Health visitor/midwife

Health visitor is different. So after you’ve had baby, you’ll see your midwife and from memory it’s on day 10 that your health visitor will come out. HV is purely for baby and to check their development etc. Where I am we don’t get HV visits before baby but I know alot of areas they come to your home before to be introduced to you etc x

We do get visits before baby but they said it was up to me if I wanted one or not, they come and give advice on feeding options, safe sleep etc. as it’s my second I said I’d just be happy with the postpartum visits - these are great as if you’re having any challenges with things such as feeding then they can organise a breast feeding support person to come and visit or if there’s anything else postpartum that you want support with or to discuss. They also will continue to weigh and check in on baby

Had this with my 2nd hv wanted to come visit b4 baby arrival. Got really confused and concerned myself when it happened but midwife explained at appointment what it was for which put my mind at ease

HV’s are trained nurses/midwives who have gone on to do extra training on babies growth and development. They are there to support once baby is born until they are 5 years old. They do 4-5 set visits over the 5 years to monitor growth and development and to be there for you to ask any questions to ☺️

I was told hv comes out before birth to check where baby will sleep etc apparantly it’s a new law x

@Isabelle not necessarily...most standard HVs are not nurses

I had my health visitor come out last week. She just went through what her role was, safe sleeping, feeding and warning signs of postnatal depression. She was lovely and was here and gone in less than half an hour, I do know some like to see where baby will be sleeping but ours didn’t. X

@Shauna definitely not. Maybe it’s just a new process in your area but I’ve not had this either time x

@Chloe I am a health visitor so I know the training that goes into being one…Some people within the team such as community nursery nurses and HVAs aren’t qualified s

I first seen my health visitor at 28 weeks and again at 34 weeks I'm now nearly 37 weeks and she said she will be out again after baby is here x

@Isabelle my sister used to be a health visitor too, she's a nurse who specialises in children with learning disabilities so she had to be qualified as a LD nurse for the type of HV she was but she said majority of the standard HVs she worked with were not nurses (that doesn't mean they don't have qualifications, they just weren't nurses)