to want a fully qualified health visitor?

[MisselthwaiteManor]

I had an unannounced visit from a HV today, I'm 36 weeks pregnant with my first baby. She was an unaccompanied student.

I don't think she knew what she was doing and I didn't know what she was supposed to be doing either so it was all very awkward.

Are students normally accompanied by fully fledged HVs?

I'm annoyed, I am probably being precious but it's my first born and I have no family to ask for advice so I was actually looking forward to having a health visitor. Disappointed that the one I got was more bemused than me.

If she was a student she'll know that she is learning and sometimes that means learning from mistakes.

She could have said the purpose of this visit is to ... or I'm here today to... I know I asked my HV what the agenda was for the first meeting because I didn't know what we should expect. I really think that it's worth feeding this back to the HV or GP surgery.

Also dropping by unannouncd is annoying because you suddenly forget anything you wanted to ask. I'd have a list on my fridge and then go through it with mine. Are you absolutely sure you didn't get a letter that's gone down the back of the sofa? Theres no messages on any answerphone somewhere? If you're absolutely sure that you didnt receive any contact I would check that they have the right details. Sometimes clerical errors happen.

My fully qualified one 18 years ago couldn't define her role or the HV role adequately. Nor could she explain it wasn't a mandatory service. She did however instruct me to attend clinics and tell me shewould tell me how to look after my baby. She was actually unable to answer a single question, organise a referral or explain why she thought the 50th centile was a statistical average. She didn't have the manners to make an apt for the first visit but I wish she had come before the birth. That way I would have known before I was at my most vulnerable to expect nothing and to make alternative arrangements.

A perfect example of why poorly performing students should be flagged up ASAP so they don't drag their shoddy practice into a signed-off qualification!

The 'HV' team around here consists of one HV per surgery assisted by various others, including several nursery nurses.

Nursery nurses do unaccompanied visits around here, in place of actual an HV e.g. baby weighing and development checks at 8 mo and 2.5 yrs etc.

Could it be that she was a nursery nurse or similar?

My HV team, whilst actually lovely, couldnt organise a piss up in a brewery. Every meeting has to be double checked because they are at the surgery when I'm expecting them at home, or vice versa, or no record of an appointment at all, or a different time, or day, or different person (nursery nurse as apposed to HV), or they are expecting me when I have no appt!
So based on this, I would guess that she had (or even just thought she had!) arranged an appt, rather than completely turning up unannounced.

Oh, and we have one antenatal visit to "meet" (even on subsequent children, even when subsequent children are only a year younger than their sibling!), even though midwife does the first 2-4 weeks PN care.

YABU
Pre birth visits are common round here.
And as someone else pointed out she is qualified as a nurse/midwife already and will nearing end of her HV training.

I have had a student come see me before birth.
She was a chocolate teapot fucking useless in that she explained a little about the visits for about five minutes. Then berated me for about ten mins for still working at 38 weeks, and having no intention of stopping for a proper maternity leave. (I work 1.5 days a week doing a very easy desk job from home for dh, im ashamed to call it work at times!) I had a face when I pointed out there would be no difference me entering payroll figures on my laptop to surfing the net whilst bf.
Then a 20 minute ear bashing because I had yet to choose a baby name. Full on weirdness. My dh should apparently let me choose the babies name after watching me go through all that pain. He should have no say. She was very opinionated to say the least.
Another Hv has phoned and asked to come see me Thursday, when I will be 40+5. I explained I've already had one visit, and she didn't even know the students name, I could hear her shouting around the office.
I'm really not filled with confidence. It's seems like they don't actually talk to one another. Bit she does sound nicer than the student at least.

Well if someone decided to drop by unexpectedly before my baby was born they'd have been disappointed as I was working!

Hv and midwives in my area were totally disorganised and rude to boot! A midwife phoned up very angry straight after the birth about why I wasnt answering my door and how dare I keep her waiting .... Errr, I was in hospital very ill and hadnt been discharged thanks very much for shouting! Ghastly woman... At least she had the grace to apologise!

I found the visits useful in that it was reassuring that I hoped they'd spot something going wrong, but really, no advice and no help beyond that...

Also, quite shocked to find that some counties don't do scans until 20 weeks! That means no nuchal scan which I thought was standard practice. .

I'd give her a break, she has got to see people. If you have specific concerns just go to your gp.

I have had many years of experience with HVs, both personally and professionally. It is sad that I can count the competent, non-judgemental ones on one hand.

I am regularly disappointed by their poor skills, timekeeping, general incompetence and the utter garbage that passes as advice that comes out of some of their mouths.

