Worry about potential trouble with HV....

[Fingerbobs]

I've just been to the NHS ante-natal classes where a health visitor (who might well be one of mine) was pretty - extremely - voluble on the absolute necessity of sterilisation. I'd just decided not to bother after finding the MN thread which included advice from a microbiologist that so long as you wash things properly in hot soapy water, you don't need to sterilise as well.
I'm a bit worried that I'm going to clash first thing with health visitors - has anyone else had anything similar in terms of going against what they clearly believe to be important advice, and how have you handled it? Any advice appreciated.
Thanks

Oh don't worry, they don't inspect your kitchen

What they don't know won't hurt them

Seriously, they don't inspect you or anything. Do what you like!

just dont tell her!

sort of nod along and go hmmmm a lot.

worked for me.

lol gizmo

she won't know ! and it is not illegal to not sterilise ( if that makes sense!)

The normal form is they swan up, sit in your kitchen/sitting room, you offer them a cup of tea and depending on the time of day/how many teas they've already had, they'll have it.

Then they coo over baby, weigh it, fiddle around trying to find a pen to mark it up in the Red Book, pass you a wipe to mop up where the baby has weed all over you as you try to dress it again, sip tea (you try not to mention tea now has wee in it due to it being too close to the weigh scales) and agree that this new baby thing is hard.

They remind you about vaccinations. Maybe (if you've got a good one) ask how your feeding is going.

Then they put their head on one side at the correct NHS-approved angle and say with 'caring smile': 'is there anything you wanted to ask me?'

And the sixty squillion things you had thought you'd want to ask melt away in the face of the fact you don't find her very sympatico and you know for damn sure you'll get a better answer on mumsnet.

Does that give you more of an idea?

Yes thank you it's perfect
MN rules, as ever.

And you don't have to have baby weighed - ever really. Kind of hard to avoid it in first couple of weeks but after that it's your baby and it's up to you. My personal experience is that it's a lot less stress to stay away from the scales and therefore the hv. Of course this does not apply if you have any concerns - although as others have said - don't bank on them having the answers.
Gizmo - love the bit about the nhs head angle by the way

gizmo, you forgot the obligatory lecture about contraception (with head at the oblig angle still).

Fingerbobs - my hv came once when dd was about 2 weeks old. Nearly had a fit at her brown nappy (thought I hadn't changed her for several days) - I gently pointed out it was an unbleached Moltex disposable .

After that I never bothered to get dd weighed - she was growing, she was happy, I have a modicum of common sense etc etc. HV necer bothered me again.

I read the start of your post as she was advocating everyone be sterilised after the birth
Our first one turned up 4 days earlier than we'd been told to expect as I'd had a longish stay in hospital & m/ws were coming in longer to see me than normal. I heard her in the living room as I was having a nap & was certain she was bogus & would distract DH in some way to steal DD.
Came down to check he'd asked for credentials & he said he reckoned the giant scales & briefcase she was carrying would have made it difficult to steal a baby too, she was actually lovely but not much more help than everyone else has said.

The first hv I had announced herself with a cheery 'I'm here to see what a hippy homebirther looks like'. Fortunately she beggared off and was replaced by the nicest woman I have ever met. She's a hippy homebirther too though so we have a lot in common. I asked her about sterilising once and she airily replied 'oh by all means, sterilise your boobs, won't last long'. She has a sense of humour too. Rare in a hv I believe.

LOL gizmo. I smiled sweetly and kept schtum tbh.