What is a health visitor?

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What is a health visitor?

What does a health visitor do? 

When will I start seeing my health visitor? 

Weighing your baby

Your baby’s ‘red book’

How many appointments will I have?

What can I ask my health visitor about?

What happens at health visitor development reviews?

Can I ask to change my health visitor?

How do I find the number for my local health visitor?

Other places to find support

 

What is a health visitor?

Health visitors are registered nurses or midwives who have had additional training in public health nursing. They will support you, and your partner if you have one, from pregnancy usually until your child is 5 years old.  

Health visitors work closely with midwives, practice nurses and GPs, and community services to be there for you while you adjust to becoming a parent and answer any questions you may have.  

They are based in children’s centres or family hubs, GP surgeries, and community or health centres. They will offer you support in these local services as well as at your home.  

Health visitors are there to help you, not judge you. Don’t worry about how you look or whether they will think your house is untidy when they visit – that is completely normal with a new baby.

What does a health visitor do?

A health visitor’s role is to support the health and development of babies and children, usually until they are 5 years old. They can also support your health and wellbeing as a parent.

They can give you help and advice on anything from feeding, routines, immunisations, and contraception, to your emotional and mental health. They can also offer:  

• advice on your child’s growth and development
• advice about safe sleep and sudden infant death
• parenting support for mums, dads and carers
• information on local support networks such as antenatal classes, parenting groups and breastfeeding support  
• information and advice on minor illnesses, seeking further medical support and preventing accidents
• help with maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including services such as stopping smoking or substance misuse, physical activity and healthy diets
• support with sexual health and relationships.

Your health visitor can also help you find specialised help with difficulties such as:  

• antenatal and postnatal depression and anxiety
• unemployment, financial worries and homelessness
• bereavement  
• an unhappy, abusive or violent relationship
• family conflict
• serious illness in you, your child or your wider family
• support with hospital admissions, including your baby being admitted to the neonatal unit or A&E
• disability, whether this is relevant for you, your child or the wider family
• settling into a new culture for families new to the UK.  

If you have a concern or query about your health or anything that is happening in your life, you can talk to your health visitor about it. You will probably have lots of questions so don’t be afraid to ask as many as you need to. If you don't understand or remember the answer, you can ask again.

“As a new mum with a baby, I was worried about asking silly questions or that I was doing something wrong. My son had been in hospital and lost weight. I was worried about his feeding to the point I was very anxious that he was getting enough. My health visitor was great and checked in regularly. I felt like she was there for me as much as for my son and that was hugely reassuring.”

Hannah

When will I start seeing my health visitor?

Your health visitor will usually offer to come and see you before your baby is born. This may be offered at any point from 28 weeks. If it is not possible for you to have a home visit you may be offered online or group support instead.

Together, you can discuss how your pregnancy is going, what support you might need when you become a new parent and any questions you have.  

In your baby's early months, your health visitor will support you with:

• support on the neonatal unit if your baby is premature or sick
• breastfeeding or formula-feeding
• registering the baby’s birth
• coping with illnesses and when to seek further medial support
• your baby’s immunisations
• recognising the signs of postnatal depression and anxiety, plus when and how to ask for help  
• bedtime routines and safe sleeping
• how your baby is developing, both physically and emotionally
• communicating and playing with your baby
• healthy eating and vitamin supplements for the whole family
• your physical and emotional postnatal recovery
• your relationship with your baby and your partner, if you have one.

Weighing your baby

Your baby will be weighed by a health visitor by the time they’re 2 weeks old. It’s normal for babies to lose some weight in the first few days after birth. They should be at or above their birth weight again by 3 weeks.

If your baby is slow in regaining their weight, your health visitor can support you with feeding your baby and advise you on when to see your doctor.  

If your baby is growing and developing well, then they should be weighed by a health visitor no more than:

• once a month from 2 weeks to 6 months
• every 2 months from 6-12 months
• every 3 months over 1 year old.

Your baby’s growth will be recorded in their Personal Child Health Record (red book). Learn more about these growth charts on the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health website.    

Your health visitor will let you know where and when to get your baby weighed. If you have any worries about your baby, including their growth or feeding, contact your health visitor for support and advice.  

Your baby’s ‘red book’

Your health visitor will  usually give you your baby's Personal Child Health Record (PCHR), sometimes called a ‘red book’ because of its cover, around the time of their birth. In some areas, the hospital may give you your baby's red book or it may be available online.

This is a great resource and contains lots of helpful information and advice for you as a parent. You can also record key information about your baby, which is fun and useful to look back on when they are growing up.  

