A Quick Question re Health Visitors.

[lizziemun]

Does anyone know how long between being sign of by midwives and being contacted by the HV.

I was signed of by midwife last monday, DD2 is now 19 days old and i haven't heard a thing from the HV. I'm sure last time i only waited a day or so.

I was contacted by mine before the birth. They then gave me details of the baby clinic.

I don't think they came to do home visits after the midwife discharged us (can't remember though!).

Maybe phone the Health Centre and leave a message for them?

MW signed me off Saturday HV turned up unannounced Monday morning when there was toast on the carpet and DD1 wasn't dressed (it was 9.30am on a Monday morning I had a newborn and an 18 month old) I think she knew I was p*** off not seen her since.

IIRC the HV normally picks up at about 4 weeks.

I've just had a look in my red book - mine came for all the tedious form filling/sticking in stickers when my DS was 15 days old. You could ring your GP/PCT to chase?

thanks for replies,

i think i give them a ring.

Don't complain too much. My first hv used to turn up once every 2 months, once unannounced, for no apparent reason other than to critize the way I live. I found out recently that she has a "deep hatred" of people for fall within her 3 fs category, that is Fat, First time mothers and Freeloaders (that is SAHM, she considered them freeloaders!). As I fell into all 3 Fs, I received plenty of unwanted (and unwarranted) attention! This was a couple of years back now, and I'm happy with my current health visitor, who on the birth of ds1, turned up 14 days after the birth. The "Red Book" states that the health visitor is suppose to turn up at the child's home 10-14 days after the birth so it would seem a good idea to phone up the clinic. Even if she doesn't turn up at your home, you need to make sure the GP surgery intends to carry out a 6 week check.

I thought it was around the 28th day. I thought the midwives were responsible up until then.

the midwives are generally only with you for the first 11 days and then you are passed onto the hv - mine came round a few days after being signed off by the mw.

Mine turned up on about day 10 but hadn't ben signed of by MW yet, I was really lucky and both were great.

You can have midwifery care for up to 28 days post-delivery, but in practice most women and babies get 'signed off' at around day 10 if all is well. You can still contact the mws until day 28 even if you've been officially signed off, though.

In our area the HV usually visits on day 10 or thereabouts. Give your GP a call if the HV hasn't made contact yet.

I saw mine with DS1 15 days after he was born and the midwife had signed us off (although contact was made sooner) - I remember because she came on my birthday and I spent the morning waiting for her and then most of the afternoon at the doctors as she thought he might have had a hernia - he didn't. In the end managed a short walk round the park and an ice cream as my birthday treat.

Can't remember with DS2 - wasn't so bothered second time around but I don't think it was long.