mw wants to see where baby sleeps...

[peeapod]

what sort of thing are they looking at here..

I'v been told the midwife is going to want to see where baby is going to sleep, cue tonnes of tidying in our bedroom, will they also want to see babies actual nursery, even though its just a massive pile of boxes and currently the junk room, or just where shes actually going to sleep for the first 6 months?

what sort of thing are they looking for with this?

How odd I've never heard of this before. Did the mw tell you themselves they wanted to see the room?

My mw never came to the house before I had any of my dc!

Very odd

If you don't actually have a baby yet it is fine that there is nowhere for the baby to sleep yet.

I have never heard of aid wife asking this though. And I trained as a midwife...

Never heard of this before or after baby is born.

MW & HV only ever sat in my living room after dc's were born. They would have seen Moses basket in there but didn't ask to see any other room.

do they have safeguarding concerns?

usually mw dont check that kind of thing imo

I told my midwife that I was sleeping the baby in my bed. She asked if I knew the things to do to make this safe, and that I shouldn't drink or smoke or take sedative medications and it was only recommended if breastfeeding. I said yes I had looked at the safety points. That was it. I thought they might be a bit more grumpy and was considering lying (I did actually have a moses basket in the house which someone gave me) but just told her the truth. She did admit it was good for breastfeeding. It really wasn't an issue.

They are just looking for very basic safety things. Heated house, clean cot or moses basket, they will probably ask if there are smokers in the house and let you know the risks if so. It seems a bit patronising but I think it is a way of identifying mums who might need extra support.

No one will care if your house is tidy or whether you're making a nursery.

Mine was part of a routine 36 week appointment , which was at home. Everyone has it in my area, it's not a safeguarding thing.

Doesnt sound like the MW have told you - who said theywill want to see?

I've had 6 dc but I've never experienced a mw or hv requesting to see where the baby is going to sleep.

We've never had a nursery. All my baby's slept in my room until a space was available or created for them to move to...Dc5 was in my room until he was 5!

I'm in a deprived area so we get a home visit par for course. But stupid really like people in posh areas don't need support.

It's standard practice in some areas. They just want to see what you have planned and offer any advice if necessary. Its a very informal chat, you do not need to spend al week decorating or cleaning robe ready. You can just show them your bedroom tell them where cot will be, if it's next to a radiator for example, midwife would suggest to move it and explain why.

So just show them and explain your plan. They're not the housework police.

We, well DP, had just moved a load of furniture from another house to ours the day before dd was born, so when the various BF support MWs came (at my request) and the doctor, our house, our bedroom included, looked a bit like a furniture warehouse. They weren't the slightest bit interested.

The 'official MW' who came on days 1 and 5 didn't go beyond the living room though.

I've been told they have to ask occasionally just to make sure of setup etc. I wouldn't take it as a personal thing.

hmm, perhaps it was because I don't live in the richest area then. Though i am pretty middle class myself.

Well show her!

I wouldn't worry about tidying up, or that the nursey isn't done, as mw's are normal people too.

If you do strongly object, rather than just feel a bit unsure about her seeing it's normal, lived-in state, the don't do it.

I think it's intrusive personally, but I decided I cba to make a big dooda out if it.

I'm guessing as wee bairn says everyone probably has it in your area. So whilst it doesn't mean they specifically have concerns about you it is about safeguarding in the sense of identifying those families which may need extra support or rouse concerns, I'm a midwife and safeguarding is a big part of our jobs. Though we don't do this as don't have the resources to be visiting people at home antenatally.

wee a heated house is not a basic safety thing.

Our mw checked where babies were sleeping, but we had no heating.

Fair enough. It can get pretty cold where I live! I think they can probably tell within 2 seconds of being in your house whether you might some extra support with things.

Personally (and maybe Me23 as a midwife can confirm this) I would think if you refused- then there would be actual concerns. I don't see the big deal unless you planning on letting your baby sleep in the airing cupboard because everywhere else is littered with drugs paraphernalia and vodka bottles.

thanks everyone. It is the midwife, so it must just be the area im in.

I have a home visit booked on tuesday and she said it was part of that...

We have no heating either.

I live in one of the most deprived areas in the UK.

I actually find there is less care here then where i previously lived due to demand...so no developmental checks after 6 weeks check.

HV called round once. MW twice. Baby check at 6 weeks. Weighing clinic 1 afternoon a month. Nothing else is offered.

I'm not a midwife, but I'm a health care professional, and I've done home visits and found people in the winter with broken windows, etc. That's all I meant by heated. A safe warm house.

I think the heating thing is more of a concern if your house is too hot rather than too cold (and even then only a concern in the sense about knowing not to over dress your baby or have too much bedding)

Fair enough wee