as some of you may have noticed i have a real problem with my idiot health visitor (having met her twice, im afraid that was enough). so we just don't go.....i requested an appointment so we could meet and have a chat last january and was told they don't *do* appointments and i had to go to a clinic....
went to the clinic (and i suspect cos they dont do appointements) waited just under an hour, she said she didn't have time to talk but would weigh elijah, and that she wouldn't do a check up til he was 2......weighed him then kicked me and my 8 month old out into the busy corridor with the pram to get him dressed.

anyway, that aside, should i be going? i haven't been since jan, i really don't know how much he weighs, or if he is meeting 'milestones', but my instinct says he is absolutely fine......do you still take your toddler to the hv?

Nah, I stopped taking Libby when she was about 12 months (got fed up with them moaning about how small she was/is). I've only taken Dexter twice and probs wont again til hes 12 months as I'm happy with how he's growing & devoloping.

Do they do the 9 month & 2.5 year check in your area?

no, when we moved in january he was about to have his 8 month check so that was why i requested an appointment, to be told they only do 8 week check and 2 year check here.....err ok!!! i think its more important when they are little (we were keeping an eye on elijah's weight and floppy head for a few months), but surely not now?

With Caitlin the HV visited the house maybe 3-4 times in 1st 6 weeks (MWs came a cpl times up until she was 10days old). That seemed standard but tbh I think she came on one occasion specifically cos I was BF and had I been btl feeding maybe would only have saw her 2-3 times.

When Caitlin had her allergic reaction at 8 wks I rang for urgent app re feeding advice on continuing BF - it took her 3 days to get back to me by which stage Id already changed to new formula.

I then saw her at clinic for injections at 2/3/4mths, think she weighed her then too. Had more injections at clinic at 12 & 15mths but she wouldnt even weigh her or do anything chatting - was simply jab and out.

We dont have 8mth check here and I was told the 2 yr check had been scrapped too but I got a letter recently inviting me to a 2-2.5yr check next week.

So um we saw her few times in early weeks, then basically just at clinic for jabs (app sent out via GP) and thats all. I wouldnt even think of ringing her for advice. If im worried I take Caitlin to Dr and if I need advice re feeding/sleep I ask my friends/family or you guys. To me all HVs do is check weight in early days and do injections!

hmm sounds similar snoops, although we had midwife every day for 10 days, then health visitor (our old one, who was a man and has actually been the best one we have had) every week for a month or so because of various issues (me being ill, elijah being shaky/not sleeping at all/twitchy) but im happy to leave it...he has had his injections and that was just an in and out job so hopefully we will have moved to a new area again by the time its time to go back

I dont go anymore really but i would like to just go see how tall she is, weighs etc properly, but for now, just did by laying her down on a height chart (which she LOVES 'measuring' everything with!) and for weight I weigh myself, then I pick her up and weigh us both and subtract my weight to get hers. Its probs not as accurate but works out ok.

I dont know whta it is like in your area, but in ours, I dont have to go to my own practice to ahve her weighed, I can go to any clinic running in the area. Might be worth a shot if you do want to go, then you might get someone less nightmarish. Also, a lot of the surestart centres run clinics so that could be worth a shot too.

Mandy xx

Izzy went up to 8 weeks, then at 6 months and then just before she was 1... thats it!

I dont see the point, unless you have concerns

i seen my hv a couple of times when alfie was first born and then at his 1 yr check and then i wont see her again till alfies 2.5 year check. we have lots opf clinics in my area tho where i can get him weighed or see a hv if im worried ab out summat. last time i got him weighed was abo9ut 8 weeks ago. he was 27lb 8oz. He stood on our scales last night and is 2stone exactly lol !! x

i don't see the hv for lily-ann EVER and for lewis only if i ever really have to(like the 2yr check) mine are useless and ignored all of our concerns about lily-ann

we go roughly every month. Just to keep an eye on her weight

I stopped going when Imogen was about 8months and even then I used to just go every month maybe just to get her weighed. They did a review at 10months for her, it seems some areas of the country do this review at 8months, some at 10, and others at 12months. Then the next time we saw a health visitor was when we moved house and that wasn't a review, its just cause we moved to new area so they had to check she was up to date with jabs. Then we had 2yr review. From what i've seen its just luck who you get, I've seen some lovely health visitors who have been really helpful and then i've seen a couple of really horrible ones (one actually made me cry)

I have only taken the kids to see ours at the usual checks (6 weeks, 8 months, 2.5 years).

Aimee was always weighed & measured at her hospital appointments anyway so we kept an eye on it there.

Lily is growing great so im not worried about her either x

Ive taken Awen about monthly for weight checks but Caelyn ive taken maybe twice since she turned 1 and the 2nd time only cos I was there with Awen.

Arwyn went last for her 1 year check and her jabs.
I'm not taking her back again unless I have to. Plus she'll stand on our scales at home so I know she's 1st 11.5lb naked and 1st 13.5lb clothed

I used to take Thomas every month or so until he was 12 months just because I was bored and it got me out of the house.

Hannah has only ever been when they requested to see her at 6 weeks and 8 months.

xx

not since about 3 months, just trust my instincts and hope for the best x

I used to take Jamie every few weeks to get weighed mainly because I wanted to know but stopped at 6 months because I always used to get lectured about his weight until they realised he was exclusively bf and I didn't want the lectures once he was on food. Since then I took him just before I went back to work and have an appointment for his 9 month check the day before his birthday. I can't take him anymore anyway because I work fulltime and he was weighed at the hospital yesterday and thats the only reason I would take him anyway. Even if I had concerns I'd go to the dr rather than them