what are your views on health visitors

[honeydew]

I have a pretty poor view of health visitors and wondering what others think. The two I've had have both been absolutely useless! They never followed up after the initial visits to my home directly after the birth of each of my children. They don't seem ever be easily available or provide any good advice that you couldn't get from family, friends, a doctor, health/parenting book or the internet. My health visitor last week phoned my husband's mobile twice and left a message she was "desperate" to contact me so that I could arrange for my baby to have her 12 month check. This was the first time I'd heard from her in a year! As an experienced mother, I just have the impression now that health visitors are there simply to check up on you! Does anyone else feel the same way or have you had more positive experiences?

my 2 HV's are fantastic. My "regular" one that I usually see with regard to the DS's is brilliant, accepts that all babies/children develop differently and doesn't make a big thing about development "goals" at all.

The other one at the practice as been amazing in the last 2 weeks since my BF called her about my depression, she's been round to see me, often just to sit and talk, nothing specific just talking, and has rung several times too. And is also getting me support from Homestart.

Mine gave me dodgy weaning advice but was lovely when I wasn't coping with bf in the early days.

Hmmm I found the difference in how I was treated as a 24 year old single mum in a council flat remarkably different to 2 years later as a married 2nd time mum in a middle class area.
I think it's luck of the draw.
People feel they are unapproachable though in my experience and would rather see their GP's

one who was terrible when i had DS and one who is absolutely wonderful and worth her weight in gold , i shall be very sad when DD does not need to go to her for any reason.

she was a tower of strenth when i had PND , despite my first HV missing it and jsut fab after i had DD., was worried abotu depression again .

she is fantastic

Mine was fabulous. She spotted I had PTSD after my first baby and got me an appointment with my consultant and then a counsellor. Second baby she arranged an emergency appointment with a sympathetic doctor when I had PND and phoned her crying and useless. She was fantastic, arranged to see me every week for months to support me while I struggled. I honestly don't know what I would have done without her, but I realise I was lucky to get such a nice one...

Mine was great. Very lucky to have had her experience, as I did not realise that dd was undernourished and gradually getting weaker. Very supportive, and helped to get me in touch with other Mums. Never intrusive.
Her colleague whom I saw from time to time also very good.

I wish all the consultants I've seen since for dd's problems had been as helpful and sensible. Have had a fair few problems with doctors but never with a health visitor.

Mine were great. Spot on with BF and weaning advice. Helpful, not pushy, always at the end of the phone if necessary, and very proactive with regards dd's speech delay.

We were very lucky.

hi, new to this. our HV has been great, especially giving advice to cope with 1st child during early weeks of second child...what does DD mean?

I had 2 (they worked as a team). One was useless, the other worse than useless -always felt worse after I'd spoken to her than I did before (usually felt fine till I spoke to her...)

Darling Daughter!
Mine is really nice and very approachable. In some ways old fashioned (suggested bf at regular intervals rather than on demand when DS was 10 days) but in other ways, she could be an MNer - DS lost weight after a stomach bug, was about 18 weeks, I asked if I should wean, she said no, not to worry about it, just keep an eye on it, and not to wean until 26 weeks!

thats hillarious considering they have done away with the 12 month check and only check up if they feel there are any issues my health visitor was the same u only saw her for injections and weren't interested any other time i asked for a 12 month check just to make sure my dd was developing ok

most of the information they give u is useless as u say family friends and experienced mothers could give better advice

and i now have a ds who is 8 weeks and at his 6 week check i was diagnosed with moderate PND by doctor today health vistor came in to make sure i had PND and not just imagining things i have asked to be given another hv as i dont like my current hv attitude

I have had so many since having DD1 14yr ago.

first one was truly wonderful.....was like a I real mum to turn to, and was so sorry when I moved off of her 'patch'.

next few were 'idiots' TBH.....I even had one tell me that the reason DD3 was 'failing to wake and thrive' was because my milk was substandard and I should drink lots of hot chocolate and eat donuts... (DD3 was 7days old and very very very sleepy)

turned out that DD3 had been born with chicken pox and was seriously ill....and in fact was in hosptial within 3hrs of me having my appointment (was the first 'home visit') with said HV.

