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?

The midwives came round every couple of days after the birth, so having the hv come once they'd handed over to her wasn't a big deal for me. I didn't feel any more checked up on by her than by the midwives.

Miffster - it will all be fine - honestly. I am a HV and yes there are good and bad. Some of the stories on here make me cringe, I go into work and tell my colleagues and they cringe as well. You can refuse the service - no problem. That can sometimes be a red flag that there may be issues within the home which families may want to keep hidden but not usually. We are not there to judge you but to offer practical and emotional support.

A hv told me that 'babies need to cry as it strengthens their lungs'. This was in June, not in 1952. I'm not sure why breathing isn't strengthening their lungs or what lung related activities dd is supposed to be in training for.

I've seen more unhelpful ones than good ones. Finally found a good one with DS2 and stuck to her clinics like a stalker. She didn't refer us to paeds for ages when he wasn't gaining weight much - she trusted me and just gave good advice so we'd explored every eating avenue possible before we took it further. That meant a lot.

I quite liked the one who came and visited when DS was 10 days old. She asked if I'd had breakfast (it was 11am, I hadn't, she told my husband to immediately go make me some breakfast and a cup of tea).
She then lectured him about how tiring being a new Mum was and what thirsty work breastfeeding was and that he was to make me drinks when I was thirsty, make me a packed lunch before he went to work, in case I didn't get the chance to make myself anything etc... He did, he was already supportive but suddenly he would just do or offer without be prompted.
The one I see for weigh ins always makes me feel like a terrible mother, I weaned at 4.5 months on her recommendation, DS went from just above 50th percentile to just below and she terrified me (I have guilt issues re weight because DS lost 15% birthweight because my milk hadn't come in, I didn't know, I'd never breastfed before and we ended up in SCBU). She only has to mention weight and I'm racked with guilt!

I'm glad that you were able to self refer, I wasn't. It was a friend calling my HV - who then came to see me, that eventually made me see the GP.

She was also a great source of support last year when I'd have a life changing event and came to check I was ok. At that time I was, in terms of depression, but it was good to have someone totally neutral to my situation who would listen to me ramble on about it for a little while and tell her how I was coping (or not) with the DS's at that time.

our health visitors have really varied, from worse than useless to lovely
one was great when i was feeling down after DC2 - sinaed in west yorkshire - thank you!! i wish the support with DC1's feeding had been half as good though. they could measure his weight loss but as none of their suggestions actually helped i think the measuring in itself was counterproductive.

Mine told me my older 22 month old child was far too demanding and you don't want the next one like her do you ? Up until that point i'd been really enjoying my 2 girls, i then completely turned off both them for the next 12 months.
They really should have extra training on how to keep their feet out of their mouths.
Having said that this time around the HV hardly said a word but had a leaflet for every situation you could imagine.

The point of HVs...

They take the pressure of GPs for minor stuff.

They spot potentially major stuff.

Just plain support for first time mothers (especially those of us whose own mothers lived miles away).

They are trained to spot PND in mums and if they're good they'll be encouraging new mums to go out and meet other new mums.

But like with all professions I guess it depends who you get.

I saw quite a few but one or two stood out. One in particular who was also a nurse. Maybe all nurses should do a stint as a HV. Then again I'm sure nurses have enough to do already.

Thank goodness so many of you don't need your HVs, it'll free them up for families that really do need someone to come and help, advise and support them.

The vast majority of GPs would rather eat their own stethoscopes than run a twice weekly baby clinic(4 in the case of my team) and very often will refer you back to your health visitor if you come to them with minor(and sometimes more major) childhood problems. We see an average of about 80-90 babies a week in our clinics, they aren't forced to come, they choose to and more often than not they go away reassured and better informed on what is considered the current best practise where their babies health is concerned. Why would you not want to take advantage of the service that is offered to you? You pay your taxes, get your moneys worth, access the services that are there for you.

You are wrong to rubbish them like this, it is a skewed view and is unhelpful to those who have no experience of the health visiting service.

jaffacake2, I think that health visitors are wonderful people. (Well... mostly )

I have a lovely health visitor at the moment, I am devestated by the news that she is retiring next year. [sob! emoticon]

The health visitor I had with my son, was a nice lady, but got out of her depth with me. I had really severe postnatal depression (Ie. having delusions and needing interesting medication) and my health visitor did not refer me to correct source of support. I needed a CPN and got referred to a support group run by a local health visitor instead. The hv mistake was a massive disaster for my famiy.

However health visitors are human. They make mistakes as they do a difficult job. Society's expectations of them is completely unrealistic. Its a pity that health visitors do not stand up for themselves as a profession a bit more.

