Opinions on health visitors please!

[weesaidie]

Hello

My mum works in management in NHS and used to be a (fantastic!) health visitor... she wanted me to ask for mumsnets views and experiences, good and bad, of health visitors. So they can work on the system...

So. EVERYONE, please... Tell me what they do right, what they do wrong, personal experiences and so forth. What could be changed/improved?

Thanks very much.

Thanks very much guys, this is very helpful!

Mine is lovely - she has 3 kids and bfed them all and was sooo supportive about bfing. She is a lovely, cheery kind of person and offered to introduce me to other mums who'd recently moved to the area, which I thought v sweet. She also gives really sensible advice about stuff.

I agree with whoever said it's as much about personality as anything else - warmth and empathy is vital IMHO.

Message withdrawn

Mine is ok, but based on friends' experiences:

They just have to be more aware of patterns of weight gain in b/f babies. There are so many women avoiding their hvs because they've been given bad advice there. Why should b/f baby weight gain charts be such an issue? It makes no sense.

And never, ever call a woman with a child 'Mum'. I have a name. You know it, it's written down in front of you. Use it, or avoid using it, but don't call me Mum. I'm not your sodding mum.

I could rant on in the same vein about calling a baby 'baby' - it's 'the baby' or use their name.

Ooh I didn't know how much that riled me.

my previous hv was fantastic and really helped me when dd1 was 8 months old and had a horrid tummy bug. I was petrified ( and probably overreacted) but she was so unwell. The hv was tons better than the GPs I saw and she gave such handy advice, plus she made a point of ringing/visiting frquently.
Alas, she has retired!!
my current hv is good although not a diamond like the old one, but she is very sensible and basically advises according to your child's needs; she is not a text book ' YOU MUST DO THIS AT THIS AGE' person at all. She was supportive about me giving up bfing with dd2 at 8 weeks ( I just couldnt take the cracked nipples and mastitis anymore) and she is great about weaning too and doesn't harp on about the new 6 month weaning time.She also knew I had suffered mild pnd with dd1 and was excellent about that, very supportive.

I've been really lucky with mine, have moved house and good experiences in both areas, one a city suburb one a town. Neither could have done more for me, they were brilliant, even came out to my house a few times, I didn't agree with all their advice but just quietly did not follow what I didn't agree with - controlled crying - I'm such a coward! They didn't know that my baby had a bottle at night until he was nine months and that suited us just fine.

Abi x

A good health visitor should be blessed with a good memory. Mine has a huge number of people on her books yet remembers things you told her months ago or more. I have 5.5 years between my children yet her memory for me, my dd, some health issues affecting dh (whom she's never met), it just makes you feel special and that she cares rather than is just doing her job.
She also helps you to make decisions when you go for advice, is non-prescriptive, and alters her approach to suit the mother.
Basically she is the best hv you could wish for and makes me wonder about training...

Had 2 fantastic HV's but when I was given a 3rd new HV, I felt a bit deflaited, her opinions I felt wasn't helpful/sympathetic on any matters regarding dd, when she told me she used to be a midwife I nearly fell off my seat, however over the past year I have become used to her opinions and ideas, some I agree with some I don't, recently she helped me get a referral to hospital to have my back looked at by a specialist(have suffered terrible backache for over 6yrs). So all in all I have decided not to compare HV's they are all different but have all had same training/qualifications but all have different qualities!

My HV was fab. Extremely supportive, every time I saw her she told me how lovely ds was and how brilliantly I was doing (and she sounded very sincere ).

The best thing was when she turned up one time and just took over. I was at the stage where breastfeeding was really grim, and I had cracked nipples and mastitis and was sobbing over the pain and the dread of the next feed. She took ds off and changed his nappy, rang the doctor to get me a prescription, and told me she would go to the pharmacy, get the scrip filled, and drop the drugs round. Bless her, she did exactly that. She referred me to a breastfeeding counsellor, who was also very helpful. Without Maisie (and supportive dh, and counsellor) I don't think I would have managed to keep going.

I'm absolutely certain that had I actually decided to stop, she would have been just as supportive. But she knew it was important to me because dh has severe allergies.

Unlike the other HVs I hear about on here, she was never patronising and never tried to feed me her opinions as god-given facts. She was fab and I miss her (moved when ds was 7 months).

Oh yes, the biggest problem with HVs in general seems to be that many are shockingly ignorant. Don't bother to keep up with their professional education at all. I have asked the CPHVA why this happens and got flannel about how HVs 'aren't supported' on continuing professional development. Balls. It's their responsibility to open a journal occasionally. (Although of course they should be able to go on courses as well).

My Hv is a waste of space. When i fist had ds, they were supposed to come and see me every week for the first 6 weeks, but after 2 weeks, they forgot about me for a whole 2 weeks. They didn't even realise until i phoned them to ask when someone was going to come and see me.

3 weeks ago, at baby clinic i was getting ds weighed and i just started crying. The hv there (who wasn't mine) was very nice, and talked to me about possibility of pnd and getting out more, but as she wasn't my hv, she said that she would get my hv to contact me and arrange a home visit. Still heard nothing. I could of done anything by now!

Oh, and they told me to start weaning when ds was 16 weeks

I have absolutely no confidence in them anymore, and tbh feel like they've let me and ds down

My health visitor was (she left a few months ago) was BRILLIANT. I was thinking how much I missed her the other day, atually. Soooo nice, reassuring, kind...just brilliant. Think I was very lucky to have her - really miss her.

