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?

surely it's not terribly cushy though all the time, as don't they all have to do child protection visits?

my experiences were mixed, and mostly negative I'm afraid. I reckon my HV's brand of "support" in recovering from antenatal depression helped tipped me into mild PND....

I tend to agree with withorwithoutyou. I refused to have anything to do with mine after she told me she had to do a home visit (which, because of moving, was very inconvenient for me) in order to check my home "was safe for the children". So I told her with an attitude like that she wasn't coming anywhere near my house.

I'm pretty confident, and I didn't suffer from PND so probably wouldn't have benefited much. Still, I was very disappointed as I think the idea of HVs is really good. I would have liked to have another pair of eyes on development and milestones just in case. But I think professionally there is an inherent contradiction between assuming that all parents need to be "checked" to make sure they are good enough and providing a truly supportive service. You can't (shouldn't?) really be honest with someone who is there in part to judge you.

I had to ask for reassurance from a HV who had wandering eyes about my son's lack of eye contact.

I was advised to do it by his pre-school teacher because in conjunction with the other red flags for autism he was presenting with, we were very concerned.

It was excruciating. And I had to report back that the HV couldn't "see" any problem with his eye-contact

Well, my HV runs my GP's baby clinic and does all jabs. So without her I just my son wouldn't be immunized?

Soyyy, I guess my son...

I think they are there to make sure the mother knows a little bit about what to do in the first week (doing OK thanks), check for retreating uterus (cheers), weigh the baby a couple of times, & dish out the mystery NHS 'vitamin drops' for babies - which I read about everywhere but my HV knew nothing about.

Oh & they did some quite nice baby massage classes too which DD & I enjoyed.

Lots of childrens services referrals come via HV too. Some may be OTT but some are seriously in need families.

My mum was a HV for 25 years (now retired). As well as giving immunisations and doing the weigh ins, she also offered help and support to women with violent partners, sourced bedding, furniture and clothes for people who had none for their babies and attended court in child protection cases. She was regularly late home - sometimes trying for hours to find emergency accommodation for people. Often people won't seek help and by visiting them at home, problems can be identified. Appreciate for the majority of people, a HV is completely unnecessary but there's no way of telling without visiting everyone. They are trained nurses who have undertaken further training to become HVs.

I'm 36 weeks pregnant with DC1 and the HV is coming to see me later this week to "give me baby's healthcare record" - I'm guessing that this is just an excuse to have a nose around the house as surely the red book could be either posted or given to us at the hospital when baby is born?

I have a sneaky feeling that all the good ones go to areas where they are actually needed, and the lazy/rubbish ones make sure they get the 'nice middleclass areas' where they just have to listen to those mothers who already know everything there is to know about being up baby.

During my nursing degree I worked with one of the most inspirational women I have ever met. She was a health visitor in the dodgy area of Cardiff, and consistently made a difference to each and every family she worked with.

plus - how does that work then - sending them to where they are needed?

How do they know which mothers are going to suffer from PND, or go through a crisis where the HV will turn out to be a godsend?

I can assure you I've never lived in a dodgy area and I definitely appreciated the support fo my HV

When do they start coming round to your house?
Do you have any choice about when they turn up?
Can you refuse to see a HV?

I don't think that they get sent, but the (I think) PCT will advertise positions, and you would apply accordingly to the area. People tend to have an idea which are the slightly needier areas of towns and cities.

I was thinking of retraining as a HV - currently work in PICU, so the idea of advising people who feel they know it all already just doesn't appeal. There is an awful amount of child protection work attached to HV nowadays and I'm not sure I'm up to it tbh.

in my city, more experienced ones were sent to more challenging areas, so the newly qualified ones got more straightforward caseloads. one let slip that the city centre caseload was regarded as a bit of a nightmare .

plus3 - what about training as an SN HV? that might be a bit more satisfying.

well our GP's take patients from all over the town (as do all the other GP's in town) . I'm not in a dodgy area or a posh area, but I know people in both those types of housing who have the same GP practice as me.

And some of the out lying villages which are also under our town GP practices are definitely posh

I'm not saying the only good ones are attached to dodgy areas, but as with all profession, people can get complacent and lazy, and should always be updating their knowledge.

My HV with my Ds was fab, but I still had to tell her the growth chart were based on bottle, not breast fed babies!!!!

I think that keeping yourself updates with little time and finace to do so must be hard (not justified, but hard)

SN HV???? That could be very interesting......

Do you have to let a HV in your house? Why? When do they come? Do they make appointments or just turn up?

I dunno. I'm 32 weeks pg with DC1, I'm aged 39, and I feel a bit funny about 'having' to let someone in to 'check on me'. If I need help I will ask for it. I know where to get help. I am not daft.

It will be Christmastime when I have my baby. I expect it will be just me and DH and the baby cuddled up at home, but I might have visitors, or we might go and stay with family/friends, we haven't decided yet, it depends on when the baby comes, etc.

I don't really want to have to factor obligatory visits from a stranger into my plans, tbh. Can I just say no thanks?

Miffster in most areas they make a pre-birth visit (they should arrange the timing with you). The schedule after seems to be very dependent on the area and whether they see you as high need.

You do not have to have anything to do with them if you don't want. But the good ones ought to be really useful if you are uncertain about what you should be doing or if you end up getting PND.

If you're as bloody minded as me and don't want them in your house you can always go to your local baby clinic and see one there. Not as convenient in the first few weeks, and if you do end up having PND, probably another thing to get in the way of getting help.

Plus3, the area a person lives in has absolutely no bearing on their ability to be a parent!

"dodgy areas"?? Sorry but what do you mean? Are you implying that living in a poorer area makes you a crap parent?

Oh, I've just seen this AIMS link.

HVs have no legal right of entry, I see. But AIMs is saying that refusal to see them ( even a polite, no thanks, I'm fine, don't need help' is a red flag for HV informing SS!)

I'm really about this.
It's my house, my body, my baby. I know where to get help, I don't see why I should have to see anyone or let anyone in my house if I don't want to have them round. .

X posted before I read SuchProspects,
thanks for that info.

But if I have PND I will make appointment with my GP, who I know or with a counsellor, who I also know.

I would be very unlikely to unburden myself to a random stranger, who is there to judge me and my house in the exhausting first few weeks of motherhood, and I think I really will not want the stress of having my home inspected when I am tired and busy with the baby. It's just an extra pressure.

I think I will just say no thanks to the HV visits. I will have my DH there to help me, he is taking 6 weeks off to be at my side.

Miffster - if you have PND (or even "just" depression - you may well NOT make an appointment to see the GP, especially if it's not yet been diagnosed, or if you need extra support - that's the point.

They're not there to judge you, they're there to help you and in MOST cases if you need the help they'll be able to give it.