oh god, spent the morning at the hospital, then dd3 failed her newborn hearing check and I burst into tears

[Enid]

now the health visitor is 'concerned' about me and coming to check on me next week.

I am tired and very upset about dd3's hearing test - surely a blub is allowed?

oh that si stooooooooooooooooooooooooopid

bet both of her ears are lovely
go private mate

I didn't know they did newborn haering tests either.

It's the law that you have to blub at stuff like this. HV being a little over cautious I think. 3 week old baby = tired and emotional

That's pants. Twig it is a totally different thing to that farcical 7-0 month test where the HV waves a rattle behind baby. Most babies have the test done post-delivery while still in hospital but of course Enid had DD3 at home. I am actually pretty sure that they did electrode DD. Will she be affected by the cold?

And of course you are allowed to cry. Who hasn't at some point?

adn dh away
oh BLUB BLUB BLUB

this is the info from the national deaf society about \link{http://www.ndcs.org.uk/information/newborn_hearing_screening/your_babys_1.html\newborn screening} (in question and answer format - your baby's follow-up screening).

how ridiculous of the HV

on poor Enid, I cried for nearly 3 months when dd2 was born

\link{http://www.isohealthynaturallydistribution.com/Products/YoungLiving/YL_images/CryingLady.jpg\now we can tell she is s only rpetending here}

sorry you're having a rough time Enid. :(

The electrodes on head sounds worse than it is. Just some easily removable stickers put on the child's head to check the brainstem response to sound.

Enid that's terrible, cry away. To try and be a bit more positive though, when ds2 had his hearing checked, I asked what would happen if there was a problem and she said that out of the children she had refereed about 95% were fine, so your little one is porbably just fine.

Agree with others about your HV, very insensitive.

Yep definitely cry, I would.
You've got a lot going on at the minute Enid so just cry and feel sorry for yourself, I would.

FWIW my niece failed this hearing test 3 times, in the end she was referred to a ear specialist who got a perfect reading first time

Grrr at those f*cking newborn hearing tests.

When i was in hospital after DS (didnt do them when DD was born who may, in fact have a mild hearing problem) they came around at regular intervals, woke me up (and i was being kept in for high bp) and insisted they test and that DS needs to be asleep for best results.

Oh and that there must be total quiet - ON A BUSY POST NATAL WARD FFS!

After 3 days they couldnt get a good enough reading. Had a further test a few weeks later, and again, because DS hardly slept and they only got a result in one ear he had to have another set done at 3 months. This time at a hospital further in London.

We spent 2 hours trying to get him to settle enough for the test - DS only started sleeping properly at 10 months. Eventually he cried himself to sleep nad she did the test. It worked on one side but not the other. (Opposite side this time).

Needless to say, his follow up test in Dec i didnt bother going to. Its quite clear to me DS has very acute hearing - much better than DD's.

These newborn hearing tests, IMHO, are a total waste of time, resources and equipment with the ADDED point that it TOTALLY and utterly stresses the parents out - quite often needlessly.

By all means have a cry Enid, you poor thing.

thanks all

vvvq sounds like whta has been going on with dd3.

have rung dh in romania (poor bloke) and he is cross and going to arrange private tests when back in England

sorry but the electrode thing is still 'just' the hv so I have no faith she will get a good reading.

After the forut attempt, and when dd3 was crying hysterically and her ear had gone bright red I asked her to stop. I also said at that point that I didn't want any more tests done so she then made the comment about avoidniug her right ear and said I would have to sign something to say I was refusing testing.

I just wish they would all PISS off and leave us alone

I am surprised that the HV was doing it in the first place TBH. With DD I had to go to the audiology dept at the hospital. Was actually slightly confused by your initial posts because couldn't see why HV was involved. Definitely have no further tests by HV.

yes, I would have blubbed.

DS had the electrode-on-head test at a specialist unti in King's. He failed it. Then, as the woman showed us out, she was on one side of the pram, she said something to me, DS looked, and she said 'oh, don't worry, he's ok'. Which I already knew.

Do YOU think your dd has a hearing problem, or has all this grown out of some innacurate routine test?

Haven't read the whole thread but wanted to say my ds3 was screaming when we went for his retest and she told me that they can't get a proper reading if they are not quiet and still, sdhe was about to give up but managed to get a reading, so don't worry [hug]

The electrode test only works if they are fast asleep and don't move at all, not even a smidgeony little bit. So total waste of time and priceless geeky equipment to test wide-awake and v lively DS.

I am sure she is fine - she has just failed a routine test

I just love her to bits and can't bear to have her picked over by some hv who doesnt know what she is doing

If you think she's fine, then she IS IS IS. Don't take her back. They wouldn't do anything at this stage, anyway!

enid, you sound like me when dd was pinned down to have an unwanted ultrasound done on her manifestly not spina bifida tiny, hairy bottom. I cried all the way through - apparently like every other mum, according to the kind but weary sonographer who was getting all these pointless referrals. Dd cried too.
So sorry you have all this to contend with right now :(.
Dd did have issues with her hearing and we ended up getting it sorted by a referral to audiology. I can assure you that she can hear the rustle of a sweetie paper at 500 metres and does an evil, tone-perfect impression of dh's best pompous ticking-off.
Thinking of you XXX

fgs she is 3 weeks old, what on earth are they doing making her ears red?

go with your gut instinct and tell them all to piss right off and leave you alone for the moment.

go and look at my bugaboo designer, that should get you giggling.

xxxxxx

Oh Enid

Of course it's OK to blub - especially after something like this. I know how you feel with stupid bloody bastard hospital people mauling your precious baby - poor DS2 had his blood sugars taken so many times on the first night of his life that he started to cry the minute his feet were touched

You have a 3wo DD and two bigger ones. If you were feeling perfectly hunky-dory, there'd be more to worry about. It's NORMAL to blub.

oh Enid, what a stupid HV
totally understand the blubbing, I did a fair amount after I had dd and they took her for a head scan as she had a big head.
she's perfectly normal, just inherited dh's big head!
lots of cuddles to your baby

I remember a nurse taking blood from dd2's foot and the blood curdling screams coming up the hallway, I staggered up there and demanded to know what was going on and dh was astounded (and impressed) that I recognised her cry.

Of course I bit his head off and said of course I would know it, I am her mother stupid etc

xxxxx

HVs should be banned from opening their mouths in my experience (the ones I have met that is). Enid, any mother of a 3 week old baby would have cried at that comment.

Ds failed his one day and then passed the next.