Health visitors

[Lily7050]

A health visitor has contacted us recently first time since the beginning of 2020. Said my child needs a health check as he approaches 2.5 years in age.
Apparently they now do this via video calls.

Really? They have not been interested in my child's health for almost two years.
How are they going to measure weight and height of my child over the video call?
Have they been on furlough all the time until the government stopped furlough?

When I had my second, he had 8 month check then nothing until 3 years preschool check. They told me the 2 year check had been dropped in our area. This was 17 years ago nothing to do with Covid.

Once you get past the first few months they tend to leave you alone if all looks fine and you seem to be coping well. You can contact them anytime if you need help but they don't force it on you. Seems fair enough to me.

Yes, this is normal. HV don’t proactively contact you other than routine developmental checks unless there’s a particular need they are aware if, but you can contact them. I’ve called ours a couple of times for advice about sleep etc and they’ve been great. We had our 2 yr development check over zoom earlier this year, it was fine, they can glean a lot from just observing behaviour etc but if there was a particular need to check any concerns in person I’m sure that they would. They don’t have the resource to be calling everyone all the time but are there as a safety net really.

I reached out to the HV about my almost 2 year old who is non verbal and got fobbed off. Have managed to get him under SALT by my own means aka not through her and he's on autism pathway. If she suggests his 2.5 Check over the phone or zoom I will lose my temper as they aren't even helping parents w he o are flagging developmental issues. It's always wait and see. Early intervention is key.

Hey, i never met my hv with my first- she was on holiday when baby was born-with my second i met her once, and with my twins i met her a handful of times, basically until the twins weights were at 5lb 8oz and could be discharged as having got to healthy weight, which didn’t take long as they were born 4lb 7 and 4lb 9, with all 4 the only time i saw a hv again was at their 2.5 developmental check xx

I wouldn’t bother. I saw my health visitor once after my daughter was born. Following that, nothing. She blanked me if she saw me going to clinic for weighing and sent her placement student to do whatever development checks we had.

You can find online what they do in this check and if your kid can do most of it, you’re fine.

HVs really are a waste of time. I was contacted by one via phone with my first baby in lockdown and was told to contact them if I need any thing- but I have no idea what they are meant to do so no idea what I would contact them about ?
I’ve seen stories on here of HVs going to peoples houses and watching mums feed solids to babies for the first time etc. We’ve had nothing like that. My HV wouldn’t even know if we are a high risk family or not

You can't moan that the haven't been in contact and then moan when they do

You can decline the appointment if you like.

It's been a difficult time for HCPs. Is the snark really that necessary?