How often do you get HV visits in the first year?

[CoalCraft]

Just that really! Feel that we've been neglected a bit but not sure if I was expecting too much.

I didn’t even ever get one! Spoke to ours on the phone and was told that if we ever needed her we could go and see her at the weighing clinic on Wednesday mornings. I never took her up on the offer!

I had none, that was 16 years ago.

I think 3 just after he was born then didn’t see them until first year check.
You can ring them and ask to come out if you need

Unfortunately HVs can’t really do the job they love and were trained for these days. The reason for this is mainly due to their safeguarding caseloads.

The only visit many do now is the birth visit. After that, you can see someone in clinic.

Dd1 2019 3 week, 6 week, 3 month, 6 month, 13 month, 27 month ( phone)

Dd2 2020 none. No midwife, nothing. Had to take her in for 3 day heel prick as it was Christmas week and they forgot, plus I'm very rural.

Scotland.

My youngest is 2. I saw a HV pre birth, at 5 weeks and then at 9m and not since then. I got him weighed once at 8 weeks at the GPs request.

Oldest is 5 and we saw the HV at 6 weeks, 12m and 2yrs. I got her weighed a couple of times, mainly for something to do!

I had one visit before baby was born and I think 3 after. Next will be 12 month check, baby is 17 weeks.

Oh and only saw them at home once per child with the checks when they were a bit older happening in the clinic.

Tended to see them at the baby clinic, or at the bf support group. She only came to the house a couple of times.

I've had 4 children ranging from 20yrs to 20m. I've only ever had one post birth visit from my HV (same one over 20yrs) each time. She in theory should come before birth of DS (4th) but we agreed not to bother as we had met before.

Any other contact has been routine (jabs or reviews) or me attending a drop in clinic.

DS 20m has not had his 1yr review due to covid..

So very minimal contact, but it's been the same level (aside from missed review) for 20yrs here.

Thanks guys, think I was expecting a bit much then! We had two visits in quick succession when DD came home (prem) then nothing since so o wondered if we'd been forgotten, but guess it's par for the cause.

We don't really need a visit or anything so it's not a big deal

One

I've had a few but that's because concerns about DD's weight meant she had weigh ins on a schedule ordered by a pediatrician. Friends with babies with no concerns haven't had any.

If things are going well they will mostly leave you alone. If you need anything you can contact them.

With my first child I had quite a lot of HV contact but I think I was on a ‘list’ somewhere. I had a very traumatic birth and my baby was unwell initially, and was probably showing PND signs. If I went more than a month without weighing him I would get a call to see how I was doing.

With my second child I don’t think I saw them post home visit. And I don’t think he had any of his developmental checks either.

I just had a baby. I had midwife everyday for about 5 days after birth (but I was quite rough and had to have someone come check my blood pressure) then midwife maybe twice in on week, then I think once a week until the 6 week check. She's supposed to be back for 12 weeks but hasn't contacted yet and she's 12 weeks next week.

My DC is two. We had one visit from the health visitor around 5 or 6 weeks, then never saw her again. Can’t even remember her name. Had the one-year review at the clinic. Two-year check never happened - filled in a form and they emailed to say they didn’t need to see us!

Had one DC in 2015 and were told we had to come to them at the clinic for any issues

Dc2 in 2019 we've had no contact at all apart from a questionnaire over the phone ; actually I had to do it and then she just phoned to ask if I'd done it and if I had any concerns.

On the flip side I feel like I've had too many visits from the health visitor. My baby is 4 months, and following birth the midwive came every second day to check stitches, etc, for a week. I was then signed over to health visitor who I think has been out about 6 or 7 times. My baby hadn't been putting on weight so she wanted to weigh him every week which is maybe fair enough. But in my opinion she just doesn't like spending time in the office

My older daughter is 4. We had a home visit at 10 days old, and then we had to go to them for a review at 12 months (ish). In between we could go to the church hall on a Wednesday to have the baby weighed or ask questions.

Second baby was born at the start of the first lockdown. We had the 10 day and 12 month checks on Teams, and no weighing clinic.
I wanted to have my baby weighed once when she was a few weeks old so the HV came round with the scales and some disinfectant wipes and put them on my doorstep so I could weigh her myself, wipe them down and then took them away again, but that only happened because I specifically asked.

I only had two in four years! Not that I wanted a health visitor 'visit', I do not hold them in high regard.

DC 1 and 2 one visit at home. Dc3 one pre birth and one post birth visit all consultations in the clinic after that.

Had a March 2020 baby.

Had a lovely pregnancy pre-pandemic visit from an awesome hv who talked about all the support we’d expect.

Then the reality was a five minute phone call as everything locked down, no breastfeeding groups, no weigh clinic, nothing.

We finally got a visit in person when he was 11 months and I cried at how nice it was to have a (masked and aproned) visitor in the house.

I’m back at work now in front of 100s of people a day, and those early terrifying lockdown days with a new baby when I thought the world was genuinely ending might haunt me if I let them.

Mine was born 2 weeks before the first lockdown in March so we had 2 visits and then 1 phone call.

I bought some baby scales so I could monitor baby’s weight myself, and used Google for absolutely everything else.

Mine are grown up now. When ds1 was about 10/12 days old the hv came. I got a letter at 8.50 telling me she was coming at 9 and she then turned up at 9.15. Had she said 9.15 I'd have had time to get washed and dressed. I had been really ill with mastitis for the two days beforehand for which the mws had been unhelpful. The HV didn't seem to care and just told me she wasn't a midwife. Didn't even ask me if I was feeling better.

Sat there with her paperwork, couldn't explain exactly what her role was and then left her scarf behind.

She came again about a week later, this time by arrangement. Still didn't explain her role but told she was responsible for making sure my baby was vaccinated, told me I had to go to the clinic to get the baby weighed but couldn't explain why that wasn't optional and couldn't answer any of my questions about vaccination because she only knew what was in the "dumbed down in my opinion" leaflet.

Once she'd filled out her pnd forms had no interest in whether I or the baby felt well.

About a month later I got mastitis again and phoned her for help, as she had emphasis the absolute importance of breast feeding. She told me she wasn't an expert and to ring the NCT and if I was in so much pain my bra/dressing gown hurt to sit by the fire wrapped in a blanket!

I went to the clinic once before the mastitis (it was filthy and the different hv there had the scales set at a minus figure and got arsy when I pointed it out and asked for the baby to be weighed again but was about to write that the baby had lost 1oz in the book without comment. He'd gained 6oz.)

I never saw another hv and wrote to the trust when I had another baby to ensure they were aware that I did not require their services.

My hv was 23! Afaiac the universal hv service in the UK is a scandalous waste of resources and if it has to remain universal it has to be modernised and made fit for purpose.

If there are no concerns then probably none after the newborn visits. If there are concerns over baby’s weight gain, mum’s mental health or any safeguarding concerns then the HV will be in contact more.