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Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

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Original poster

Has anybody not used the services of the Health Visitor?

58 replies

Yeni · 24/02/2009 13:58

I'm staying in today waiting for the HV to come and do an 8 month check on DS. I received an appointment through the post a couple of months ago to go to their office and phoned up to cancel because we were away on holiday at the time. Last week I got another letter saying they were coming today to my house to do the check. I phoned up to ask if I could go to the office instead and was told they had to come here

I've now wasted half the day because I don't know when they are coming. I'm reluctant to put DS down for his nap because I'll probably have to wake him up again. I've had to arrange for somebody else to collect DD from nursery so that I can be in. I know they're busy and can't give even an approximate time but I do value my time when DD is at nursery and try to make the most of it.

I'm not knocking all HVs because I know there are some great ones but mine tbh are not that great. If I had any concerns about DS's development I would just take him to the GP.

I know I don't have to use the services of the HV so if I go ahead and have another child I'm seriously considering not bothering. What puts me off is the possiblility that it might set alarm bells ringing when I tell them I don't want a HV, and I'm trying to avoid hassle, not create more. Has anybody done this and what was the reaction?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Seona1973 · 24/02/2009 14:00

we dont get 8 month or 2 year checks here so they cant be that compulsory. DS hasnt been seen since he was 8 weeks old apart from when he got his scheduled jabs

sagacious · 24/02/2009 14:00

For my 2nd
I've seen my HV once (at the year check) and not since. She did phone once to check all was ok (I said yes) and I took her phonenumber if I ever needed it.

She's now nearly 5.

sagacious · 24/02/2009 14:01

Jabs are done via drs surgery (not connected with HV)

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wastingmyeducation · 24/02/2009 14:10

Mine brought a bookstart bag with three books, a toothbrush,. a big tube of toothpaste and a TT first cup.
I'm a sucker for freebies!

NormaJeanBaker · 24/02/2009 14:13

Don't ever see one here - you can go to a clinic but after getting DD1 weighed a few ties never went again. Now have two more and never seen HV - and not been arrested yet!

DanJARMouse · 24/02/2009 14:15

I saw a lovely one when DD1 was small, but only if necessary with DD2 and DS.

They have their 8mnth checks and thats it - i have their contact details should i require them!

Bubbaluv · 24/02/2009 14:16

I stopped going in for weight checks at about 12 weeks as don't like sitting amongst sick people in GPs surgery when not absolutley nec. Also HVs appeared to be brain dead.
Never received any letters re 8 month or any subsequent checks (if it wasn't for MN I wouldn't know they existed).
From what I've seen on here lots of people don't see HVs- it's totally optional isn't it?
If they call and ask if you to make an appointment, I would just say no thanks, we're fine and leave it at that. They would probably be relieved!

granty · 24/02/2009 14:19

with my 2 older children i regularly visited hv baby clinics but since having my 2 babies who are 1 and 2 i havnt bothered.i feel i have enough experience to not go to hv every fortnight.but my 2 year old is not reaching his milestones so i have just started to get hv support again which is great and not a problem now ive come to realise that he needs more help than i can give him.

Pruners · 24/02/2009 14:21

Message withdrawn

PerArduaAdNauseum · 24/02/2009 14:21

Related thought - was astonished when I discovered that HVs were actually nurses with extra training. From experience, I'd always assumed they were a bit like 'auxiliary' nurses (whatever they're called now) - ie a bit of training but mostly good for bedpan cleaning...

Tinkerisdead · 24/02/2009 14:21

my dd is 12 weeks and from her being 2 weeks old til 6 weeks, i waited in 4 times for a HV who kept cancelling on me. She said she had to come but i called their office and said if i needed them, i'll go to the clinic thanks. not been to them since. between mumsnet, nhs direct and my gp i can get much better advice elsewhere!

FimbleHobbs · 24/02/2009 14:25

Our HV is great and I like the free books too

But she turns up at arranged times - it would be annoying waiting in all day. TBH I would prob go out anyway if I needed to and stick a note on the door.

jendave · 24/02/2009 16:08

I gave up on my health visitor after she suggested I feed my 8 month old tinned beans and mini sausages, corned beef and adult sausages! She also told me that never in medical history has a child died from thirst!

rolandbrowning · 24/02/2009 16:12

I've not heard from mine since I declined the weaning visit. I didn't know there was an 8 month check. To be honest if this does get offered, I'll probably decline it, as they always seem to say something that makes me worry about something I know I don't need to worry about.

PerArduaAdNauseum · 24/02/2009 16:36

Mine suggested (at 10 months) I should give DS honey, as he was obviously on too low a calorie diet. He was skinny, he still is skinny, his father is skinny. At around the same age he was doing chin-ups on a baby-gym at toddlers. Not obviously malnourished IMO

stickybeaker · 24/02/2009 16:52

I am a community OT and I always give appointments times, and call ahead with a wonderful thing called a mobile phone if I'm going to be earlier/later than 15 mins so people don't have to wait in.

I have no idea why HVs can't do the same thing. I can KIND of understand midwives having to suddenly attend to homebirths etc but I don't know that HVs deal with that many emergencies.

FWIW my HV did make appointments and stick to them.

Pruners · 24/02/2009 17:33

Message withdrawn

TotalChaos · 24/02/2009 17:43

whatever else I might say about my HV experience, they were pretty good at coming roughly when they said they would. The one time one was an hour late, it was because she had to do a child protection visit. So I suppose that an emergency could arise relating to child protection.

DaisyMooSteiner · 24/02/2009 17:46

Pruners - was it you who couldn't work out how your HV had got your details as you hadn't registered with a GP when you first heard from her? Did you ever find out who had told her about you?

castlesintheair · 24/02/2009 17:50

I haven't seen a HV with my 3rd child. Partly because she hasn't asked to see DD2 (except for the initial visit when I came home from hospital) and partly because I haven't asked to see her. If I had a problem I'd go to the GP. DD2 is 2.3 now. I think they tend to leave you alone after you've had 2 DCs.

Pruners · 24/02/2009 17:52

Message withdrawn

Original poster

Yeni · 24/02/2009 18:21

She didn't turn up in the end.

OP posts:

stickybeaker · 24/02/2009 19:15

That's so annoying and rude. A phonecall is not hard to make!

Horton · 24/02/2009 19:29

I didn't take my DD to her 8 month check (or even make an appointment for one) because I was sick and tired of being told she was too skinny when I weigh 7 and a half stone and her dad weighs 9 stone. Nothing happened, in fact they didn't seem to notice. You really don't have to if you don't want to.

Horton · 24/02/2009 19:30

Oh yes, and she's 2.5 now and still skinny but otherwise bouncingly exhaustingly healthy.

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