Quick and easy survey with the chance to win £150 toys from revilotoys.co.uk

[carriemumsnet]

Hi all

Another quick and easy survey to complete, with the chance to win £150 toys from from fab and funky online toy store revilotoys.co.uk just in time for some early Christmas shopping

We've been asked by Maria Miller, shadow minister for the family, to find out what sort of support you had from family, friends, NHS health professionals and any other help you may have used in the first two weeks after giving birth.

The survey is open to any parent living in the UK who has had a child in the past ten years and everyone who completes the survey will be entered into the prize draw.

here's the link

Good luck!

Entered (fingers crossed).

have to say, couldnt cope with someone else in my house at the best of tmes - after birth - not a chance!

Done....

Excellent idea. There was an article in the Times about it recently, written by someone who had their first baby in Holland and second in GB and was shocked by the lack of support here after her positive experience first time around.

I've filled it in. I got no help whatsoever. I can't remember the first two years, let alone the first two weeks because I was so tired.

This is a wonderful idea. If only it would have been availiable when ds was born.

i'd have loved the idea but ds1 (asd) wont have visitors

could have helped a lot though- I was, through necessity, back on the school run the same day I delivered

I shudder at the thought of maternity nurses coming into vulnerable women's homes and giving them lots of 'advice' about routines, rods for own backs, unqualified and untrained breastfeeding support etc etc. If the same amount of money was spent on cleaners who would come in and do the once round it would be much better spent IMO!

I would have liked someone to go to the supermarket for me and cook for me so I could have a rest and bond with ds. I had to go out when he was 2 days because I had run out of pads. I had alot of stitches and was in so much pain.

I really like the idea, but would probably have worried the person would tell 'someone' I was doing it all wrong and wasn't fit for the job of parenting. I'd want to know it was fully confidential and I was in control. I felt very vulnerable after the birth and if it wasn't for my midwife, who I did really trust, I'd have fallen to pieces.

Would have been nice to have some sort of childcare so we could go and visit dd. It cost us a fortune in parking and petrol then add the babysitter on top of that.

I wonder....

could this be one better, targeted more effectively, and managed by already- doing- it people if they

just gave homestart some extra cash?

Seriously- our scheme went bust.

nice idea but it seems that most maternity units are struggling with a lack of midwives and some areas (inc ours) have stopped ante-natal classes. I feel that perhaps investment in these areas may be more beneficial.

done, I would just have liked someone to help me start breastfeedng. I left the maternity ward not knowing because I was told that there were other people on the ward who needed more help then me.

Done

I like the idea in theory. I had real trouble establishing breastfeeding and having someone actually THERE while I was trying to feed would have been great. They would have to be real experts though.

done

I couldn't get any help with bf from anyone on the ward on the day I delivered. In fact, it was when they refused to give me any painkillers (after a 27 hour labour, epesiotomy and ventouse delivery) because they couldn't find my drug charts, 6 hours after I had gotten onto the ward (and the first time anyone actually spoke to us...despite repeated requests for help!) that we self-discharged.

The only reason that I managed to establish bf successfully was because we had a (free) doula for the first 6 weeks as my cousin was finishing her training and required a 'case study' for completion.

Apparently, the Dutch system translates into something like vouchers that can be used against childcare, doula-support, cleaning etc. So you get to choose whatever would suit you best. Sadly, I have absolutely no faith at all that any government would introduce such a fantastically sensible scheme into the UK - apart from anything else, it would cost them far too muchm, they'd try to cut corners and then it would just go belly up. Shame though, as I think its a seriously excellent idea....

Definitely doing this one!

oooh they have some lovely toys....

I would have liked breastfeeding help. DS was my first and I had this vague idea that you just "did" it. The hospital said that I couldn't go home until he had fed from both breasts, but didn't actually help me do anything, and I didn't know that there was anything to ask about.

Have picked the hospital this time partly based on a super BF advisor who works there.

DONE

done diddley un dun dun!!

done

Do we have to say done? Done! (I'm such a follower)

done

have to agree that its not the first two weeks that are the problem. thats usually when you have your partner there. its when they go back and you have the mindnumbing three hour routine of feed/change/sleep that seems endless.