AIBU our 2 year old grandson has never had a home visit.

I agree. When mine were born, all in their 30s now, I stayed in hospital until day 5 with the first, day 2 with the second and home in the evening after having the third.

twiglet77, I was similarly bless with a longer stay where they helped me with breast feeding, showed me how to bath the baby, etc. My daughter was induced, had her baby late at night and was kept in because her temperature shot up. The next morning they discovered she had an infection for which they ordered antibiotics and was finding it difficult to get the baby to latch on to the breast. The Consultant came round, told her off for still being in hospital told the staff to get her a bottle and sent her home. We were flabbergasted. Failing at breastfeeding was something that made her feel very guilty and didn't help at all.

Grammaretto, thank you.

My DD’s Health Visiting ‘service’ was provided by Virgin Care they were useless, fortunately there were no problems with either of her babies, but her mental health was very poor, and I wonder if she’d had a decent HV if the breakdown she went on to have could have been avoided.

I had excellent care when I had my babies in the 80s - prenatal, including the free antenatal classes, then several days in an excellent maternity ward each time with help on hand with feeding and bathing for first-timers, morning exercise classes, afternoon naps and bottles of stout of an evening. Babies wheeled into the nursery overnight and brought to us for feeding if we were breastfeeding. A full schedule of midwife and HV visits and baby clinic appointments afterwards.

My eldest had her first baby, early, by C section, in April 2020, and it’s just a good job she had a great partner once she got home, because she didn’t get a single visit from a midwife or HV. She had to assess whether her surgery wound had healed, do the test for clicky hips, chart the baby’s weight by using the kitchen scales because he had health problems (3 dashes to A & E in the first few weeks), etc, etc. The total withdrawal of professional support when relatives and friends of new parents couldn’t even visit, let alone help out, was something she could cope with, but chilling if we think about the vulnerable mums out there who had no support at all, and the at risk babies who just weren’t being seen.

And it wasn’t all Covid related. Any threads on Mumsnet about maternity services right now read like experiences from another world, one I certainly wouldn’t want to be part of. I actually feel guilty that I had such good care and theirs is so lacking.

icanhandthemback

Willsnan

My DD’s Health Visiting ‘service’ was provided by Virgin Care they were useless, fortunately there were no problems with either of her babies, but her mental health was very poor, and I wonder if she’d had a decent HV if the breakdown she went on to have could have been avoided.

I doubt it....but maybe they could have referred on... but the gp could have done that or she could have self referred or her partner could have contacted the crisis team if needed....lots of options

You are not being unreasonable at all.
I was horrified that DiL had to go to the clinic for a 3 day check, and then again for a 10 day one, no home visits at all from midwives.

HV did visit at home when GD was 3 months or so.

It's all a far cry from the weekly weigh-in and a group chat I experienced with my children.
I too worry about the families who really could do with support but will slip through the huge holes in the net.

One thing for sure is that there is no certainty when it comes to ante or post natal care
I have heard dreadful horror stories all my life
I still feel incredibly lucky that all mine survived.
This latest inquiry into Maternity care in Kent is grim listening.
Ofcourse it will all be improved now until the next time