Pregnancy Off Topic #2 Changing lives one Rapid Cool at a time

[raspberryjuice]

I’ve heard so many horror stories, being judged for not BF etc. makes me ever so slightly nervous but I’m sure it won’t be the case!

Just tell them to do one if they judge. Your nipples, your choice. Baby doesn’t care where their milk comes from as long as they’re getting it.

I was expressing and trying to BF when she came and she was really helpful with advice and physical help but she also reassured me if we went to just bottle feeding that was fine too.

 

[Elle Woods]

My health visitor was due to visit when I was 30 weeks but then I obvs had the baby really early! Texted her to cancel the appointment as he’s obviously still in hospital and she still turned up and sounded disgruntled when I spoke to her through the ring doorbell to explain what I had already explained in a text to her!

 

[User767676]

I got a letter a few weeks ago from my HV - they’re due at 37 weeks!

 

[Hashtagnotspon]

I'm the same. HV visit at 37 weeks. Not sure how helpful it'll be, but we'll see.

 

[watermelon sugar]

Mine checked where the baby would be sleeping at my 30 week appointment! Then when she came when my baby was 10 days old she was like ‘We offer to check where the baby is sleeping, I was like, you’ve already checked when she weren’t here!

 

[raspberryjuice]

No MW or HV who’ve been to our house have looked at where he sleeps they just ask if I’m aware of safe sleep guidelines and when I say yes they tell me the lullaby trust is a great source I could have him sleeping in my bedside drawer and they’d know no difference

 

[ellieb123_xo]

That’s crazy that they call to your house prebaby.
In Ireland we have a public health nurse, I presume it’s the same as your HV. First you see of her is when she calls within the first week of returning home to do a heel prick test.

I’m also so curious about these yellow and red books do you bring these to all your appointments?

 

[Jellycat369]

My HV said she would come before baby arrived as she wanted to assess the threenager too but them never did. She's been pretty good at coming out since he arrived but that's because she was regularly checking his weight because of all the milk issues.

For our 6 week appointment the GP checked his hips, head and boy parts. He wasn't weighed and his length wasn't checked, the HV does that. There were no questions about how I was doing other than what contraception we planned to use. Probably explains why I'm doing so good now ‍

Not sure if it's the heat, his teeth, a growth spurt or a development change but wee man has not been sleeping well the past few nights. Ordinarily he'd go down at 8 and then wake for his bottle and a change at 4 and again at 7. Past few nights we've struggled to get him down before 11, then he wakes at 1, 3, 5 and 7. He's very restless when he is sleeping too, keeps scratching at his head or rubbing his eyes. Can babies get hayfever?

 

[Bumblebee2019]

I’m 38 weeks and haven’t heard anything about a HV wanting to visit or be in touch. I do know some people have had them randomly turn up at the door without warning but I’m still working so nobody is likely to be in! I think capacity is pretty stretched in my area though as I know of 2 year checks etc being done over the phone still.

 

[Householdmystery]

Mine visited yesterday I’m 35weeks, she didn’t look where baby is going to sleep just went through a lot of questions and gave some websites over for any support ect on feeding, safe sleeping. 2nd child so already had it from my first anyways

 

[watermelon sugar]

That’s crazy that they call to your house prebaby.
In Ireland we have a public health nurse, I presume it’s the same as your HV. First you see of her is when she calls within the first week of returning home to do a heel prick test.

I’m also so curious about these yellow and red books do you bring these to all your appointments?

The midwife did the heel prick test for us. The health visitor didn’t really do much just weighed th baby and gave me loads of pieces of paper with random info on

I had to bring my yellow folder with me to all of my midwife appointments and if I ever had to go to triage, or for scans. The red book I take with me for any of babies appointments like when the midwife/HV came round or when she will have her jabs

 

[Jellycat369]

 

[yankydoo]

I have a yellow book as my trust doesn't do any of the apps.

I didn't realise we get home visits! We have a renovation going on at the moment so hopefully that'll all be done before anyone visits.

 

[ellieb123_xo]

The midwife did the heel prick test for us. The health visitor didn’t really do much just weighed th baby and gave me loads of pieces of paper with random info on

I had to bring my yellow folder with me to all of my midwife appointments and if I ever had to go to triage, or for scans. The red book I take with me for any of babies appointments like when the midwife/HV came round or when she will have her jabs

Wow! We don’t bring anything to appointments with us. Just our appointment card with the date and time and then they’ll update with the next date and time.
With baby you get a vaccination passport that you need to bring to all vaccine appointments. That’s it.

 

[raspberryjuice]

I had a blue book for notes but I was one of the last to get them as they went digital the week after so I had physical and digital notes. They took my blue book when I went in to have him. I also had orange notes at the end for GD which get you special treatment when you flash them I also ended up with green notes which is what women get now alongside their digital notes it’s just a basic cardboard folder thing with contact numbers and appt details on.

