My lovely HV has been here for ds's 2 year check. I told her that HVs are (by and large)despised on MN.Can you post with examples of their idiocy,especially with regard to breastfeeding? I am going to print the thread and pass it on.

[moondog]

i know tissy sorry just being over enthusiastic

My HV always forgets my DD1's name, even though she has been her HV since she was 4 months. Even worse, she is somehow absolutely convinced my DD2 is a boy!

Bloody useless.

'Nuff said.

HV told me that ds had lost weight and questioned my ability to bf.
Next week same thing.
This frightened me so much and freaked me out, that my milk dried up, literally overnight.
Following week I went into the clinic.
Ds's weight fine.
She was so blase, and without expression admitted that "her home visit scales were not 'that' accurate".

She was totally unapologetic.
She stole my right to breast feed, because of her unprofessionalism, made me scared.

I was livid.
And still am.

Since then , she has continued to be totally shit.

I am sure there are many good hv's.
But there are also many, many bad ones.

My HV thinks i have one child...a DD...erm nope....look at the notes u have just picked up, i have 2 DS's!!! Needless to say i only take them to get weighed for their baby record book (so that the weight is from the same scales IYSWIM)

Had hopeless advise from her too aside from her wanting me to have pnd with ds1...???

At my dt's 1st jab appointment,

HV: "now you will be thinking about taking them out for their first day trip about now, buy some tupperware cartons to keep your formula milk in".
Me: "Err no, I am bf, and their first "day trip" was a weekend in London when they were a month old."

Haven't seen one since and good riddance to useless hinderences.

hv wrote in dd1's book:

"mum has started to give dd1 formula "

ummm - no I hadn't

HVs here RUBBISH

Lost faith at 10 days old. Ds had been bf early evening for 3 hour stints. Was feeling v sore and knackered by it. Told me "to follow baby" and continue doing so. Same day dh bought bottles and formula to cover that feed and the issue propmptly disappeared and my milk supply eventually sorted itself out.
Avoided her from that point.
2 months later, couldn't get gp appointment so had to see hv. I have excema. So does dh. Said "I think he's got excema and I need something for it, it's really upsetting him". Hv replied "oh I wouldn't jumped to conclusions" and prescribed moisturiser! Horrendous night followed. Saw gp first thing next day. Took one look and said "that's excema". V pissed off at the additional suffering he endured that night.
At second 8 month check overheard woman being advised to feed her 8 month son (who wasn't really interested in solids and was of low weight) things like wotsits and quavers since they were high in energy!
At failed one year check being told I had to take ds to gp immediately (ds not interested in standing) and that she would phone every day if necessary to make sure I did (bullying c*w). Gp couldn't understand what we were doing there.
At failed two year check being strongly advised to take him to a speech therapist (not talking - still not at 2.9 months) and physiotherapist (not walking - two year check carried out at 21 months - walked 6 weeks later) to identify what the issues were and receive advise on how to encourage him properly!
Will avoid like the plague with nr 2!

Also being called "mummy" contiuously despite repeatedly telling her my name. I am still a person you know!

I find that sooooo irritating to be called "Mum" - hello "mum" - piss off, I am not your mum or are you having delusions? Am I alone in this? It is the most annoying thing that anyone can say to me and really puts my back up. Why not say hello Mrs ... or Miss ..., what happens to courtesy and politeness that they think they can call me Mum??

my uesless HV flips round the room calling every child 'this little one' and every mum 'mummy'. i think she does it to give the impression of remembering who everyone is. tbh, i wouldn't expect her to remember 100 women and babies and (like others) would prefer she didn't address me such.

I really liked my health visitor. She was always helpful, non-judgemental and nice. I am from the USA, had my babies in the UK (British DH insisted). We don't have anything like health visitors in the US and I think the ones I have met are great. My sister in the US has to take her baby to a gumpy arrogant paediatrician and shell out a few hundred dollars for each well baby check-up.

I've seen quite a few HV's (my ds is 2) but the worse piece of advice was when I asked for help with regard to getting my ds to sleep better (he was 3ms) and I was told to control cry him . Sadly I didn't know any better, and have now spent months and months trying to undo the problems this caused. I could bl**dy kill her.

At Dd's 2 year check the HV wanted to refer us to a dietician for dietary advice because we don't do dairy. She stated we were "creating an environment of malnutrition which she had to act upon". Needless to say we necer saw another HV again and refused consent for the referral.