Baby clinic, weighing, health visitors

[Chislemum]

I was wondering whether it is wrong - or unreasonable - to stop going to baby clinics and instead weigh my baby at home?

Our baby clinic is really filthy, overheated, etc. Also, the health visitors don't really help at all, just give me incorrect and conflicting information (depending on who you talk to) and worry me needlessly.

Is it normal that all they do at the baby clinic is to weigh babies?

My DS is 5 months and I intend to have all his vaccinations done etc. I just don't like the baby clinic. What would happen (if anything), if I weighed my baby myself and refuse all further contact with HVs but instead take baby to GP if there is a real issue and/or to a privately paid pediatrician?

I have searched the threads on this forum and found lots of info (incl. a thread implying HVs were spies???) - does anyone have a link to something official were it says I don't have to go there and won't lose any entitlement of NHS treatment.... (sorry for my angry tone... was just annoying there today).

[thebody]

Lol lol I went once with Pfb but didn't bother with other 3.

waste of time. And you really don't need to be weighing a 5 month old anyway. Why are you? If its healthy and happy then just don't faff about.

[lolarocks]

I was told by my HV to go to the clinic as little or often as I like. DS is 8 weeks old and so far I haven't been once. Will try to get round to it next week.

[Chislemum]

just wish hv had told me all this was optional - other mums in the area also seem to believe it is something you need to do ...

[HG2014]

This is really interesting - as a student HV clinic drives me mad - there is no evidence for routinely weighing babies - I think it just undermines parental confidence (that was my personal experience with my own baby) - just wondered what people thought of having an under 1's drop-in group - for social contact and a 3-4 month follow-uo visit with an HV instead of a baby clinic?

[HG2014]

Ok, that's helpful to know. Maybe mums feel that they will be judged if they don't take their baby to baby clinic? ( not the case from an hv standpoint - but can see how mums might think that)