Do we HAVE to take our baby to be weighed at the HV?

jcr16

when i had my first child i went weekly/two weekly. but as i had more children i generally went less. i was so busy with school runs, looking after my family that the thought of sitting in a waiting room for a couple of hours just didn't appeal ( they didn't have appointment system just turn up and hundreds would go) i kept all the main ones like 6 week check, 9 months, 2 yr. but i knew my children were fit and healthy i didn't have any worries about ther development.

shellsuit

First baby I had I took him every week (young, naive and fretting new parent!)

Second baby, I took her about 4 times then didn't bother again.

Last baby (born 2009), I didn't take him to be weighed once!

Don't let the HV bully you. Some are good and some are dragons, but if she mentions it again to you, I'd ask her where it says it is compulsary and tell her you know yourself that your baby is thriving so you have no need to drag baby to a cold room full of screaming babies to be weighed.

jaibaby

Don't listen to Health visitors. I could be here ALL DAY telling you all the stuff my one ****ed up on.

On my first, I went to the clinic every two weeks, to have my daughter weighed. That was because I wanted to. The HV managed to miss the fact that my daughter had a dislocated hip, which was only picked up when she was 11 months, at what was supposed to be her 9 month check up. And even then she missed it, a trainee nurse picked it up whilst I was changing her nappy.

On my second I didn't take her down that often, only went for her jabs. Bear in mind she was 9lb 5oz born and she was on solids by 6 weeks, I took her in to be weighed at 8 weeks, just after her 2nd jab. She weighed 14lb, and I was told she was underweight.

My son, who will be 2 in February, was weighed at his 6 week check. He was 8lb 13.5oz born, weighed in at 13lb ish, I was told he was underweight.

By that time I'd had enough of the HV and asked if she had any kids of her own, to which she replied "No", so I laughed, asked how could she possibly have a clue, and walked out, never to return.

Most of them are textbook HV, they haven't any real experience in bringing up children, and all their "facts" are from outdated books!

balletshoes

No you definitely don't have to take your baby to the HV clinic to be weighed etc, its entirely voluntary. After my HV home visits stopped when DD was about 2 weeks old I think I took her about 3 times to the HV to be weighed, and by the time she was about 2 months old I'd stopped going altogether.

rachbc

Alikay wrote: »

If you aren't seen to be following the advice of healthcare professionals there's always a risk that you'll get flagged as a problem, maybe even going as far as baby going on the "at risk " register. Pretty OTT I know, but I personally wouldn't lock horns with the HV for the sake of few minutes at the clinic. If you've already had him weighed at the hospital within a couple of weeks I'm sure you'd be OK not seeing HV until the next month.

What scarmongering nonsense!

Plus the OP has already said she is access healthcare professionals by taking her son for his 3 monthly check ups with the GP - who is likely far more qualified that HV.

I lost faith on the HV service when i heard mine advising a mother to put her baby in a moses basket on the backseat if she was worried about it being in the car seat too long and telling another to give a baby chocolate milk if it didn't like plain!

My DD was tiny (but healthy) and weigh ins made me stressed so I stopped going.

Molly41

Your HV is a professional person who has had extensive nursing or midwifery practice and thus the education/ training that entails and then gone on to do further training and practice to enable her to be a HV.

There will be a reason why she wants to see the baby once a month. Instead of shooting her down in flames why dont you just ask her what her clinical reasoning in behind her request. Then if you dont like it you can question her further. Really in this situation she is dammed if she does and dammed if she dont and your attitude is really not helping the situation.

Tigsteroonie

Our HVs were happy that Andrew was under the care of the hospital Paediatric team, with regular hospital visits that included weigh-ins. They didn't say that I had to attend their HV clinic but that I would be most welcome if I wanted to come along inbetween hospital visits to check on his growth or to query anything at all. I went three times, that's all.

building_with_lego

^^^^

(If you don't like to be confrontational you can always say "I will bring him to see you if I have any concerns about his health." That usually shuts them up, as you're reassuring them that they are the experts while also making it clear that you have your child's best interests at heart.)
A friend of mine is in a similar situation atm, her LO lost a lot of weight but is now thriving and outgrowing clothes etc. No concerns about the baby, but the HV is insistent that babe is weighed at the clinic every month. Sometimes I think we need to be reassured that we DO know when our children are ok, even if the 'professionals' disagree.

MERFE

I have always had lovely HV that came to my house but some that I have seen at the clinic are awful. Anyway when I first meet my HV this time she booked her next appointment with me for when he was 6 weeks and said I had time to have him weighed at the clinic between so she could see a trend. I didn't go to the clinic as I was busy at the time and when she came back she just weighed him and said that's fine some people never go to the clinic or have them weighed and you just see them for check ups, its up to the mums. I like taking mine to baby clinic, I don't fret about mine but I do like to know how much they weigh.

LilacPixie

If you don't want to don't do it. I personally detest my HV. I find her to be incompetant. She feels both my children are 'failing to thrive' based on weight and height alone. Both bright active children who just happen to be petite. Last time I saw her our GP was actually giving her a 'talking to' about such comment. Apparently in her eyes 25th centil and under is failure to thrive. I need a rolling eyes smiley.

This baby we have decided to not get him/her weighted unless we have concerns after first 10 ish days they will be weighted during the usual checks and vaccine appointments but I personally feel confident in my abilities to parent and know my child.