Quick question re health visitor?

[MissCKitty]

My baby is 6 weeks old after being born 4 weeks prem due to my pre eclampsia. I have been discharged by the midwife which is fine but I have only seen my health visitor twice since I came home from hospital. I was expecting to see her a bit more frequently. Is this normal to see her only twice in 6 weeks. Am I expecting too much. ( We have our post birth check next week but that is with my GP)

Many health visitors do a 'baby clinic' at the Dr's surgery once a week or fortnightly. And after an initial visit to your home you are expected to go there (except for annual check ups).

Have they mentioned baby clinics to you?

And don't feel afraid to phone them if you have any queries.

rumages around and finds little red book

My daughter is 3 soon, I have met with the HV 12 times...not the best of service.

You will see them at jabs soon and i think 9mth check? If you're in need of chat etc, give them a call they are normally quite accomodating

Thanks ladies, I just remember when I was living at home and my mom had my little brother the health visitor seemed top visit at least once a week. I guess times have changed. However no one has mentioned a 'baby clinic' so will have to check that out.

Yup, where I am you get an initial home visit from the HV and then after that you have to go to the clinic to see them (and I've never seen the same one twice, either). Jabs are done by a nurse at the doctor's surgery completely separately from the HV team. It's good as you can go as often as you like if you would like reassurance or have any questions, but if you don't want to go no one is going to make you. I have tended to take my baby once a month, mainly because I'm interested to see how much he weighs. I might go down to bi-monthly now he's 7 months (plus they have stopped holding clinics at my local children's centre).

I think they just do the basics for most "normal" families, ie initial birth visit, 8-12m check, 2y check. They have too much to do with child protection and families who need extra support for whatever reason. Baby jabs here done by practice nurse at surgery and weigh ins done at baby clinic where you can ask them any questions or talk about any problems.

I had an hv visit at about 3 weeks after the mw had signed us off, was given red book and told about weaning workshops - very handy, thanks for that, never mind I actually needed help bfing!

From then you had to go to baby clinic for weighing. Was told not to come more than once a month!

The HV has been here once, DS is 15 months old.

I last took him to be weighed at 10 weeks old - the HV there really wound me up so I didn't go again!

Every time DS has been admitted to hospital we have been told the HV will be in touch. 5 admissions and not so much as a phone call!

The HV I saw when we went for his 8 month check (at 11 months) was fantastic!

The practice nurse does the jabs here so don't even see them then!

I am sure if we needed the HV they would be there much but we don't, the only issue is his health problems which we have a fab team at the hospital to help with!

As other posters, here we get a home visit once the midwife has signed mother/baby off. Then after that it is at the local clinic for weighing and any other issues.

But - beware of the clinics. With DS I was told I could go to any of the clinics in the local area. Even given a list of them all and the times etc. I didn't go to my local one as I preferred the one in town. Went shopping / for coffee after etc. Also, at that point I wasn't driving so it was actually easier for me to get to.

But, I then suffered with PND. Lots of problems with trying to get the support I needed as according to the HV records I never took my son to the clinic, therefore I was neglecting him. That was more of an issue to them then my self-harming. They didn't listen to my pleas that I took him every fortnight. They eventually believed what was in the red book. At one stage, I was accused of filling in the book myself! As my local HV didn't go to the clinic I took DS to, she didn't recognise any of the signatures. Until they believed me I was a "bad mother" as I wasn't doing the best by my son. I was - but as I wasn't at my assigned clinic, they didn't record my visits. Also, my GP refused to believe I had been told I could go to any clinic. She said I had to go to my assigned one.

Luckily, a wonderful HV stepped in and got things resolved. She was then assigned to me and we got the support we needed.

But, if you fall through the cracks as I was believed to have done, it can make life harder.

Gosh - a bit of an essay there. Not wanting to put you off, but just a word or warning!

I would love more time to see "normal" families but not a hope with the area I work in. Virtually all my active caseload (the families I see regularly) are due to child protection issues or PND. The rest are seen at the new birth visit and six week check - beyond that it's baby clinic/12 month check and that's it.
Makes me laugh that our role is supposed to be 0-5 - it is for the child protection or for developmental concerns (and even that's sketchy) but nobody else.