Just give me the brutal truth

catrionanic

Just to reassure FTMs, I had two public health nurses and they were both really helpful, diligent and kind. Couldn't fault them. Came to see me for extra visits as I was feeling a bit blue, and they also had a drop-in clinic once a week which I could bring baby to for anything at all. There was also a practice midwife who attended all the checks in the house for the first few days, and she was fantastic.

Cash_Q

lazygal wrote:

The alternative is just not having them recording weight and ticking the boxes for developmental checks. If I had had any concerns perhaps they would have been helpful. But I can safely say none of the advice I got was good, and in some cases contradicted what bodies like the WHO current best advice is.

Ok thanks, I'm in a big suburb so I imagine there is an option to ask for someone else if there's a personality clash or I feel they're useless. Certainly with it being my first I wouldn't opt out, especially as there is no alternative.

lazygal

Cash_Q wrote: »

Ok thanks, I'm in a big suburb so I imagine there is an option to ask for someone else if there's a personality clash or I feel they're useless. Certainly with it being my first I wouldn't opt out, especially as there is no alternative.

I've moved to a different area since I had my first so I'm hoping the clinic is better but I struggle to think of one benefit to going to the appointments and having the home visits. Especially second time around when I knew the advice was wrong. I'm glad others have more positive experiences.

Moonbeam

my experience was that childbirth is a doddle compared to pregnancy which was hellish.
Our first PHN was hopeless but then we moved and had a brilliant PHN.

firebird84

I met my new PHN last week (had baby on the 10th) and she's sooo much better than the last one so there's hope for the system yet!