Health visitors

[Sweetpea12]

Has anyone had disagreements or issues with their health visitors? I actually complained about mine a few months back and she was told that I did it so I’ve kept her as my health visitor out of guilt.

But now I’m getting very annoyed my son is weighed weekly after having surgery last month. He was being introduced slowly to weaning because he had a stoma reversed and bowel surgery. I’ve been told to basically up the food he gets given introduce a lot more new things (even though I’ve explained they give him a sore stomach to the point he cries in agony) and the most frustrating thing is she has a dietician backing this all up and saying the same things

I feel like I’m not doing right by my son. My instincts are to not do any of the things but because he’s monitored so closely I feel backed into a corner.

Sorry for the long post I’m wondering has anyone had an experience like this did they get a new health visitor? Or any tips on how I should handle this

I would get a new health visitor, definitely don't keep her because you feel guilty - I doubt she has the same level of concern about your feelings.

If you can't bring yourself to get a new HV then ask to be referred to pediatrics which will mean that the matter is out of the HV hands and you will have access to doctors who will have a greater understanding of the medical situation and can advise you far better than any HV. The referral will probably take a while though given current covid delays.

Or can you go back to your original medical team and ask their advice? If your LO is crying in pain after some foods then it sounds like this needs a bit more input than just your HV anyway. Can your GP refer you back to them?

I'll try and come back tomorrow @Sweetpea12 when I'm sober

Hopefully this imps for you in the meantime

My son is under paediatric care at the hospital he attended for his surgery. He has an appointment with the surgeon this week as a review so I’m going to ask about his weight gain with her. Both the HV and my sons dietician don’t care that he has a health condition. He has Hirschsprung’s disease and he actually does amazing now!

They just expect him to be like other 6 month olds. It sounds silly but I fed him chicken because they asked why he hasn’t eaten it yet and he cried in agony after and I felt awful for him. Even my friends who are all parents said they haven’t fed their children what I’m being asked to feed him

I think I will enquire about a new HV I don’t think it will stop the weekly checks though and because it’s plotted weekly it actually looks like he isn’t gaining on the chart when on the other page where it’s just recorded he is gaining weight