Did you have a health visitor at 28 weeks?

[Toria33]

I’m pregnant with number 2, baby 1 is 14 months at due date and they are giving me extra appointments with health visitors, I don’t really understand why they want to see me at this point when they didn’t with baby 1. I am refreshed on how to keep babies alive., If you did what did you go over? Thankyou

Do you have a learning disability?

I’m mildly dyslexic

Under the healthy child programme they are meant to offer a minimum of 5 key visits.
1 is an antenatal appointment after 28 weeks pregnancy. It's to check any health issues in family, discuss your mental health any family problems and to go over safety advice and give you a red book.
Not everyone gets this appointment due to pressure on the service. So in some areas they may just send out the red book and letter in post or give you a telephone call.

The other key contacts are
2- New birth visit at around 2 weeks
3- Post natal visit 4-8 weeks
4, 10-12 month development review
5- 2.5y development review.

Any problems and you get offered extra contacts.

I think it’s the standard antenatal one.

From the NHS

Between 28-34 weeks you will have a visit from your health visitor. Your health visitor will contact you to arrange this. At this visit, your health visitor will talk to you about how they will support you and your baby after the birth. They will also give you your baby’s Personal Child Health Record book, often known as the red book and talk to you about this.

i was aware of the after but as I said they didn’t do a before and it’s seems a bit silly when I have a 11 month old

You could always phone and say that you don’t need the full visit as you have an 11 month old and ask if they could just drop off the red book when they’re next in your area instead. I’m sure they’re under a lot of pressure to fit in all their appointments and they’ll be happy to save the time.

You don’t get read book until the baby is born I didn’t think, we got it at hospital with baby 1. I just feel like they are all over me and I want space from nhs. With extra scans, dr antenatal, extra midwife, health visitor for baby 1, dr for baby 1. I am not in the mood for someone to tell me to breastfeed, my body I will make a choice when I see fit.

Decline it then 🤷🏼‍♀️

That’s an option???

It depends on your area.
In my area, 28 weeks is normal, they like to come to the house and meet the family before the birth.
Because I have MH problems, I was seen quite a lot by my lovely HV.
This time around, my other baby is 20m old. I haven't actually had any contact with HV and am 32 weeks.
Chased up last week as I haven't had any sort of letter or anything.

You don't need a HV if you don't want one, but I always think if it's someone I can contact if I need advice, all the better

Just phone them ask for red book to be sent out and a phone consultation?
Although from your last post I wonder if they have some good reasons to see you? extra scans??

I'm sure someone else will snap up the appointment isf you don't want it. Lots of people love the chance to talk about their pregnancy to someone who will actually listen 😂.

It's not a big stress really if you don't want it

I just got a two hour lecture on what not to feed 11 month old. I don’t give any processed sugar, he doesn’t like watered down juice. All organic/ low sugar but because I’m not slaving over a stove for hours a day it wrong. Also critical over rabbit food bowl under dining table .. are my pets not meant to eat?! And our pond, like we should get rid of it. It’s starting to feel like a police state of which I can make choices over my own child and home. Yes safety is important we are not stupid. I was looking for red book and took out some clothes out of his cupboard and then k was criticised over the pile of clothes… a pile of clothes I’m one week off 8 months get off my dam back people

That does sound annoying. What exactly did they say? I would just smile and nod. Like I did about cosleeping etc.

Wow OP that's terrible, sorry you were criticised like that it's really not on! The pond I can kind of get, because some people are idiots so they have to say these things, and it's so important. But the other things are just ridiculous.

We got the pond pit in after we had been trying for two years and after 6 miscarriages. We are going to put a fixed metal thing on it or a fence. I was also been resisting giving him vit d drops because I give him yoghurt twice a day or loads of milk. I swear diet is fine and she is just horrible and stressing me out.

Yes HV input is optional, just phone the central number and say you don't want HV support currently. You can always opt back in at a later date.

Hi
yes I had one. I found the whole experience pointless and completely patronising. She was here for 1hr 45 and gave me lots of information I had already researched myself. She also did a sort of mental health assessment which I asked her (working in a senior safeguarding role myself) if she had made a judgment that led to her thinking the assessment was needed or if she did one on everyone to which she said it was policy to do it on everyone. I told her this was a completely waste of NHS resources as she could be working with a family who need her support which I do not. She replied that it was obvious I didn’t need the support based on the area I live, my house and job and that (her words not mine) ‘if I was visiting a single mother in a high rise flat with her 5th child it would be different.’ Having being raised by a single parent in a council house I found it quite astonishing that she would say such a thing and also admit that she was wasting her time with me.

I feel health visiting is a good service if it is used correctly. They should make an initial assessment like a social worker would that directs their work rather than providing one size fits all.

I just really don’t feel like they can inform me if anything with a second baby and it feels like snooping, all time for after for weight changes ect but this telling me off for giving him half a 12 month old plus grain bar because it contains 1.9 g of natural sugar is just bs

It must be area dependent, my area is 2 weeks, 6 weeks home visits and then 1 year check at the clinic. Red book gets given in hospital after the birth.