No More Midwife Home Visits

[Bonbontutu]

Gave birth this week and it appears that midwives no longer do home visits in my area.

Day 1, I've missed a phonecall asking for me to call back so I can provide a welfare update. I've called the number, it's a mailbox for that local maternity unit.

My day 3 and 5 appointments are in the same unit, in another town. So no home visit, no option to go to my local GP or my local town hospital. Just feels a bit shite really. I'm lucky to have access to a car, because otherwise it would take hours to get there by public transport.

Is this normal now?

In April I had a home visit and then subsequent visits were at the very local children's centre. I would imagine it's area dependent. I agree though - not great. I would have had to use public transport so wouldn't have fancied that long a journey

Last December I had 2–3 home visits and then the HV took over, one visit was even on Boxing Day. For reference I’m in Merseyside.

Looks like this isn't too common... Thankfully!

My first visit was at home then my 10 day one was at the unit a 25 minute drive away; fine for us but a nightmare if you don’t drive

DDIL gave birth in the summer. Every midwife and HV appointment has been at a centre in town, not a single home visit. She was expected to attend mw appointment 48 hours after a long and tiring labour. Thankfully, between us and DS, we were able to make sure she was driven there and back and that our other dgc was cared for. I feel sorry for single mums or those who have to rely on public transport so soon after giving birth.

This really is outrageous new mothers should be resting at home not dragged out to see midwives. When I had my children thirty plus years ago I had a home visit every day for ten days by the midwife before receiving at least one home visit from the health visitor.

I didn't know this was happening but I think it's outrageous. Possibly one of the worst failings on the nhs I've heard of for a while.

This is absolutely atrocious care. Unfortunately I expect it's due to staffing levels and not having adequate midwives to cover home visits. You can see a lot more people in a clinic than in their homes.

I gave birth in April and my 1st midwife visit was at home but day 5 and 10 were at the hospital. We didn’t have a car at the time so that involved taking my newborn baby on a bus and tube and a walk at the other end - many steps involved and we have no family nearby. I’d also had an episiotomy and had been in hospital for 5 days waiting for an induction with high blood pressure. I feel horrendously failed. I have complained to the hospital and suggest you do the same.
A friend from my ante natal classes had a c section and was forced to do the same and arrived at the hospital in tears due to the pain from her wound. They couldn’t have cared less.
I’m so sorry this is happening to you too. Best wishes with your recovery and new baby!

That's awful. My DH can't drive for medical reasons, would someone in a similar position have to get a bus if not able to drive themselves because they've had a c section for example?
I didn't have a c section and drove at 6 days PP, but actually due to a bad tear and stitches I found it very painful to physically get into the car and driving wasn't easy. I couldn't have done it earlier, especially as I'd haemorrhaged and felt pretty out of it for a couple of days after getting home.

In June I had a home birth with DS and was expected to get to the mw appointment on day 3 at our local children's centre - which is over 30 minutes walk. It's longer by public transport as you have to walk to get a bus then change buses.

It was also the middle of the heatwave when we shouldn't really have been out in the heat at all.

I let rip at the appointment when they tried to lecture me on resting.

Ahh no, in our area it’s still all home visits, there is an option to have appointments after the first home visit but always a choice. However yes I know other areas are all appointments after first visit.

I would add that it’s always worth making it clear if you would prefer a home visit when offered an appointment

I’m pretty sure there were no midwife home visits when I had my DC over 20 years ago.

Aww yes I remember that with my first 25 years ago and all mums who’s had caesareans stayed in hospital for 5 days anyway

I had a midwife visit on day 5 for the heal prick test. Then the rest of my midwife apps where at the local walk in centre.

Health visitor did 2 home visits as well one on day 14 and she also come back on day 28.

I prefer not having home visits less time wasted waiting around for them to turn up.

I’ve sure they cared but don’t have enough staff to do the home visits.

I’m a midwife in south London, for about 10years we have been doing first visit at home unless requested otherwise and that’s day after discharge, then typically day 5-7 in clinic and all subsequent in clinic. We did usually see post CS women at home for the day 5 appt to remove sutures but some lived very local to clinic/had other children and didn’t want to wait in the house all day waiting.
its gradually got less and less at home due to chronic shortage of midwives, as a PP said, you can see many more women in a clinic rather than walking/driving/cycling to see women at home.

its shit.
but the reality of the NHS

I didn't get a single home visit from MW or HV.

My niece had no midwife for post natal care at all. She had to traipse to different hospitals every day for a week, hang about for hours, then the person she saw wasn't even a midwife. This was after an emergency C section.
Apparently there are no community midwives in her area and the hospital is pretty awful.
Back when I had my children the midwife came every day for about a week. There was no paternity leave then and I was on my own. I would not have been able to get myself and baby out of the door every day to go and hang around for hours in a hospital.

That's awful. When I had dc1 now aged 17 I had home visits on day 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 13 and 17. Then the hv came on day 21. When I had dc5 I was in hospital until day 7 and then had midwife visits on days 8, 10 and 12. Then HV on day 14. My 4th was in nicu so they did all my postnatal appointments at the hospital which was handy.

I know it's more efficient to do postnatal appointments at a clinic but it really isn't good for women and babies. I noticed a massive difference to how my recovery was with dc4 who was in nicu compared to the others who came home with me. New mums should be allowed to rest.

Area dependent. I couldn’t drive and DH was working on my Day 1. No family nearby and I have an older child. Two trusts spent 3 hours trying to track down a midwife for me. Because neither trust wanted to take responsibility for me and no one had told me that there was no midwife in my area. ETA I would have made arrangements for family to take me to these appointments had I known. No buses either as we are rural (closest acute hospital is 45 minutes). They ended up sending me someone who wasn’t a qualified midwife and then sent someone else when they realised my complications needed the attention of someone qualified. I had to make 5 phone calls to arrange this as I hadn’t been properly discharged. The amount of time/money sorting that out was ridiculous.

DS1 was born during Covid and this was used as an excuse for lack of home visits. I did all the travelling 2 appointments 20-30 minutes away, 3 appointments (including 5 day) in excess of 45 minutes (couldn’t go to the closest hospital as it’s in a different trust).

It is really irritating to hear how wonderful it was 15/20/25+ years ago btw. Yep, it was better and now it’s shit.

Home visits Are still very normal in my area

Yes that’s the idea of offering them in our area, can be more convenient for women and more efficient but think they should always be a choice. I can imagine it might be assumed the new mother is fine with being given an appointment if she doesn’t say otherwise but then she might not realise she has a choice and in some areas perhaps isn’t any choice anyway :(

I explained that I wasn’t willing to travel for standard visits and was seen at home after my home birth. People with more complex labours would be even more understandable! I did go to the hospital for a specialist review though