So what is the point of Health Visitors?

[wonderstuff]

I've seen 3 so far, they all seem very nice, but really not very useful.

Today lovely lady came by, did PND questionnaire, weighed my baby. Talked about weaning - advised that some babies (especially boys) are ready for weaning at 4 months, to be aware of him taking interest in us eating couldn't give any advise about BLW as no reseach has been done and she doesn't want to get sued - fair enough, but seemed strange that on the weaning age she was willing to contradict research evidence. She also warned of 'missing weaning window at 6 months' I didn't ask what would happen - will I end up bfeeding forever, Little Britain style? Told me breastfeeding was tiring (there was me thinking it was the lack of sleep that was knackering but presumbably if I bottle fed I'd have much more energy?) She stayed for half an hour.

Really what is the point - could money be better spend on Midwifery or Social care?

utterly pointless and without knowledge
very concerned about how i would know if my baby would "get enough" breastfeeding
er
the weight gain
happy
sleepy
pink little sausage was a good indicator to me
(and the baywatch boobs)

total total waste of money and everyone i know feels the same way
community midwife was a totally other experience scrap hv and more money for cm please

Each HV should give the mother visited a feedback sheet to state how helpful or distressing the visit had been. This is done in all kind of other areas of life, and it would cost very little indeed. There is clearly a need for it. The sheets would of course have to be anonymous to avoid repercussions.

It would highlight the need for HVs to have knowledge of their subject, as midwives have.

Or just scrap the service altogether, as Rannaldini says.

I am puzzled why anyone would refuse the primary visit from a HV. Its understandable that hv might think that such a person is not right in the head or has something to hide.

I think that feedback sheets are a great idea. Positive feedback generated by NICE mums would make health visitors happier.

In my experience health visitors are better if you tell them how you want them to support you.

It is a problem if you're viewed as "not right in the head" if you don't want a visit from a HV.

I didn't like my HV because she couldn't seem to give a straight answer to any of my questions (about BF problems and weight loss). I now realise that they can't give you the one solution that is going to work for you, they can just give you a list of pointers and options to see what works but you are the one that has to do all the work to find out ultimately what works. She definitely pressurised me to stop BF and start FF (which I didn't like), but she was the one who told me I had infective mastitis, who realised I was so exhausted I wasn't going to do anything about it, and that I was going to end up in hospital if I didn't. And she wouldn't leave the house until I'd made a GP appointment so I could get antibiotics, and then wouldn't go until I'd arranged breast pump hire so I could at least keep the milk following until I had sorted myself out. So without her I probably would have got so ill I wouldn't have been able to keep BF, so I am really grateful for that. So IME they are well worth it.

I am a health visitor and mother of three, 10, 8 and 4. If you're well, healthy, supported and coping then you probably don't need a health visitor. However, it is a universal service, and as such doesn't discriminate. It would free up a lot of my time only seeing those considered at greatest need, but then we would miss those families where a new baby is an unexpectedly huge strain. I have to re-register every year proving my worth to do so, and I have to maintain my professional knowledge and credibility. I would never be offended or rebuked if a mum knew more than me about something. In an internet age this is inevitable from time to time. I don't have all the answers and something that works for you might not for someone else. I have research, experience and failing that a bag of tricks to try...and then a robust shoulder to cry on. A lot of my work isn't clear to the outsider, and frankly isn't that nice, I could really shock you! It isn't all lovely cups of tea and weighing babies. I work pro-actively and assess health need and report to many masters, and yes I work with some wonderful staff and some less so, as in every profession. I am pleased to make a difference every day, however small, and hope those lucky enough to experience parenthood in a positive way continue to do so and those who are challenged know how to access the appropriate service, your HV will guide you to which one!!. Health visiting is the only service where you have to opt out! And I really don't like tea.

vegbox, is great that you do your ob proffesionally and sensibly, but i can tell you many stories, unfortunately. i went to the health clinic the other day, just to be told off by the health visitor because at 24 weeks i hadn't weanned my baby, and i won't be giving him baby rice, but fruit and veg, she tried to make me feel i was doing something wrong, luckily, i have no manners and no problem speaking my mind and telling her to limit herself to weight my baby and leave me alone, other 3 mums had strong words with her too. some people is just incompetent, but i am sorry to say i haven't meet many hv yet that i can say what a great job she does... i haven't meet any men doing it either...

I worked very briefly with a health visitor as an assistant. I felt she worked jolly hard with some really thick as pig poo parents who needed all the input she could give. I left because I was really too narrow minded and couldn't bare to see kids left with the feckless twats they had been born too. I have had 4 DC's and found my HV's fairly useless with bfeeding and weaning advice so have always used my own initiative! Some folk are totally inadequate and need the HV input, most of us, luckily, don't.

Sounds a bit dodgy to me wouldliketoknow! I'm glad you stood up for your self. I cant imagine telling anyone off at all - ever. I would make it clear what my professional opinion is, in the face of accepted contemporary practice, (as kindly as possible, because if I didnt that would be negligent!) but in the end the parent has the final say - and quite rightly so, because you know your baby best. It does change hugely, however, when a child is NOT doing ok and is deemed to be in need of extra protection. It sounds as if your hv has a bit of power lust perhaps, or maybe misguided.....search for an opinion you trust..mum, friend another hv, but always keep your eye on your confidant's agenda and do what is right for you. Good luck.
Men dont do the job because it doesn't pay enough and is traditionally a woman's role. I've worked with two great male hvs, but they do do the job in quite a different way, for many reasons.

wouldliketoknow- if you read back over this thread and look at my comments you will see what sort of week I have had as a HV. Not good,in a DV refuge,trying to deal with a drug addict neglectful mum of a 2yr old and most sadly of all spending a morning with a lovely mum and dad who requested to see me following the sudden cot death of their beautiful baby girl.