If you are lucky enough to find a gem who knows what they are talking about, fills you with confidence and makes you and your baby happy - you should count yourself very fortunate indeed.

student hv is a qualified nurse,undertaking additional post-grad experience
fully qualified and wholly appropriate to see patients alone in community
why was hv student bemused?

you can of course give feedback about any hcp who visit
you can call
good luck when baby arrive

Ginderella do you think it might be because of the association with social services and the surveillance nature of the role? Do you think that makes women frightened to complain? I did complain and initially they took no notice; the hv's boss made it very difficult but I escalated it and ended up meeting with both the head of midwifery and the head of community services at my local trust. They agreed I had received dreadful service, they also agreed there were problems.

I think a lot of women wouldn't have had the confidence to press it.

marriedinwhiteagain, I agree with you that a lot of women wouldn't complain because of the "threat" of Social Service/Child Protection. Some women are especially vulnerable when they are first time mothers and I do think that some HVs know this and in my experience have bullied and treated some women in a not altogether professional way.

I have had to deal with petty and unjustified Child Protection referrals. Some HVs do not like being challenged by an informed and educated woman. In most cases there is no justification - but each referral has to be investigated. I think that if you choose not to engage with HVs, it should not be an automatic red flag and your parenting should not come under scrutiny.

It does take a strong woman to stand up to bossy HCPs. Well done for complaining and not being fobbed off with a difficult HV boss.

IMO, the service will only improve if more women complain and not put up with the shoddy service.

It is not that unusual for health visitors to make an antenatal visit, especially with the drive to recruit more health visitors meaning that there are more people on the ground available to do it. It is unusual to turn up unannounced, though, unless they had been trying to contact you to arrange a visit unsuccessfully. Even then they should offer to arrange another time to come back.
The students that are due to qualify in September will be doing visits alone if they have been assessed as competent and they are already qualified nurses and or midwives but you should call the clinic if you'd prefer her not to visit again. She really shouldn't have turned up not knowing why!

I agree that feedback should be given. If, as pp have stated, a student hv is a qualified nurse, etc, the fact this one appeared to be bemused is worth following up, for her sake as well as for the sake of any other parents she sees.

I had two lovely hvs after I had my 2 dcs, but they never visited me at home, they just arranged appts at the clinic. Also, we didn't have ante natal visits for my 2 (13 and 9 years ago), I don't know if that's changed since.

fuckwittery You can refuse to see a hv if you wish, it's not mandatory.

What is an IM?

Yes I refused due to poor care the first time round. An incompetent HV who didn't have the basic courtesy to make a mutually convenient appointment, who couldn't explain her role and who had the audacity to say "breastfeeding mothers put their babies first; bottLe feeding mothers put themselves first". That was at 10 days after my first bout of mastitis. After my second when I Was in so much pain she told me to wrap myself in a blanket and sit by the fire if I couldn't bear even a silk blouse touching my boobs if I left off my bra (which was her recommendation). I carried on trying to feed through another bout of mastitis and then develped a breast abscess.

When I recovered and after the prozac clicked in and after a successful formal complaint I agreed with the CEO that if I had another child I wrould write to my GP and the trust to confirm that an HV was not required and was not to make contact.

HVs are obliged to offer a visit legally; mothers are not obliged to accept the service. They do not appear to understand this though. My HVs boss said she would honour my request and then sent another hV to see me. That was a large part of my complaint - not least if a professional does not understand a clearly stated request in perfect English and within a statutory framework she does not have the intellect to advise me about the well being of my baby.

On the once occasion I went to the clinic, as instructed and on a drop in basis amongst the diseased attending the GP surgery, the hV was dirty and the scales were incorrectly calibrated when my baby was put on. They read -5oz. When I asked for baby to be reweighed there was huffing and puffing. The first weight indicated my baby had lost weight but that was not remarked upon.

Totally disingenuous and incompetent. Just calculate the hV salary by the number of HVs to discover how much this wastes public money.

It is an absolute disgrace and still makes me cross even though DS is now 6'2" and 18. Grrrr

married I assume IM = independent midwife.

Sorry you had a lousy experience. Mine were fine and I'd have offered them to you if I could.

Meanwhile, neighbour across the road has a newborn. If I get a chance I may slip a few things into conversation, not least to suggest a certain website!

Im on baby no:6. I've met some great hv & some not so great.

Im in London.

With my last dc now 4, I had one visit at home from a hv when he was 3 weeks old & nothing since. There are no development checks. A weighing clinic, 1 afternoon a month. I never took dc to be weighed. Dc had his immunisations at GP surgery.

There seems to be an incredible difference in the quality & quantity of care from he's, dependent on where you live.