There is a section where you can make notes about what you want to ask professionals when you see them, or note what they said. After appointments, you can ask the professional to write a summary in the red book, to remind you of what was said.

The PCHR lets you keep a record of your baby's immunisations and information on their growth and development. You can add details yourself about your baby's milestones, any illnesses or accidents they’ve had or any medicines they’ve taken.

How many appointments will I have?

Your health visitor will see you for scheduled visits at various stages during your baby's early years. If you have a partner, it’s a good idea if you can both be there for each visit. This will give you both the opportunity to ask questions and talk about anything you would like to discuss.  

Every family is different, but there are some visits from the health visitor service that are offered to all families as part of the National Healthy Child Programme. These include:

• an antenatal visit at about 28 weeks
• a new birth visit when the baby is about 10 to 14 days old
• a support visit at 6 to 8 weeks after the birth,  
• a development review at 9 to 12 months old
• a developmental review at 2 to 2 ½ years old.

In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, you may be offered additional visits. Ask your health visitor about your local service and what you can expect.

“We run child health clinics for growth monitoring and support, as well as extra home visits to families if needed. We often have meetings with other professionals such as GPs, social workers and those working in children’s centres. It is a flexible service and is led by the needs of the child and what support the parents feel they need.” 

Kate, health visitor  

Most teams have a ‘duty’ number so if you are not able to get in touch with your health visitor you can still call and speak to someone for support.

Read more about the early appointments your baby will have.

What can I ask my health visitor about?

Your health visiting team can offer support and advice on a wide range of topics about your baby, you or the wider family. These may include anything covered above, plus:

• your baby's skin, including dry skin, fungal rashes, nappy rash and cradle cap
• feeding and vitamins, including breastfeeding, formula feeding and introducing solid foods
• bonding with your baby
• your baby's behaviour
• growth and development, including, play, communication, and hearing
• your baby's umbilical stump
• sleeping
• nappies
• reflux
• colic
• eyes, including “sticky” eyes and squints
• your family’s emotional and mental health  
• wider support for you and your family, including housing, finance and access to family help services
• where to access support for specific issues, conditions and disabilities.

Remember that they are there to help and support you in between your scheduled visits, especially if you are struggling emotionally, or in any other way. Tell your health visitor about any concerns, including any worries about your or your partner’s physical or emotional health.  

“I would always offer appointments or visits so the parent has a safe, confidential space to talk about how they’re feeling with no judgement. There are lots of different services available depending on where you live which your health visitor will be able to talk to you about. They may also ask for your consent to let your GP know how you are feeling so that both professionals can work together to support you.” 
 

Kate, health visitor

What happens at health visitor development reviews?

As your baby grows into a toddler, your health visitor will help to make sure their development is healthy. They should offer you a review when your little one is about a year old, and another one when they’re about 2 years old.

They’ll start by sending you a questionnaire, asking how your baby or toddler is doing with things like language, eating, behaviour and safety. Then they’ll spend time with you and your little one to make sure everything is well.

These reviews help to check if your baby or toddler is developing healthily. If you or your health visitor have any concerns, they’ll offer you extra support.

You don’t have to wait for these reviews to see your health visitor. If you’re worried your little one isn’t meeting their milestones – or have any other concerns – you can ask your health visitor at any time.

Can I ask to change my health visitor?

Yes, you can speak with the team leader of the health visitor team and ask for a new health visitor. You should be able to contact the team leader on the duty number. Be aware that there may be a bit of a delay to your care while this is organised.

You don’t have to see a health visitor at all if you don’t want to. It’s an optional service. However, most parents find it helpful to get the extra support and information that a health visitor can offer.

How do I find the number for my local health visitor?

Your health visitor’s contact details should be provided when you first meet them. They’ll also be written in your red book.

Alternatively, you can contact your GP or search online for ‘health visitor near me’ to find health visitors in your area.  

You may find it hard to get hold of your health visitor at times due to staff shortages. Some health visitors may have responsibility for lots of children over a large area.

Most teams have a ‘duty’ or a centralised number, so if you are unable to get hold of your health visitor then you should be given a number you can call to speak with the duty health visitor.  The nursery nurses/staff nurses would be contactable by this same number.

Other places to find support

Your health visitor is not an emergency service, if you or your baby is unwell then you should contact your GP or call NHS 111 for advice at any time. There is also good advice available on the NHS website.

You can also find support and services through your local Sure Start children’s centre, if you live in England, or your local surgery or clinic.  

Once your child is over 5 years old, you can always speak to their school, or your GP, if you have any concerns about their development.

The charity Family Lives also provides support and information for parents and carers of children of all ages.