Health Visitor Home Visit at 37 weeks

[Mamtobe2024]

Hi,

I've just got a letter today saying that the health visitor will be coming to do a home visit when I'm around 37 weeks. What do they actually do at the hone visit? I'm quite nervous as I've heard some can be really nice and some not so much..

It might vary based on where you are but mine said it was mostly just so they can introduce themselves so they're not a new face appearing when you're deep in the newborn trenches. Just chatted through plans for where baby will sleep & safe sleep recommendations, plans for feeding, what the timeline usually is for her visits etc. And a chat re being aware about ppa/ppd etc.

This is quite odd as usually the midwife discharges you to the health visitor after the baby is born. However the health visitor does very little really, weigh baby and check feeding and sleeping are going OK, so I wouldn't worry too much.

It's normal in our area, the midwife said they come to visit once before baby is born. May be different in different areas

I declined the visit with both my children , I was still working full time and it just didn’t work being home for the visits. Wasn’t an issue at all

Normal in my area. They will just have a chat and give you some advice around safe sleeping and feeding and that kind of thing. Good chance to ask any questions about caring for a newborn rather than pregnancy/birth which is more what your midwife will concentrate on

Mine tried to see me around 30 weeks but I'm working til 38 weeks so we just had a chat on the phone and left it til baby is born.

I got one the other day too I phoned them all they want to talk about is feeding and sleeping I said are you serious 😂 as I got 3 kids and 3 grandkids and one on way I know how to feed and get them sleep ha so she was like oh thought u was a first time mum I said no lol so she coming out when baby is born which is October x

It's just an intro. I ended up with a different team to the one that came in pregnancy. I was on the border of two teams and in pregnancy the team in my area didn't have capacity so the team on the other side of the border came to introduce themselves and to check in with how i was doing. When my daughter was born a few weeks later there was space.
I am classed as a more vulnerable mum due mental health so I had quite a lot of input from our HV when she was born and more recently after moving. HV can do a lot more than weighing baby although they can have a bad reputation. I have had only positive experiences

Never saw a health visitor at all. Where are tou based?

At that stage it's just an intro as your midwife will discharge you after a few weeks, but hopefully you get a "nice" one. I'm so lucky with my HV who of course weighed the baby and did all that stuff but more importantly supported me through the aftermath of a traumatic birth, ptsd and post-natal depression, and is now supporting me through a difficult pregnancy. She's there for you too, not just baby.

I had the same letter and then mine ended up being a phone call instead. She just asked some questions about home life, went over safe sleep info, was I planning on breast feeding so she could point me to support groups. HV’s take a bit of a bashing but I seen about 4-5 different ones and they were all lovely. They have a job to do and their hands are tied on what they can or cannot say.

My area also has them ~36-37 weeks. It's supposed to be about how you're planning to feed baby, where baby is going to sleep, and what to look out for in regards to PPD. I would have had them, but was in hospital having the baby instead

Mine came out to meet me when I was pregnant with DD (now 5) and it was the start of a lovely relationship. She got me help and was a wonderful support when I later developed PNA and it was nice to have someone to talk to about potty training and development etc. even after that. I had a few miscarriages and an ectopic which she knew about, then we had a big break in contact due to the gap in checks for DD and I got pregnant with DS. I was still in her area despite a house move so she called me at about 35w and went, “Craic, I’ve never been so glad to see a name on my expectant mums list, I’m so delighted for you!!!”. Still my HV now and I’ll even though it’s second time round I still really value her advice and input.

So yeah they get a bit of a bad rap sometimes, but I’m really grateful for mine.