Nope. DS is 27 now. My 23 year old HV turned up when he was 10 days old. I got a letter that morning at 8.50 saying she would be coming at 9am. She actually turned up at 9.20am. So actually I had time to get dressed etc., but I think she got her kicks from seeing a new mummy extra vulnerable with her nightie riding up her legs.
She was unable to define her role or what her purpose was beyond telling me she was responsible for making sure my baby was vaccinated. She turned up again the following week and filled out more forms.
I was instructed to attend a baby clinic for weighing and advice and she couldn't explain why. Neither could she explain why she thought it was essential my baby was vaccinated (I did think it was essential but didn't think I needed to be instructed to do it by a health visitor - especially one who was incapable of answering any questions not set out in the leaflet)!
She was very evangelical about breast feeding with which I had terrific problems and was recovering from the first bout of mastitis the first time she called but she didn't seem to care. At about 3 weeks I called her for breast feeding help and was told to wrap myself in a blanket and sit by the fire to air my nipples (I think she thought I might also skin a rabbit for supper at the same time). When I balked at that she told me to phone the nct as she wasn't an expert but yet expert enough to be evangelical about it.
It was absolutely disgraceful and I made a formal complaint to the Head of health visiting and she agreed I didn't have to see a health visitor. Then she got another one to start phoning me up to pester me.
I complained then to the ceo of the local community Trust and got a full apology for both of their behaviour and confirmation that the HV service is optional.
I never chose to see a health visitor again. If I had concerns, even then there was plenty of literature and if concerns were serious any sensible mother referred to a suitably qualified specialist doctor rather than to an inexperienced or incompetent former nurse.
Afaic the hv service is a job creation scheme for nurses who don't want to nurse. The other one attached to our GP needed a bloody good wash.
The saddest thing is that that particular person is now a lecturer in Public health, training health visitors. She was the laziest, most incompetent creature I have ever come across and it beggars belief, it really does. The fact she thought she knew better than grown women in their 30s with a decade more life experience than her said it all but not quite as much as it said about the people in charge who thought a 23 year old with little or no practical nursing experience, let alone life experience under her belt could do the job. She didn't.
It's interesting that my dd is now 23, a Cambridge graduate and I don't think in a million years she would be so arrogant as to assume she could tell a 35 year old wife, professionally qualified, new mother how to look after their baby. And at the very least if she needed to visit a new mummy she'd have the basic courtesy to make a mutually convenient appointment and to turn up on time. Because, you know, she has a diligent and professional approach.