"did not do the Edinburgh test as i was feeling low and wanted to wait til i felt better"
Did she really not spot the flaw in that plan

3WiseMumsies I did want to take advantage of a service my tax money pays for. It would have been great if the health visitor actually thought her role was to support me instead of check up on my fitness to have children and tick boxes. I only rubbish the experience I had because it was rubbish.

3WiseMumsies I did want to take advantage of a service my tax money pays for. It would have been great if the health visitor actually thought her role was to support me instead of check up on my fitness to have children and tick boxes. I only rubbish the experience I had because it was rubbish.

Thank goodness so many of you don't need your HVs, it'll free them up for families that really do need someone to come and help, advise and support them.

The vast majority of GPs would rather eat their own stethoscopes than run a twice weekly baby clinic(4 in the case of my team) and very often will refer you back to your health visitor if you come to them with minor(and sometimes more major) childhood problems. We see an average of about 80-90 babies a week in our clinics, they aren't forced to come, they choose to and more often than not they go away reassured and better informed on what is considered the current best practise where their babies health is concerned. Why would you not want to take advantage of the service that is offered to you? You pay your taxes, get your moneys worth, access the services that are there for you.

You are wrong to rubbish them like this, it is a skewed view and is unhelpful to those who have no experience of the health visiting service.

Sorry about the double post

Probably only 20% of mothers need a health visitor, but there is no way of telling which 20%. Postnatal depression can hit good mothers as well as bad mothers. Being an over perfectionist can be a disaster for mental health.

We are lucky having health visitors in this country. I would hate to be like the USA where children and mothers are over medicalised.

I think we do need HV, no doubt about it but we need them to be coming from midwifery rather than nursing backgrounds.
My cousin was a HV and had never held a baby even after she'd been in the role 12 months, she had no idea about childcare beyond what she'd read in a book.

Agree with 3wisemummies, the drop in baby clinic run by the HVs in our area was always packed. Don't think my GP would not want to know about my baby crying a lot, not bringing up wind, not eating lumpy food. All of which the HV gave me practical advice and reassurance on. I saw two HVs and they were both invaluable to me.

What are they? Never had one. I do hear about them, wonder if I'm missing out....

I'm grateful to my HVs. The first one calmed me down, and gave me the super advice of buying an answerphone to intercept my (very anxious) mother's 'phone calls.

The second one gave me a big hug, and I didn't see her again. We were in an area that was very stretched, and she was correct in her assessment that it was all OK.

Perhaps I've been very fortunate, but mine certainly did a great job, and I was glad of them.

I'm now feeling guilty - was I supposed to make HV tea when she came? No longer she didn't stay long? Lol!

1st HV was rubbish and really strict about waiting til 6 months for weaning. DD was a very hungry baby and only content once on solids - which I did at 4 months and a day! I didn't see HV after that until 8 months when I was called in the the surgery. New HV was lovely but pointless.

Probably helpful if you don't speak to your mum and don't have friend's with babies!

SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood Mon 18-Oct-10 20:22:24

"did not do the Edinburgh test as i was feeling low and wanted to wait til i felt better"
Did she really not spot the flaw in that plan shock

you'd have thought so, but she was weeks away from retiring and i think she could not care less. she could have prevented literally years of anguish if she'd have just thought through what she was doing. granted, other HCPs did not pick up on it, but she was frontline.

i am glad she retired .

as i said though, my next HV with DD was saintly , and just amazing in every way

I've seen 2 in my home. One was a bit too keen to tow the party line and not stray from the standard practice within the borough, quoting the WHO verbatim, all a bit robotic really.

The other was much better, used her own common sense, and drew on her own recent experiences with her own children. Not sure this is strictly procedure, but I was grateful for the common sense advice, and just her general approach, saying "one thing you could try is..." rather than "yes, it's because you're not doing it right".

I asked one at baby clinic last month when 8mo DD was getting weighed about the small hard lump in her stomach and whether it was anything to worry about, could it be a hernia, and she said "oh yes it is quite prominent isn't it, I've no idea though, perhaps ask your GP?"

When I had my 4th baby,I had recently moved to a new area so didn't know any of the HVs.
When my HV came out to do a home visit she made me feel quite uncomfortable. Her behaviour was pretty intrusive and I felt like she was there to check I was a good mother and not there to be supportive.

By the time she left I felt stressed. That is not what a new mother needs. It's great that they look for signs of PND, but who is going to trust them in the future and be honest wrt how they are coping, when there is a perception that they are visiting your home to judge you and may report you to SS if they don't think you are up to the job?

I didn't have PND, but if I had, I would have been extemely reluctant to discuss it with my particular HV and would have gone to the GP instead.