To think that this text is not a replacement for a health visitor?

[CuteOrangeElephant]

I hope this picture is visible.

Health visiting in my area has been completely done away with to the point that there is not even a two year check.

Instead we get the occasional nugget of wisdom via text message, with no ability to reply.

AIBU to think that this is completely unacceptable and will eventually lead to children falling down the cracks?

YANBU. That’s daft.

It is completely unacceptable. I had one visit after both my dc were born. I didn’t know 2 year checks were a thing. It would have been bloody useful if I’d had them though - I was concerned at 2yo my ds was showing signs of autism. He is now 7 and I’m still waiting for his appointment with a specialist and he’s still getting no support in school as he has no diagnosis. If a HV could have pointed me in the right direction at 2 it would have been a huge help.

YANBU.

YANBU for thinking people in your area should have access to an actual HV for advice. That is poor and will lead to children missing milestones and it not being noticed until school.

YABU for thinking it is U to receive a text with information about toilet training. The majority people I know have just winged it with toilet training and not had any support or advice, in any shape or form.

Yanbu OP, that’s ridiculous. Whereabouts are you if you don’t mind me asking?

What really concerns me is the amount of people that refuse HV support entirely, even the 1 and 2 year checks. They're there to help, not to judge you and your family.

@OnePotato2Potato Yorkshire.

I have seen HV go from excellent in the last 15 years. With my first two they did weekly meet ups, talks by dentists etc for 12 then 6 weeks. By my third child my non verbal asd child passed his 2y check with flying colours ( is mental age of two now at 7!). Withmy last child dispite two kids with Sen ( both diagnosed while was pg with fourth) and some SS involvement I never saw my HV beyond the few weeks post birth. Worse than useless now

YANBU. That's appalling. Presumably this is forced by cuts under the euphemism of efficiency but how can it be cost effective to miss opportunities to signpost to other agencies and offer support in a timely manner? Bastards.

I never really understood what the health visitor was for apart from to snoop. If child was ill, I would take it to the Dr. I could work out things like feeding, sleeping, potty training etc etc. on my own or with a bit of help from the internet. I ditched mine because she expected me to be in at short notice for her visit when I had other plans. I think that the cost of them could be much better spent

Are you sure it’s done away with? I don’t think they can legally do that.

Not sure which part of Yorkshire you’re in - for example in North Yorkshire this is how to contact the HV team and the services they offer
www.hdft.nhs.uk/services/childrens-services/growing-healthy-north-yorkshire/0-5-childrens-service-ny/

If there genuinely is no service you need to contact the children’s services department of your local CCG and ask what the hell is going on. All children should have the 2 year check (although generally done at 27 months now). Parents need to kick up a fuss if they’re not getting them

I think that the cost of them could be much better spent

I’m sorry but you’re utterly wrong. HVs are a vital part of young children’s services. They are all either midwives or nurses with additional training.

They can assist with a wide range of things from weaning to sleep to growth and development. If you didn’t need any assistance with any of these things then great - their role is simply to check in periodically at the mandated times to make sure that each child is within the normal range of development for their age. If not, they can refer for additional assessment - it’s thanks to Health Visitors that my twins were both diagnosed with ASD when they were 2.

with my last baby I saw the Hv when my Dd was 10 days old and I never saw her again
No 1 year check no 2 year check
I'm sure with my older children I saw them more often

Yes. I had my eldest 12 years ago. He had terrible colic and his screaming and crying was relentless. Thank God I had an experienced health visitor come around and offer support and make sure that I hadn't lost my mind. I honestly think I was wobbling on a tipping point with pnd and she nudged me back on track. Must have saved a fortune.

Does your area still have baby weighing clinics at the very least? If not, that's appalling.

I thought the two year check was a really useful one. My child was late to speak and complete some milestones and it really put my mind to ease that he was actually within the normal spectrum for development.

Hmm yabu imo, hv is not compulsory anyway so people can just decline the checks anyway, I haven’t seen a hv since mine was 10 days old but then if you’ve always had nice hv then I wouldn’t expect you to understand why people decline them!

Is this really instead of the 2 year check though? Because the 2 year check isn’t about helping you potty train. It just looks like pointing you at some help in case you need it?

@SinkGirl - you said “They are all either midwives or nurses with additional training.“ - I’m not sure that’s true - the last HV I spoke to was a nanny before she got that job, she knew about children but nothing medical.

No HV are midwives or nurses. It’s a highly skilled role. Maybe the nanny wasn’t a HV but some kind of assistant

@Camomila the baby weighing clinic in my village shut a while ago.

The only option is to go to one in the next village. Which if you don't drive is pretty expensive for the bus.

Not that the weigh in was particularly useful. I once went and was let into an empty room, had to weigh my baby alone and plot the result in her red book. No HV present at all. Now my baby was a bit older at that point in time, but imagine a mother with a newborn...

It's luck of the draw anyway. Mine was useless so I stopped after my first was a few days old. Just annoying having more appointments for no reason. Have problems with my second and I see consultants so don't need an hv. I think it's only if you have a specific issue and a great hv that it's any use. Otherwise it is a l9t of money not being used.

My D.C. are adults now but when they were little I found the HVs completely useless. They couldn’t tell me anything I couldn’t find out from the library or a parenting magazine and a lot of what they did tell me was rubbish - like I wasn’t ‘the sort’ to get PND (so that went undiagnosed for nearly a year) or that potatoes counted as one of my 5 fruit and veg a day. Unless they have greatly improved in the last 20 years I would think most people would be better off without them.

I wou

@Passthecherrycoke i’m always shocked to hear that health visitors have qualifications - the 3 i had the misfortune to meet definitely hid their knowledge very well....

Mine have been fantastic. I think in the past it maybe was viewed as a bit of a dead end job for midwives who weren’t quite cutting it in the delivery room.

Now I think it’s quite desirable for nurses and midwives who want to be in the community or need more of a 9-5