Antenatal health visitor visit?

[MeredithGrey1]

I’ve just had a letter through telling me I’m having my antenatal HV visit at home in a few weeks.
What does this entail, and is it really necessary? It’s during work hours and even though I assume it counts as an antenatal appointment that work has to let me have off, it’s not really convenient for me to be missing more work as it just makes me busier when I’m in the office. Plus we’re moving house two weeks after the visit so if any part of it is anything to do with checking the living arrangements, it’s not relevant.
I’m just a bit confused about what it is, I’m seeing the midwife, and attending antenatal classes (plus GP for 25 & 31 week appointments since it’s my first), do I need to see this other person as well?

Actually I'm not sure it does count as an antenatal appointment.

It's a reasonably new initiative though where they visit before the birth, I think the idea is that they give you all the information on local services etc and be a familiar face so you aren't bombarded with information after the birth. It also means that any concerns are picked up before the baby arrives rather than after.

It's not compulsory, or that useful but if you do want it then there's no reason you can't ask them to reschedule for when you have finished work for maternity leave.

Different areas do things differently. Perhaps they just want to meet you now as tbh once baby arrives it can be quite chaotic at your post natal appointments with the HV. I know at mine with all 3 of mine it can be a case of getting everything done ASAP so that you can continue feeding/getting them back to sleep/next appointment!
It should count as an antenatal appointment, I'm pretty sure anything related to your welfare whilst pregnant is included, although you might not be entitled to pay for everything. I went to aqua natal swimming sessions weekly as the only ones local were during my working hours, and still got paid 😬

It’s not a new initiative pastabest. We used to do them yonks ago. It’s an opportunity for the HV to introduce themselves and local services and get a few details from you. If you are moving to a different area and have no concerns then it’s possibly not of much relevance. No HV appointments are obligatory. If you don’t feel it’s of use just call up and politely decline. They will most likely be glad of a spare hour to use on something else .

You can refuse if you wish op. I did before birth of dc4 and nothing was said of it

In my area they started doing these between my dc, so somewhere between 4 and 5 ish years ago. My hv made an appointment to come to us but called the day before to say they were snowed under and had staff off sick so if I was okay they just wouldn't bother. I was fine and it was my second dc so they didn't do it.

I had one last week and it was pretty pointless! She was only here for max 15 minutes and just handed a load of leaflets to me and told me when she would be visiting again once baby is here! xo

I declined a visit for my second pregnancy. They came in my first and it was a waste of time. 15 minutes of going over safe sleep which my midwife had already told me about and then they gave me a load of leaflets about local services that I could easily have found online.

Raaaaah yes it's not new in some areas but in other areas it's been being rolled out since 2015 as part of the Healthy Child Programme.

Which is why I said reasonably new initiative - it's not something every area has offered as part of their standard procedures until the last few years.