How do I go about declining a health visitor?

[HomeIsWhereTheGinIs]

I'm 33 weeks pregnant with my first DC and was just wondering if anyone might be able to give me some advice about HVs. I'm having the baby in the private wing of a hospital that is outside of local authority and so far I haven't heard anything about a health visitor. I'll get a couple of home visits from a midwife after the birth and don't wish to have a health visitor. I have heard too many horror stories about their ignorance in very basic baby matters (the most recent being a friend of mine being told to google her baby's wind problem) and resent the idea that the government has taken such a nanny state role in parenting.

So my query is, does anyone know who assigns the HVs? Is it the local authority or the hospital? How do I opt out?

Thank you!

Yes HV's can and do make referrals to social services, but so can GPs, paediatric nurses, obstetricians or in fact anyone can make a referral.

And thank god they can. I can imagine some of the stuff they come across.

The lovely HV that I saw, we were chatting and it came out that I'm also a paeds nurse. She told me that she was sometimes shocked at the advice the older HV come out with. I hope with the newer ones and with the recent training, that this changes.

I considered it at one point, but decided not to because of most peoples view of them.

Dor I'm aware of that. I think you're missing the point. I'm trying to explain why some people might not welcome HVs into their home - the "judging" aspect is part of that.

I think you should just opt out if you want to.

Sounds like you have no respect for HVs anyway, so you might as well just get on with it. I suppose the lactation consultant and paediatrician will give you all you think will require.

My HV referred me quickly up to hospital to get DDs tongue tie snipped as I was crying in agony. Another referred me up to hospital to get bloods done and I had anaemia -I didn't even realise, she just looked at me and made me an appointment! Another got us a referral when DD2 had jaundice.

I didn't agree with every bit of advice but it was reassuring when baby had odd rashes or wind - obs things you would not bother a doctor about.

I had my baby privately, have a fabulous obstetrician and god send of a paediatrician but find my health visiting team pretty handy.

They're better for advice on stuff like breastfeeding, weaning etc. My paediatrician can give me a text book answer to questions like "when to wean", but my HV will give me actual, useable advice.

Up to you at the end of the day but I'd keep my options open

I was lucky enough to have two very close local friends who also happened to be consultant paediatricians when DD was a baby. They were very helpful but didn't know a lot of the practicalities!

First time round the hv was fabulous, unobtrusive but very supportive and helpful. Second time, I saw someone for 15 minutes and never again. It would hZve taken longer to opt out...

I think the problem is that mothers aren't told the truth. HV's do not readily share the fact that their role isn't mandatory if the mother doesn't want it. Mine was incapable of providing any advice in relation to feeding and in fact put me on course for PND due to saying this "breastfeeding mothers put their babies first; bottle feeding mothers put themselves first". She was also unable to provide any information in relation to immunisation, recorded information inaccurately in the book and told me that she couldn't access any information beyond the leaflets she had.

I strongly objected to being instructed to attend the baby clinic once a week for the first month or so - if she wanted me there I thought at the very least she should have the courtesy to give me an appointment rather than assume I had time to waste sitting in a germy surgery.

I disagree about needs the red book. When my children were born (19 and 16) the weight/height charts were indeed based on formula fed babies and not relevant and further my HV did not understand the difference between the average, the median, and centiles, repeatedly telling me that the 50th centile was the average. Also I am more than capable of keeping a record of vaccinations on behalf of my child and didn't need to do so in a badly written booklet, containing inaccurate information often constructed in a rather patronising manner.

When I had my second child I wrote to my GP and the Community Health Trust and informed them that I had no wish to have any contact with the HV service and I never heard another peep from them. I did by the way make a formal complaint after the first time and this was upheld and some improvements were put in place in my area. It is difficult to complain about HVs because they do represent themselves as having influence and had I not been articulate, middle class, and able to access care privately I doubt I would have had the courage to do so. This I think is why there are so few formal complaints about them and why parts of the service remain relatively unfit for purpose.