Midwife home visit after birth

[Indierose22]

Hi just wanted to see what your experiences were after bringing baby home during the pandemic did you get less visits than normal to check baby.

Midwife still came on day two. Health visitor visits replaced with phone call.

I got one the day I came home (5 hours later, actually) and one 2 weeks post-partum, then I was signed off.

Oh gosh so alot less then. That's not good when you're a first time mom.

I'm a midwife. Our standard visits in this area are day after home, day 5 and discharge after HV has been.

We are not going to all visits - it is judged on an as needed basis. First time mums, breastfeeding women and anyone with complications get all the visits, plus extra often as we can't just not go if there is an issue.

We do a phone call if we think we might not need to visit. Judging from the phone call/the womans preference we will then visit if needed.

We are still out there supporting families. Please don't worry.

Thank you for your replies I'm a 2nd time mom due in 4 weeks and just wanted to see what the visits are like at the moment.

In my area I had to go to them... the next day after being discharged, in the snow and dark at 5.30 so unsure what would have happened if we didn't drive and I don't understand how it was safer either? Surely having multiple women going in and out of a busy midwife clinic would've been worse than one midwife in full PPE coming to my house.

@dixiedo that's appalling tbh what if you were a single first time mom and going out when it was dark and like you said what if you don't drive with a newborn who you are learning to look after. I'm sorry you had to do that.

I had a lot of stitches I'm lucky my partner could take me but if it was a section / alone / couldn't drive then I don't know what I would have done. They didn't check any of the above either.
I had to visit them three times then they discharged me. Now I have health visitor phone calls. They will drop the scales off outside the door if you want to have your baby weighed but no physical / visual contact of the baby.
I really feel for everyone in our situation especially first time mums as a lot of people will not be getting the support they need and I think there will be a lot of babies having issues missed that could have been picked up on by a professional x

I was seen on day 2, day 5 for the heel prick and then discharged over the phone. The health visitor has been once and she is ringing me on a weekly basis and visiting to weigh my boy if I want her to so still pretty good I think in my area

So sounds like it depends what area you are in then.

That's awful dixiedo that you had to take yourself there it's tough anyway one your first few days of recovery let alone travelling somewhere.

I'm glad some of you had some support and visits though.

I had a phone call from a midwife the day after we came home from hospital. Day 3 I had to go to a children’s centre 20 minute drive from where we live. Day 5 had to go to the hospital for heel prick tests etc. Day 10 had to go to the local children’s centre and was discharged.
We have seen the health visitor once when DS was two weeks, he is now 4 months

Wow that's mad what if you don't drive. Also breastfeeding I struggled with my son and he lost a lot of weight I switched to formula but some people need that support especially when your milk comes in that's the hardest part. Not good.

Second time mum here to 10 day old and had a phone call day 1, had to go to children’s centre for day 3 and day 5 appointments (also to Health centre for repeat hearing test on day 4), discharged from midwives today (day 10) via phone call and have a HV home visit next Tuesday.

I should have said I’m a second time mum too, not sure if that changes how and where you’re seen?

Home birther here, had my third last May. All of my postnatal visits were at home

Hi,
First time mum also, I've had no home visits?
Our little one is 5 weeks old, ive taken her to 2 appts and recieved 2 calls in the 5 weeks.
I've got my next call appt arranged for when our baby is 7 weeks.
I assume different areas work differently?

Hi OP, I had my LG in December 2019, high risk pregnancy and NICU baby so was on the high needs care list. Had one midwife visit at home the day after we got home, was then expected to attend local children’s centre every 3-5 days (couldn’t drive due to c section) so took the bus! These continued until she was signed off monitoring at 3.5 weeks. One follow up appointment with GP (at the surgery) at 6 weeks to check my scar. BF support was also accessed at a local children’s centre drop in feeding clinics

So sounds like you have to make your own way to be seen which when you've just had a baby and you're sore and just need rest is quite bad tbh. Plus as someone else said surely it's more risky going somewhere than someone coming out wearing ppe.

I had my baby pre covid and had one visit at day 2/3 had to go to a children’s centre at day 5 and then a final visit day 10, so I think it seems to vary anyway.