Health visitor -flat being decorated!

[Redpandamonkey]

Hi all,

I've got a visit from the health visitor tomorrow and I'm really concerned about what she will say about our flat.

It's a small flat on the third floor. It's currently being repainted and refloored. It should be all done by the time the baby arrives. (I'm 33 weeks) but at the moment, me and DP are living/eating in our bedroom and the living room/kitchen reeks of paint and there are splashes of paint everywhere. Carpets are trashed. (is being replaced) The rest of floor is concrete. The only room that's tidy is the bathroom and the baby's room, which I am convinced still stinks of paint no amount of airing will get rid of.

I'm going to have to spend most of the evening making the living room habitable for her to sit in but it's obviously not really lived in at the moment.

I'm not trying to hide anything, more worried about being judged about not living in a 3 bed semi that perfectly decorated. I'm not a home owner either or particularly rich but it will be a nice home for baby when it's complete. She's very much planned and wanted.

I've read some horror stories on here about Hvs and the last thing I need is to find myself on the wrong side of them.

Has anyone been in the process of decorating when they've had a visit? How bad was it? Any tips to preempt any concerns she might have?

I'm really stressed out about this. They say visits aren't mandatory but I think I would be more uncomfortable refusing and potentially getting a black mark on my name for not accepting care.

Can someone please help put my mind at rest?! Or sympathetise with what I'm going through?

What you've described is very obviously an ongoing project and you can just make it clear that you have a schedule to get it completed well before your due date. I doubt she will have any major concerns. Please try not to stress out too much.

I'm sure they are have the decorators in themselves at times....

Don't worry my HV came to see me at 36 weeks pregnant when I had just moved into a house days before. We had no carpets, or furniture, nowhere was decorated. We got carpets in 3 days before I gave birth 🤦‍♀️

Oh and I forgot to say she wasn't bothered at all.

I'm sure it will be fine. Our health visitor seemed a little over the top with pointing out hazards in the home. She suggested we got rid of plants incase baby ate soil, and some furniture in case baby bumped head. I pointed out that 'baby' was more likely to bang it's head on the walls or floor and that I had no intention of removing them.

The bed thing from the poster above sounds a bit extreme, you yourself know your circumstances and how straightforward your lifestyle is.

Can’t you call the HV and say tomorrow’s not convenient? Maybe reschedule her visit for a fortnight’s time when the redecoration is more complete

I wouldn't worry at all :-) I'm In a small one bed flat which we were in the middle of having sorted out and she didn't mention that at all, she only popped round for an hour or so to talk about baby etc, didn't mention hazards or anything just what our plans were, local groups I can go to, gave me a bit of paper work and went on her way, really nice! Maybe it depends on your health visitor but everything was fine x

Don’t worry. HV’s are there to support you as a family and understand that decorating gets done. My health visitor came for her first visit today, the upstairs of our house is a building site and has no windows in. Everywhere else is covered in building dust. She still insisted on taking her shoes off as they were muddy, having been to a farm for her last visit.
She was clear that so long as baby has somewhere clean to sleep and there is somewhere hygienic to make food for you/bottle for baby it’s fine.
If it helps I’m a social worker and wouldn’t be phased by you having decorating done! So leanne no as it’s safe for baby when the time comes. We all have to do it sometime.
Although I’m 36 +1 and possibly cutting it a bit fine!

Unless your house reeks of smoke and you clearly haven’t even thought about preparing for having a baby yet, the health visitor will have very little concern about a renovation project.

Don't worry, quite obviously it's a on going project and if needed just phone up and say can we meet elsewhere as the paint fumes are giving you a headache and the house isn't suitable due to remodelling.

Any HV who do have an issue when it's obvious need a slap on the head as they aren't worth the bother.

Thanks for the responses everyone.

It's nice to know that there are people in my spot are also decorating last time. Every where I look in rl, everyones in the perfect setup already!

I cleaned like a demon, she came and was lovely so I definitely had nothing to be concerned about. Mummy hormones in overdrive!!

Now if I could just get rid of the flipping paint smell!!

Big bowl of hot water and lot of lemons squished up - it's the smell of Gloss that kills me and this worked.

Glad it went well!

My HV is coming for an antenatal visit next week just as my bathroom will be being ripped out! This is DC2 though so I’m not too concerned about it, it will hopefully all be finished by the end of April.