Health Visitors - For or Against??

[loopylou0612]

I have read on here many threads associated with HVs and wondered what the general feeling was regarding them?

Our HV is brilliant, I have to say. She doesn't try to influence our parenting style at all and is generally quite supportive of our decisions. Whenever dd was taken to hospital (chronic reflux resulting in her turning blue) she always called or popped round to make sure dd was ok and to see how we were getting on.

Would be interested to see what other's think.

Mine was pretty inoffensive. Not remarkably helpful, not terribly unhelpful. But then I didn't really go to her for any advice, just sorted stuff out myself and let her weigh ds whenever she wanted to !

We have a brilliant HV. She has been so supportive especially with DS4 and his SN. She often phones out of the blue to see how I am and I always phone her with updates on DSs. She's been especially great this week with DS1's op. A sympathetic ear and a fountain of knowledge.

Message withdrawn

Well, I have experienced the good the bad and the ugly...and I am for the good
I think that HV need a slightly different training, tehy need to be more Breastfeeding knowledgable, they need to have had Kids, because it does change your view, and they have to really know bit of making someone feel better whilest advising positively!
O< i am against BAD HV's but defiantely all for good ones....indeed, it's one of the things I am thinking of becoming if I do return to Nursing!

pablopatito, you seem to have hit the nail on the head. we had about four or five different ones and each one seemed to contradict each other - not a good feeling on the opposite side for brand new parents, all of whom missed the fact that i wasn't just suffering baby blues, a student mw even told me that i didn't have to change dd's nappy as often. needless, to say i ignored her completely when dd ended up with nappy rash. another one also said that it was alright to give a 2(?) month old baby watered down apple juice - (cover your ears ladies) NO IT BLOODY WELL ISN'T YOU SILLY COW - dd ended up with horrendous tummy ache, we had to keep giving her water to try and dilute it in her stomach - i still feel guilty about it now.

one was sposed to be coming round (still) to help with pnd - where is she then? their ansa phone msg says we will get back to you asap. yeah right! a blue moon is a regular occurence compared to areturn phone call from that lot.

the one hv i would rather see at my local practice, always seems to take different sessions than when i go. she is like a very good teacher. the one that me and dd used to see has her heart in the right place but said i just had anxiety when the doctor eventually told her (i think) that i actually had depression - though i'm not completely sure if it was ever diagnosed as pnd good and bad i spose

(fm kicks away the soapbox.......... [sheepish blush)

Against (well, my current HV anyway!) - she failed to recognise that i had PND (indeed, i had to self-diagnose before she'd even see me to repeat the Edinborough scale), and she's just been generally useless since my DS was born. On the rare occasion i've had to call her and leave a message on the answerphone, nine times out of ten you won't get a message back. And going back to the PND thing - she's seen me once, under duress, since my diagnosis then has been conspicuous by her (lengthy) absence ever since If i have any worries now i always go to my GP first, who is FAB!

my hv has been good so far. was very reassuring re ds weight gain when began bf. after having a very negative experience with the midwives on the postnatal ward she was a breath of fresh air.

rubbish rubbish rubbish
Sorry, just haven't met any non-useless ones yet? Don't even know who my HV is now I've moved. Probably no great loss.

For.
My Hv was great in the beginning. My dd cried/screamed during feeds and she knew I wanted to carry on bf. She came back every week for 6 weeks to see how we were getting on and offer help , ideas.
Now dd is older she doesn't always return my calls and if she does they are about a week after I rang and left the message. Also she used to call me back and say, " Can't talk for long, should have been at blah blah 5 mins ago, or In meeting etc." I'd think why did you call me now then??
Over all its better to have them than not I think.