How many times did your HV visit in the first year?

[MJW1999]

Hi I’m not sure if I’ve posted on the right place but I was wondering how many times did your HV visit or contact you in the first year?

my FB DD was visited twice in the first 4 weeks and then the usual check at a year and that’s it but my SB DD has had 6 visits and I’m expecting to see her again tomorrow. I feel this is a bit excessive but idk why I’m being contacted and visited so often, is there a reason it’s this frequent or any HV able to explain potential reasons why so many visits would take place?

for context, I have been diagnosed with ADHD which doesn’t affect my parenting, have a safe secure home, and baby was born at 4lb 10 but has gained really well and is combi fed.

I saw mine every week for the first month, then every 2 weeks for 2 months. I had issues in my pregnancy and issues with my mobility afterwards so she was concerned I'd become isolated so I got more support then "the norm". Then saw her again a month or two later, then for the 1 year check.

She was lovely and I appreciated the extra support.

I wonder if it's because of how little your SB is that that's why you're getting a little extra attention.

Someone visited when DD2 was first home, then I think I went to the clinic which her once. No other contact suggested by them, and I got such ridiculous advice from them with DD1 that I didn’t seek them out!

First baby I had PND and was visited about three times and follow up calls until I said I was better because I didn’t want the intrusion. Second baby one visit, no complications

My guess would be because your baby was born small and they are closely monitoring weight gain and overall health because of concerns about failure to thrive.

With my second, who was a bigger baby and bf easily and gained weight well with no jaundice, I might have seen the HV 2-3 times in the first month and then I’d see her at a breastfeeding group she ran (weigh ins there too) and then I saw her around a year for the development check.

My first thought was born small, lost a bit of weight, struggled to feed, was combi fed and then eventually ff and didn’t regain her birth weight for 26 days. We saw the HV probably twice a week for the first 6 weeks, then maybe a few times after that for weigh ins, then 9 months for the development check.

This is very dependent on where you live

in some areas where I am it’s a 10-14 day visit, then weekly visits until 6 weeks, then 8, 12, 16 weeks.
6m, 9m and 12m

all health boards & providers are different

2-3 times with my first. None with my second but he was a COVID baby.

With my 3rd, I didn’t get a home visit from a HV ever, I just saw them at the weighing clinic and the routine assessments. Incidentally my HV was male, I don’t know if that was a factor.

Once, with my son, who was born end of 2021.
Twice with my daughter who’s now 7 weeks old and I’m told I won’t see a HV again now, unless I call them.

My DS was very small and we saw the HV every fortnight from when he was 2 months old to 7 months old. She came to our house to weigh him.

If you don’t want or need it just say no thanks.

I don't remember but a lot I was very thankful for each visit it helped a lot

I had a five pounder with jaundice and they honestly drove me to distraction - 4 day hospital stay, round twice a week for four weeks (no day or time given, just showed up whenever so i was on egg shells id be unshowered or on the nursery drop off etc) and then once a week for 3 weeks until i politely asked what the point was as it felt like a waste of their resources. I was also in and out of the GP and hospital with him, so I had no need for HV that frequently. The rationale from them was that he was little and breastfed, so it was feeding support but he did follow a growth line beautifully and I was very reassured he was well. I did have hyperemisis during pregnancy and wonder if that flagged something up.

i didnt actually need support with that baby, i did with my first and saw them twice (covid).

Zero.

I don’t if I slipped through the cracks or whether they were just short staffed.

After I gave birth I didn’t really see anyone.

Essentially HV service should follow the Health Child Programme.which in England is 5 contacts (antenatal, NB, 6-8week. 9-12m and 2-2.5yr)

Depending on staffing levels / state of the service person A in XYZ could get all these as home visits where person B could get a mixture of face 2 face home visits, clinic visits or virtual contacts.

Children or families that are placed on higher caseload are offered more this could be a 6m call check in, or weekly weight reviews, listening visits due to MH concerns etc

There are also FPP clients who can get up to 22 visits within the first year

Chased them away ASAP, it was annoying having to update their thinking all the time

It could be because your second baby was so small at birth, they want to monitor her growth/weight? You can just ask HV!

Update for everyone and thank you for all your responses! I asked her today why I had such frequent visits and she said that I should’ve had a letter after the birth from the hospital to say I’d have regular visits due to my dd being born with IUGR and growth restrictions, however I didn’t get the letter, she apologised and I’m glad to say it all went well and I won’t be having any more visits as DD has gone up 4 centile lines since birth. What a relief as no offence to her but it can be invasive.

Baby 1 was monthly for 6 months
baby 2 visited for heel prick never saw again.
baby 3 she’s never seen a health visitor but we had a midwife for 28 days.