly stupid be allowed to have anything to do with children?

No thanks. They are not fit for purpose in my area.

They were accidentally using a safeguarding code to record development delay 🤦‍♀️ caused us a whole load of hassle.

If you aren’t a first time parent as well the amount of advice they can offer is minimal
as you would know it all anyway. It’s almost at the point of being an unecessary service and the gap would be easily filled by midwife gp and nursery

But you must have agreed to the referral….because no agency can refer to childrens services without parental consent……unless life threatening situation…..childrens services would have rejected any referral without parental consent

The HV I had with my first was useless. She gave me some leaflets, told me off for EBF, (she thought DS needed topping up with formula) and asked some very intrusive questions about DH who was at work. I paid for an independent midwife second time round who did all the post natal checks as part of the service so declined to meet the HV. That was a far more positive experience.

I dont agree. All healthcare in this country is optional. You can even give birth without any health care involvement if you choose. Not saying this is a wise choice, but it is a choice.

My health visitor with DC1 was lovely and helpful.

My health visitor with DC2 was not only useless, she was actively harmful, so I refused any further visits and I'm glad I had this option.

No, she also spoke to me slowly and loudly and repeatedly asked me if I understood English. If a British person was talking to you in English you’d have to be extremely stupid to not know if that person understood English.

@Kitkat1523

Yeah, you are fucking ridiculous.... what a pointless post from you.

They asked to see my CS scar at every visit. Why??? Why did they ask about my physical and mental health?

They were not able to offer any support about anything. It's a pointless service.

I'm pretty sure anyone could weigh a baby

Very unusual for community peads to accept a referral at 13 months ….it’s 2 years for any developmental delay in our area…..a referral at 13 months would be of little worth

theres a lot of jackanory on this thread today…..all trying to outdo each other 🤣🤣

you getting mixed up with the midwives my luv 😀
course you can weigh your own baby

So what happened when you reported her for referring without your consent?m

I didn’t report her, I said to SW that she was clearly an idiot who agreed.

Except the social workers wouldn’t have accepted the referral in the first place……because you didn’t consent 🙄

I think you may (like many people) have a limited understanding of the adoption process.

I loved my first HV, lovely lady, extremely supportive and knowledgeable. I went quite often to her clinic as she was on my way home from a baby class.

She then retired when DD was 6 months and her replacement was a nightmare. Didn't like that we planned BLW, I was told DD would need to learn to eat from a spoon, if I wouldn't wean on mush, DD wouldn't learn to eat. I should have taken a photo of DD wolfing down cannelloni at 9 months from a cake fork.

We stopped seeing her and the 18 months check up was done anyway only by a questionnaire.

So, unless I am allowed to choose who I see I don't think seeing a HV should be made mandatory.

Make vaccinations mandatory and link that to a paediatric check up and we can talk.

Some are good, some awful, like any profession. My friends HV told her to keep the fat from cooking meat, bacon, sausages, etc, and add it to weaning foods to help the baby gain weight 🤮🤢

I never had anything against any health professionals etc until lived in my old ex communist country. Our people are fully dedicated to their vocation. Since coming here had a good experience also. However sometimes there are people who are immoral and in the profession, like Lucy Letby, like this health visitor who sent social services to the Welsh poster - recent post.

People are aware that not everyone in the health care system is made of gold and cut for the profession.

Not at all referred to paed, chromosome and metabolic disorders blood tests ordered. 17 months when we got the all clear there referred for multidisciplinary assessment. Admitted to nursery at CDC for half a term, multple appointments with SALT, OT, child psychologist, referred to Early Years Team for education, saw ed psych and early years SSSEN teacher, portage in place for when nursery finished. Multidisciplinary team meeting around second birthday and diagnosis given then. SSEN in place before she started nursery.

The health visitor made me feel worse and dismissed my what was at the time quite extreme undiagnosed postnatal depression