Can anyone tell me what training HVs have?

[suzi2]

I had thought highly of my HV. But lately I've been meeting with a group of mums that have kids my DDs age. The HV is saying all sorts of different things to different mums regarding their child and milk/weight gain/weaning. Some of it I know to be 'wrong' regardless of how you interpret "every baby is different". Things such as a 6 month old should be on 3 meals + snacks a day. Or 12lb in weight is the right time to wean. Or to just follow your babys lead and not worry about a minimum amount of milk. That sort of thing that we all know too well from many of our HVs. The thing is, these mums trust the HV (well, to an extent) to be knowledgeable, well trained and suggest what's in the babys best interests.

So I'm actually beginning to wonder what training HVs get on breastfeeding/milk intake/weaning age/weaning pace etc. Are they 'up to date' with things? Do they have guidelines to follow? Are they accountable for their suggestions?

The reason I'm wanting to know is purely to satisfy my own curiousity as personally, I avoid HVs for fear they'll make me worry about some nonsense!

[natmatt]

hiya, hvs are nurses or midwifes who have an extra year or so training, remembering a health visitor deals with all ages not speacialising in babies, maybe she trained a while ago and needs updating or possibly she doesnt like the baby visits.

yes hvs are accountable for everything the do and possibly say check out the nmc website i think its just www.nmc.co.uk you will be able to search for her and see what training she has if you have serious doubts regarding her id speak to you practice manager.

[funnypeculiar]

they lock them in a room for q week, bibard them with random information (mix of truth & bollocks) then let em lose.
HTH

[suzi2]

lol funnypeculiar, it had crossed my mind.

Thanks for that link natmatt. It seems she qualified a long time ago which might be part of it. I've not had any poor advice from her as I've not really had much to do with her. But when I hear her saying things, and hear what she has said to others I do really wonder that she hasn't a clue. I don't feel that it's my place to question her or what she's saying but I might encourage one of the other mums who's had some particularly wrong information to query it with the practice manager.

[terramum]

iirc HVs training does not involve any compulsory bfing element. It's an optional extra of only a few hours

[tiktok]

The precise curriculum varies from training centre to centre, but my understanding is there is no compulsory bf element. Many of them do have a few hours of it.

It is nothing like enough.

[bookthief]

I don't know this, it's only my feeling following encounters with various health professionals over the last 18 months, but it seems to me that infant nutrition advice is almost uniquely influenced by the midwife/gp/hv/nurse/paediatrician's own experience and prejudice rather than any evidence base.

Odd, but presumably indicative of the lack of compulsory education/cpd in nutrition - I include bf/ff/solids in this.

[hunkermunker]

OMG, that website! Thanks for the link, Natmatt!

Just having a look at some of the reasons midwives might be struck off - one midwife tugged a woman down the bed by pulling on the umbilical cord to remove the placenta!

[welshprincess]

iam a health visitor. ( a nice one i may add) i only qualified a year ago so im fairly new to it.my background is childrens nursing/premmie babies. in my hv training i got half a day on bf from a unicef lady. no where near enough, but due to my previous jobs i had training before and learnt on the job.some hv come from adult nursing and therefore no experience with babies.
it was only recently that childrens nurses were allowed to train to be hv (wtf)
older hv who were trained eons ago are not always adaptable to change, when they qualified ff was de rigeour (sp).
i have learnt loads from mumsnet as i log onto it everyday, even though i dont post often.
there is not the training or £ available for hv to improove.
also, im not yet a mum, some of my clients dont like the fact that i have never done any of what i advise. i think its a good thing as i have no predijuces (sp).
anyway better go just thought id add my twopence worth.

[birthdaycake]

Has it ocurred to you that perhaps the HV has good reasons for giving different mothers and babies different advice. She might be adjusting it to take their different needs into account. Just a thought.

[tiktok]

welshprincess, I really don't think it matters if midwives and HVs have children or not. Or it shouldn't matter. I don't agree that it's 'a good thing' in itself, but I agree with you that gaps in an HV's training can be filled by what she alone experienced, which may not be at all appropriate for the client. There is no substitute for decent training.

[suzi2]

Thanks for the info. I also don't think it matters that you have no kids welshprincess. Birthdaycake, I understand that different babies/mums different advice but the advice is SO different for some and also includes things that may be considered dangerous such as recommending a 6 wk old is given babyrice. Booktheif that was my feeling too which is why I was wondering what training they had to back that up. Experience is all very well, but I would have thought the had some training, guidelines, practices etc to stick to too.

Oh, I really can't understand that there isn't compulsory training in breastfeeding??? How can a HV then help with problems or advise??? Madness!