Thursday, March 22, 2012

Health Visitor

My wife had her first appointment with the health visitor yesterday.  I wasn't there, I was sat in an office thinking about cheese and biscuits.

The health visitor asked my wife whether she knew much about the role of the health visitor.  My wife did not.  The health visitor told her all about her role.  My wife listened and later recounted it to me.  The key words used were: intrusive and surprising.

Neither of us had any idea that the health visitor would be keeping an eye on us/judging us until our little one is five years old.  Neither did we realise that if we take our baby/toddler/infant to A&E the health visitor will be notified and we may be paid an additional visit.  My wife especially liked answering the questions about her childhood, my childhood (because she's an expert on that, obviously) as well as our own relationship.

All these things and more are covered in your first conversation with this person who you don't know, have no relationship with or trust of.  I'm sure she's lovely and everything, and just doing her job, but I bet she's also on a pretty hefty power trip.

Anyway, we now have a nice book from the NHS, which says "explore", "grow" and "child" on it, the last of which is presumably just in case you'd forgotten what was going on.  I haven't read it yet, but I have had a quick look through.  It looks good.  Plus it didn't ask me any questions, which was a bonus.  All the children on the cover look really happy, and none of their parents look like they've been awake since 4am dealing with a tantrum, which is probably a bit dishonest.  

I think at least one of them ought to have their head cradled in their hands, a mug of steaming coffee next to them and a look of fraught horror on their faces.  I'd be more inclined to believe in it then.

Perhaps that's why the health visitor asks those questions.  To make us realise it's real.  I think we knew that anyway (especially my wife, with under three weeks to go now it'd be quite hard for her not to realise).

6 comments:

  1. Well... If its any consolation, I've not seen our HV since my son was one... Never hear from them!!! Maybe its different where you are, but I found them to be quite useless apart from a couple..

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    1. That's good news then! TBH, I hope/want them to be good, and I've heard some good stories, but they're in a minority.

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    2. Yup.. there are some good HVs out there, it's true.. but the ones where I am are very.. mixed, to put it lightly! They sent me a letter around the time my son was two with a check list for me to look at and a form for me to send back to confirm my child was doing these "required" things. Trouble was, they addressed the letter to my son and named me as the child.. That was the nail in the coffin for me then.. God knows what records they hold. I have little faith in them!!

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    3. That's confidence inspiring admin skills...

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  2. I don't remember any of that; I don't remember even having a health visitor while the Mummy was pregnant. The ones we had after birth I just remember being really supportive. Their main advice just seemed to be: carry on, & hang in there! And we've had to visit A&E more times than we're happy with but have never had an extra visit. Maybe we're just lucky.

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    1. I'm sure that, as with anything, there are good and bad examples. Sounds like yours were all good!

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