Health Visitors- Whats yours like?

[ASD123456]

Hi,

From reading other posts it seems like most HV are non clued up, forcefull monsters. So I'm just wondering what your experiences are mainly because a) I'm nosey and b) I think it would be an interesting job so just wanto to know what current HV are like and what not to do if I do decide to follow it as career. What age is yours? Are they nice and supportive e.g supporting your feeding methods and parentig decisions etc.

Mine is great, she's quite young say in her 30's and is extremely supportive of my BF (this might be because she breastfed her LO until he was 3 ) and just generally kind any supportive of decisions I have made.

So, share you HV stories, good and bad. Do you like yours or is she useless?

Alex xxx

 

[Misslarue]

Mine was great. Really helpful and supportive with lots of excellant advice. She only lives about 8 doors up from me and checked that I didn't mind her being so close and was willing to swap with another HV if I prefered, bless!
I even saw her at the tip recently and she had a quick look at a rash on Dans leg!

 

[maybebaby]

Mine annoys me but is harmless enough. She has a habit of finishing sentences for you when you speak to her, and repeating the last word you say! To be honest I've never really needed to ask her anything thanks to support from here and my family. She did make me laugh though when I told her we were doing baby led weaning and she said that was fine but remember he wouldn't be able to cope with finger foods until he was 8 or 9 months so I'd have to do BLW with purees

She also managed to break her arm last year and was off work for 6 months - there was no replacement at our surgery so I had to go to the baby clinic a mile away for Austin's 9 month check.

So yep she's batty, harmless but pretty useless for me. I only see her to get Austin weighed, and that's not very often these days

 

[LisaJ1986]

I've seen mine 2 or 3 times and that's it. And as far as i'm aware i'm not due to see her til Angel has an 8month check.
She's around 40, she seems quite nice. Made sure i'm happy. She's a bit strict on the 6month wean so i'll not mention it. But don't think i'll see her til i after then anyway. But she's all for leaving you to what you feel comfortable with. If babies cries, cuddle her and stuff like that. She's quite laid back, when i see her.

 

[1sttimemum]

My HV is very suportive of me and has more confidence in me than i do. Shes never really forced anything on me, is in her 50s and a good listener. She was the one to spot i had PND and wrote to my doctor explaining how i was feeling.

 

[NIE]

I actually really like my HV. I don't want anything to do with the other ones in the health centre as they are very judgemental and love to preach to you.

 

[helsekia]

we have 2 HV.one of them was my daughters HV years ago.shes ok a real hippy and very laid back and go with the flow kinda woman,bt she always makes me feel better and tells me im doing the right thing.Shes quite straight though and if she thinks im not doing it quite right she tells me but i kinda respect that.

the other HV is a bit more 'well baby should be doing this and hes not'shes ok but not quite as friendly.

 

[lfc_sarah]

Im sure mine thinks im a stupid little kid

Always snotty to me but nice to others

 

[laracomps]

Crap. Almost 60 (well she looks it anyway). Wasn't all that supportive when I was having booby feeding problems - was almost encouraging me to go onto bottle. Early weaning is her answer to everything. Oh and she changes her mind weekly.

One thing I over heard at my clinic yesterday is you can get your baby weighed at any clinic and see the HV even if you don't live in that area or surgery district (cant think of the right word ). Handy to know!

 

[rhian85]

my HV is a biatch

 

[Manda&Thomas]

i hate her id say she was early 40's talks to me really slowly and repets everything several times think she thinks im thick or something,
she also doesnt like the fact i dont ask her for help with anything, others i have seen at the clinic are ok but they are all quite pushy about things
xx

 

[HideiLu]

We met ours for the first time yesterday.

She seems harmless enough but we didn't really warm to her. She's in her 60s, retired but helping out while others are holidays.

She failed to finish most of her sentences She complained when Jack was crying (he had just woken up and was hungry but she wanted to weigh him etc so he just got grumpier and grumpier!)

She did say that HVs need to train as nurses and a load of other stuff first?

She asked about my birth, but didn't let me get past one sentence and butted in saying 'Oh so you were just one of those with high BP then! Are you going to cry now?!'

 

[ASD123456]

She did say that HVs need to train as nurses and a load of other stuff first?

I'm starting an access to health and human sience course on th 15th Sept, god help me, which can lead to either doing nursing, midwifery or teaching plus some others but those are the three I'm considering. Nursing is winning so far as it can lead to other things, but we'll see I need to finish this firs year before making any decisions anyway.

 

[Sherlock]

My HV is lovely. She is a Mum of 4, a former nurse, MW and now a HV.

She has been brilliant with all my health problems. Pushed for referrals to consultants and so on. Also very good with getting me fixed up with Homestart. And where Galen is concerned she is great. She never pushed formula on me. Suggested it a couple of times as top up etc but never made it seem like I should give up BF'ing or anything like that. She tells me I've done really well with BF'ing and to stick with it. She has offered advice and info (and made it clear she is there to advise as per Gov guidelines, not tell me what to do). She also doesn't mind me calling her to ask or chat about things.

She also has made far more home visits than is normal. Mainly as I was and often still am unable to get to the HV clinic. So she has said any time I need for her to come out to call and we can arrange it. In fact she is coming out tomorrow afternoon to weigh him and see us both.

I'd give her top marks. Like my MW she is really on the same page as me and very understanding.

I do feel saddened that some don't have good HV experiences. And that so often they seem to be tarred with a general sweeping of the brush. I know not everyone has positive experiences with healthcare professionals but so far mine have been good (so long as I've avoided the ones in hospitals ).

 

[Kylie1007]

My health visitors are USELESS but the 2 community nursery nurses who are around and about the clinic are complete godsends.

 

[happy-chick]

My HV is great, shes really nice & easy to talk to, I can always get hold of her and if not she rings me back quickly. Her advise so far has been great, she is open minded and doesnt force things on you, she trusts your judgement as a mother and just offers guidance as you need it Cant fault her to be honest!

 

[loz]

My HV was ok, but didnt seem to know the answer to many questions I had. My midwife was a lot better. At least my HV wasnt pushy or judgemental!

 

[debecca]

NOT a question to ask me at the moment

Mine has visited ONCE in 4 months despite Connie's lactose intolerance and reflux and my PND. She's useless. Her response to everything is "Oh dear, well, let's see how she is in a couple of weeks shall we?"...

 

[Leese]

Just moved to a new area and haven't met the new one yet but my old one (and she was old!) was great. Very supportive of our bfing difficulties, nothing too much trouble, did loads of home visits, obviously had a good relationship with the GPs at the surgery which made it easy to get prescriptions for Gaviscon etc. If she didn't know something, she'd say and then find out for me. Gave her a big box of chocs when we moved. She was also really overworked since another HV retired and wasn't replaced but obviously cared about the mums and babies she saw.

 

[Jade&Evie]

Move the thread to MO and I'll describe her for you

Putting it nicely she's a pain in the arse