Our HV appt he was weighed, measured and his head circumference done. Our next HV appt is over the phone. The MW weighed him at every visit. MW did his heel prick on day 5 appt. Only day 3 appt was at home because I refused to go to a children’s centre 15 miles away 3 days after surgery so they sent the duty MW out to see me. If I hadn’t been stubborn my only appt at home would have been the HV.

Just our 6 week check. “Little” man is now 12lb 9oz. He was 7lb 8oz at birth. That Kendamill milk is good tit

 

[odetotheseaweed]

I had a blue book for notes but I was one of the last to get them as they went digital the week after so I had physical and digital notes. They took my blue book when I went in to have him. I also had orange notes at the end for GD which get you special treatment when you flash them I also ended up with green notes which is what women get now alongside their digital notes it’s just a basic cardboard folder thing with contact numbers and appt details on.

Our HV appt he was weighed, measured and his head circumference done. Our next HV appt is over the phone. The MW weighed him at every visit. MW did his heel prick on day 5 appt. Only day 3 appt was at home because I refused to go to a children’s centre 15 miles away 3 days after surgery so they sent the duty MW out to see me. If I hadn’t been stubborn my only appt at home would have been the HV.

Just our 6 week check. “Little” man is now 12lb 9oz. He was 7lb 8oz at birth. That Kendamill milk is good tit

Great growing baby R

 

[raspberryjuice]

He’s only 2lb less than his 6m old cousin now

 

[littlepup]

I’ve heard so many horror stories, being judged for not BF etc. makes me ever so slightly nervous but I’m sure it won’t be the case!

Mine came out before birth to talk over safe sleep, feeding, bathing etc answer questions just generally stuff about actually taking care of the baby.
I said we were combo feeding and they talked about safely making a bottle, prep machines etc.
I don’t know if they’d judge but they didn’t seem fussed either way.
It is a directive to support breast feeding afaik so I think there can be a bit of feeling judged or guilted because they might still go through it all after you’ve said no but really it’s just part of the job to make women aware of the benefits.

HV get a bad rap but they’re not there to tell you off or judge or turn up unannounced. People can be defensive ‘I think I know what’s safe for my baby then it’s witch’ when they’re just doing their job. There will always be miscommunication but they’re a really valuable resource, their primary aim is to support and facilitate.

 

[Laughalong]

Having an internal dilemma re. place of birth. There’s two options but I don’t know if I’m swaying for the wrong reasons

Option 1: Hospital 20-25 minutes drive from me. Has a birth centre that I’d choose but because it’s got the actual normal delivery ward upstairs you have a lot more availability if something goes wrong (emergency c-section, doctors, medical equipment) and of course you’re in an actual hospital. You do have to go on the motorway to get there though, and at times it’s taken us more like 30-35 minutes.

Option 2: Birth centre more like 15-20 minutes away, no motorway so that’s more likely to be closer always. Midwife led only. The bonus is it’s WAY nicer inside lol. I think you’re more likely to get your own room throughout, it’s super modern and I think you even get a double bed with proper bed linen lol. The negative is if something did need escalating, they’d have to ambulance you to the option 1 hospital, which would be another 25 minute drive.

Am I genuinely a weirdo for wanting option 2 based on better surroundings? It might be that 2 isn’t even available to me because of my low BMI but I just feel like my comforts are my priority. My boyfriend doesn’t like 2. He feels like my health is more important and the journey could be scary, but I’d like to hope I wouldn’t need it.

 

[Brewtime87]

Having an internal dilemma re. place of birth. There’s two options but I don’t know if I’m swaying for the wrong reasons

Option 1: Hospital 20-25 minutes drive from me. Has a birth centre that I’d choose but because it’s got the actual normal delivery ward upstairs you have a lot more availability if something goes wrong (emergency c-section, doctors, medical equipment) and of course you’re in an actual hospital. You do have to go on the motorway to get there though, and at times it’s taken us more like 30-35 minutes.

Option 2: Birth centre more like 15-20 minutes away, no motorway so that’s more likely to be closer always. Midwife led only. The bonus is it’s WAY nicer inside lol. I think you’re more likely to get your own room throughout, it’s super modern and I think you even get a double bed with proper bed linen lol. The negative is if something did need escalating, they’d have to ambulance you to the option 1 hospital, which would be another 25 minute drive.

Am I genuinely a weirdo for wanting option 2 based on better surroundings? It might be that 2 isn’t even available to me because of my low BMI but I just feel like my comforts are my priority. My boyfriend doesn’t like 2. He feels like my health is more important and the journey could be scary, but I’d like to hope I wouldn’t need it.

I don't think you're a weirdo at all for that preference especially if it is more local. Be aware though I don't think you'd be allowed an epidural if it's midwife only led, but you'd have to check with them just in case they're different to my hospital.
I wonder if my hospital is one of your options