Does anyone else hate their Health Visitor?

[DetentionGrrrl]

I can't stand mine. She talks to me as though i'm the child, and refers to me as Mummy as though i don't have an actual name. She's always late, and doesn't listen to my answers when she asks questions- asking me the same thing 2 minutes later. I didn't even have a 6wk check because she went on holiday, all i got was a sheet to fill out asking me if i felt like crying, and if i felt attached to my DS.

His 6mth development check is coming and i'm dreading it.

That's fair enough - I'm sure there are some terrible HVs out there.

I did have a district mid-wife visit me - she was AWFUL, incredibly rude to both me and my husband and very patronising. On her second visit I couldn't take it anymore and I had to tell her very politely that I was finding her "rather aggressive". She shut up immediately and on her last visit, sent her trainee and didn't bother coming herself.

So my healthvisitor, who I described below - was in direct contrast, lovely.

I suspect it can very much depend on the temperament of the individuals concerned?

Yup, there are some rotten community midwives too, unfortunately. And, in fact, I'm fairly sure I've read 'my midwife was vile' stories in the past and defended the mws by saying they're all terribly overworked and stressed And there are certainly massive issues with workload/management/resources for all these HCPs, no question.

But really, there's absolutely no excuse for giving crap advice or being obnoxious. And HCPs who call you 'mum' (especially when they have your named notes in front of them) should be shot at dawn.

ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME!!firstly she calls me "mum." i am DS' mum NOT her mum!! to be her mum i would have had to have had before i was even born ...

she doesn't even have the excuse that she can't remember our names cos there's soooooo many of us - it's a tiny surgery!

they have a 6 month development check? do they send a letter out for that cos i haven't been told about one.

i never got a 6 week check either. they do it at 8 weeks here when they get their injections, but i never got an appointment for my injections. when i rung up the nurse said she hadn't been told i'd had the baby - what did she think i was 8 weeks late!! anyway then we went on holiday and i decided i couldn't be bothered to have the 6 week check when ds was 11 weeks. he still hasn't had his injections cos he keeps getting chest infections so they wanted the hospital to do it. got a letter the other day now saying the nurse at the doctors was doing it. doesn't give me much faith when she wanted the hospital to do it incase something went wrong!

the 1st time i met my hv the mw turned up as well - they didn't know the other was coming. i knew hv was coming but not mw and i didn't want to see her cos i had seen her at the doctors and instantly didn't like her, so i told my mum to say i was ill and in bed. she demanded gill (mw) go and fetch me. gill being the nice person that she is obvously felt awkard about just going upstairs in someones house without permission. my mum nodded to her and she came up to find me fast asleep i came down and i was made to feel a zillion times worse like i was an incapable mum cos i was a tired mum of a 2 week old who had a little lie down. grrrrrrr

My new HV is mildly better than the assortment of rude, insulting, judgemental creatures who should not be allowed out, but she is never there, so if I would like any advise or help, I am stuck with the creatures from hell, which is no help at all. I'm sure HVs should deserve our respect and support, but there is something very very wrong with the system.

Message withdrawn

Sorry to hear so many horror stories about HV's I must be realy lucky. My first HV who unfortunatly retired in October was brilliant at picking up on my PND after both children. She came out and supported me and I would of been lost withput her. We have had a particularly bad year and she handed me over to another lovely HV who has organised a support child minder for me and comes out once a fortnight to the house to see how I am and to check that I am coping ok. I love my HV's.

Hi mummyhill. Yes my HV was/is lovely as well. She's a fairly new mum herself, maybe making her a bit sympathetic? I had a 1 day placement with HV's and I must say, they are busy, lots of mums, lots of phonecalls. But yes, it doesn't take a lot of effort to have a quick look at her notes to know your name or otherwise just say nothing.