So I may appear not to know how many exact portions of avocado or buuternut squash for a 7mth old, one of the most irritating questions I got asked in clinic this week,but I am relentless in my job of protecting vulnerable child and comforting the bereaved.

None of you really understand the job,you just site your own experiences and some have said health visiting should go because of that.

I could say the same about Gps cos one missed my brothers terminal brain cancer. Or the paediatrician who minimised daughters scoliosis which she needed major spinal surgery for.
You shouldnt rubbish a whole profession because of a few.

My HV was kind, friendly and helpful but hardly a good use of NHS time and money. I would prefer to see this money spent on home physio appointments for all new mums like in France.

jaffa, hv are necessary, and very useful in situation where a kid is at risk, but some are quite power high, i think, i put mine as an example, trying to make me wean him early or give him baby rice is just ridiculous, a different story would be if she had found bruises on him, or something else worrying, she also refuse to measure his length, because the chart has five spaces to record, and i already used five, so he won't be measure again until one, she said... it is the first time i saw her, i hope she is not doing this clinic forever, otherwise i will change clinics.

sorry i used four spaces, i meant.

I was very underwhelmed by mine- she would make an appointment for 10am and then turn up nearly an hour late-very unprofessional. My son had a very distorted head and couldn't turn his neck to one side-she suggested lying him on his front despite all the advice at that time saying that babies should lie on their back to avoid cot death.

Second child screamed non-stop- HV had no advice, and took the view that as an experienced mother I could cope. At 12 months she wouldn't eat -HV said I was exaggerating-child must be eating more than 2 mini yoghurts a day- she wasn't but HV would not believe me. I told HV I felt really low-she said that it was just the baby blues (at 13 months!!). When second child was 3 I had a massive breakdown- psychiatrist said that it was undiagnosed PND. I was relieved when we moved house after the breakdown and I thought I didn't have to see her again. Unwittingly we had moved into the village where she lives!

"So I may appear not to know how many exact portions of avocado or buuternut squash for a 7mth old, one of the most irritating questions I got asked in clinic this week,but I am relentless in my job of protecting vulnerable child"

So basically you consider the parents who give a shit to be an irritation and distraction from the parents who are neglecting their children ? Should you not have gone into social work then if you feel that is what the role is about instead of sneaking into peoples houses under the pretense of being there for all new mothers ?
I guess at least we all know where we stand now.

reallyTired There are all sorts of reasons someone might refuse a first visit from an HV which have nothing to do with their mental health. I didn't want an HV to visit me because I was staying with my in-laws and it seemed rude to invite other people into their home.

Even if I'd been in my own house, I would have been reluctant because I don't really like having strangers in my home. With kids I'm even more protective of my personal space.

The idea that if you aren't prepared to have a stranger come into your home when you have a new baby you have something to hide or aren't "right in the head" shows a real inability to empathize with a broad range of people.

mamatomany- think about how you would feel if you have just done a bereavement visit then had to answer questions like that in clinic? Yes I answered them with a smile but felt irritated because I am human and was drained emotionally.
I didnt go into social work because I am a trained childrens nurse and wanted to help children. But the job has changed over the years.

Oh by the way I never sneak anywhere.

I would have either not done the clinic if i was emotionally drained or be thankful that was the only thing the avocado mother had to worry about.
Clearly the job has changed but the public seem not to have been informed of what your real role is, but now we all know, been done in an underhand way though if you ask me.

I was quite capable of doing the clinic.Nurses are trained well at hiding their own emotions to carry on with the job.I learnt that as a sister of Paediatric ITU many years ago.

Sited the weaning as an example of what alot of the posts on this thread have complained about from their HV that she gave bad advise on weaning or on feeding. I am not minimising the importance of good advise but think that it could be given by a community staff nurse or nursery nurse. This is because there are not enough HVs to cover all the work and the most vulnerable situations are the ones which must be covered.

I do not hide the role from my caseload but due to confidentiality am not able to say sorry if Im off Ive just seen bereaved parents or a drug addict mum.

"So I may appear not to know how many exact portions of avocado or buuternut squash for a 7mth old, one of the most irritating questions I got asked in clinic this week,but I am relentless in my job of protecting vulnerable child"

jaffacake2 if I was a mum who really wanted to know that and had asked my HV, I would hope that she could at least tell me where to find out!! But actually reading through this thread, and based on my own experience, the problem is not the HVs who don't know that, but the ones who would:

• berate you for giving avacado in the first place
• lecture you on missing the bloody made up weaning window by giving avacado at 6mths rather than baby rice at 4mths

etc etc ! Obviously just a silly example, but it is not so mcuh the lack of knowledge that bothers me but the preaching of out-of-date and potentially dangerous information.

I know my dd was not neglected/at risk/being brought up by junkies, but if I had followed my HVs advice she would have lost a very dangerous amount of weight and probably been readmitted (at best).

So basically jaffa you consider yourself too qualified to be doing the role as we the new mothers are to believe is that of a HV?
No wonder we are so confused as to what actually it is that HV do for their money, half of them have no interest in us and our children.

"am not able to say sorry if Im off Ive just seen bereaved parents or a drug addict mum."

Unbelievable - how about just being professional and not being off ?

jaffa, i appeciate hvs have enormous case loads, but where exactly are the community nurses? not even once a hv had said to me: if you like a chat about weanning or how to start on solids this is how you access someone who has the knowledge and time to help you,... instead you normally get buy the heinz stuff for convenience, you don't wanna be cooking from scratch everyday, just for the baby
i think i do...