Oh, and one of the 'group' of hv's at baby clinic talk to me like i'm a 5 year old if i ask for any advice. And i sometimes feel like they are trying to catch me out, and quiz me more than just talk to me. Not had a very good experience with them

it is essential that they have proper training in breastfeeding and baby/child nutrition generally - am i right in assuming that currently it is just based on their own knowledge and experience (or lack of)? no wonder they talk such a load of cobblers.

I'm a HV and a Mum. What I try and remember when I see anyone is:

All children and babies are different and grow and develop at different rates. The vast majority of problems are just "normal" delays in development.

How exhausted and isolated I felt when I first had DS and how much I would have appreciated my HV coming to see me even if it was only twice a month.

That parents know their child better than I ever will.

That many of my parents are more experienced than I'll ever be at managing the needs of a family. One Mum I see has 10 children and just blows me away with her philosophical approach to life. She's more organised than I will ever be.

Lots of things could be improved and there are some HV's who give crap advice and need weeding out. I love my job - I only work 15 hours a week but I relish it.

And much, much more education about breastfeeding as said numerous times here.

They could make sure that people queuing to see them are seen in the right order.

My HV is nice but she does ramble on a bit. I haven't ever really needed much advice as I do so much reading up (and mning) and I think I know more than she does, but sometimes it's nice to get reassurance from someone else.

MY UK HV was brillaint.... she came out to the house to weigh and check dd1 - for months ( had heart defect and then surgery and stormy recovery period). ALways called to check everything was okay when she was notified that dd1 had been in hospital for whatever reasons. As dd1 had down syndrome was always willing to ask and learn more about dd1 and how downs syndrome impacted on her life. She also offered me the choice of doing the developmental checks - she wanted to do them from a professional point of view - ie - no need for referral but lets just see where dd1 is at....Always took the time to talk with me at every clinic - provide support through some tough times.

Here in Aus - different system BUT oh my goodness. I was told upon leaving hospital that they would call and arrange a home visit ( had a c-section). I finally had to call them and arrange one. Her response - to tell me to make an appt and to come and see her.... I had to remind her I had had a c-section a couple of weeks before, was not driving, had an older child who was not walking and would therefore need to be carried and lifted into the car ( you get the pic) After a very protracted sigh... she agreed to come to me.

Well - she spent the whole time telling me what a good girl I was..... GIRL - I was older than she was...She then told me she was worried about dd2's weight - big baby born but as my milk took a long time to come in - she was not staying at the highest percentile... so she demanded to come back in a month as she was worried about dd2. I let her come back and was dressed as if I had to go out so she just quickly weighed dd2 and then left - again telling me what a good girl I was......

Never seen her since. Get my GP to do dd2s vacs and checks.

Ask them not to say things like 'does your mum live close? Oh good, then she came come round and let you sleep for a while in the day.'
Well maybe if she wasn't a headteacher working all hours.

Also I begged for help with DS's sleeping. At 11wks she said it was time to let him cry it out and that I was pandering to him. She said all sleep problems were caused by 'incorrect' parenting. Finally went to a sleep clinic who said we were doing everything right but that he was just a very light sleeper.

Oh and most importantly, can parentcraft classes please be about parenting. Not 4 sessions about labour. We brought this little bundle home with no clue whatsoever of how to look after him.

I have always praised my hv's on 4th in 2.9 yrs but recently feel let down. They have helped me through pnd with both babies. But she came to see me a few months back when things were really rough and said she would ring me - haven't heard a thing since. The problem is i think that they are too busy. They have one off on maternity leave so the others are carrying her case load. They never employ someone to cover leave which is wrong.

Also they used to come to parent and toddlers but now don't as they are 'too busy' this toddlers is wehre most of their mums and babies are - they could learn so much about their mums if they were there.

Also they have been totally useless to my friend recently whose baby has been diagnosed with Leukodystophy - they thought that she was being a paranoid mum and when the mri detected a prob they didnt know what to do with themselves.

I'm really missing my past hv who were brilliant and feeling a bit

agree about breast feeding advice - IMO they should all be trained BF counsellors - the only advice I got from 2 HVs when I was having trouble feeding was DS1 was "give him a bottle" although they were both quite good apart from that and one in particular was very supportive and helpful.
My current one is about as much use as a chocolate teapot which is why I haven't seen or spoken to her since DS2's 8m check (he's now 2y3m)

I really like mine and she's always there if you need advice. What she doesn't know, she'll find out and will go out of her way to make sure you have all the info/guidance you need.

This is great... anymore?

Mine just made me feel like complete crap! I was combo feeding my dd with breast and bottle. She almost shouted with digust that I was using bottles and told me to "GET THEM OUT OF THE CUPBOARD NOW AND THROW EVERY SINGLE ONE AWAY!!".

Do you know how expensive Doctor Brown bottles are???!!

I also told her that DD had a dummy at night time....she then started to try to recruit me for the "DUMP THE DUMMY" campaign!!! And went ON AND ON AND ON about how awful they are.

Surely they are not supposed to FORCE their views upon you like that!??

Left me feeling a right failure...until i spoke to my cousin and a few friends who told me she sounded BONKERS and to do whatever i felt was right :-)

I think you must of had one of my awful hv. Ignore her she's a silly cow.