I never forgave her, and complained in fact, so was given a new one.....who was the most wonderful woman and HV IN THE WORLD....restored my fairht.

mine always goes on about how small he is, i think she does not think i feed him. she does nto take into consideration that both his parents are small build.
anyhoo on the whole the HV where i am have been quite good.

My HV's scales consistently measured 8oz low. This was a big deal as a new mum with a newborn that "was hardly putting on weight". Until we went to the surgery and amazingly DD's weight had boomed. Then, next visit from the HV, she insisted that DD wasn't putting on weight on measuring her. Her scales always had a flat battery, even after I suggested that she change it.

I went through so much worry when I was trying to establish BF with my new baby. It's only when I looked back at the notes that I realised how out her scales were. She made the whole experience extremely stressful.

my feelings are pretty neutral to mine. she was very nice when i was having trouble bfing but that amounted to being sympathetic while i cried rather than offering real help.

weaning wise, talked about window of opportunity and did weaning talk at 14 weeks, said guideline was 6 mos and simultaneously undermined it. but she was a nice woman. just not a superbrain.

they are fucking shite.

Maybe useful for people who are very dim

actually Aitch has just reminded me of my HV's total non-concern about DS3's (lack( of eating.

8 month check with regular HV

"is he eating yet"

me: "no not really, picks at things"

her: "ok that's fine"

end of conversation

Then last week when other HV was round and I just happened to mention that DS3 (nearly 11 months) still lives for his milk and isn't that fussed with food yet. She took one look at him and said "well it's obviously doing him good" (he then proceeded to make a liar of me by eating, what for him was, a very large piece of banana which I broke into crumb sized pieces and offered on my hand......)

first one was v good, althou she did tell me that DS needed to be weaned onto solids at 17 weeks with the rice & when I said he screamed for 3 days after in terrible wind she said oh he was still hungry er no he wasn't it just didn't agree with him.

second one - well, she told me at 6 months to 'watch DS's weight' as he was slightly overweight wtf!!!! didn't go back after that - he's not overweight in the slightest now at 2.

Mine's APPALING. Appears to make it her mission to sabotage bfeeding for me. Writes copius notes s l o w l y and full of inacuracies. Gems inclue:

Me: 'I'm considering not having the bcg for my 6 week old, but I wanted to check how TB is transmitted..."
Her: "Well, the baby gets germs and they make him poorly."

"Your baby [who, btw, has happily chuntered along 25th %ile since birth] is underweight. He is bellow the middle line."

Mine was really horrible - had no advice and was just interested in weighing DD to make sure I was feeding enough.

She only contacted us when she had forms to fill out, at 3 mos, 6 mos etc - it's a pity really because on paper it is a great idea, but in practice it can be a horrible experience to feel you're being checked up on by someone who hasn't even had kids herself and had no sympathy for lack of sleep, pain etc.

We can opt out of having a HV in Ireland (where I am) IF we ever go again I'll request I'm not hassled by her or her ilk!!

"Maybe useful for people who are very dim"

hmmm, thanks, try not to consider myself to be too dim, though it's hard not to at times........but I certainly found my "non-regular" HV a godsend in the last 2 weeks.....

The one that came to my house was okay, but one at baby clinic is rubbish seems to make it up as she goes along,

And my friend, who has the same hv, basically has had her bfeeding completly messed up by the woman's chant of "givehimformula givehimformula givehimformula". She then saw a bfeeding counsellor who complained about the hv to the pct.

hv??? what hv???

I had one turn up 2 days after my midwife stopped visiting. She said she had come to assess me for pnd , said I seemed fine and she would come back soon...

that was 3 years ago!!!!!