"Bad advice"

My baby was having an almost completely sleepless night phase and being very fussy with bottles. My HV had told me previously if I felt I needed her to phone in the morning and if possible she would try and get out to me in the afternoon.

I called one morning having had an hour’s sleep and feeling unable to cope and like I didn’t know what I was doing. My baby and I were both distressed. My HV told me on the phone I was doing fine and to phone again tomorrow if I wanted. I hadn’t called for help before but felt I was palmed off and so this put me off calling back. My HV called the next day and left a message saying she had spoken to another member of staff and if I wanted advice I could speak to that staff member. I felt that this member of staff was abrasive, impatient and rude and was the last person I’d want to talk to. When I arrived at the session with her, she immediately started what I felt was a passive aggressive rant about mothers who wean earlier than 6 months which I felt was obviously aimed at me. I feel this because she used exact quotes of conversations I’d had with my health visitor and also I was one of the few remaining mums who had stuck out the sessions which I found humiliating and stressful.

This continued for the whole session and made me increasingly upset. The staff member also told me my baby was clearly teething and I should rub olbas oil on my baby's gums. She repeated this advice several times until questioned by a student who was sitting in on the session to which she replied yes olbas oil, well something oil. After the session I discovered olbas oil was toxic when ingested, especially by infants. Towards the end of the session, my baby was rolling over and smiling at the staff member, babbling and then let out an excited squeal, as she’s just learned to do. The staff member said to my baby hiy you, enough of that or I’ll know lumps out you and gestured punching the palm of her hand.

I can’t quite believe she is still practising. I had already stuck out 3 weeks of what I felt was her accusing any mum who asked for clarification of not listening, threatening to test us on what she’d (badly) been through in the session and being generally unapproachable. I do not believe I am alone in my thinking as in the 3 weeks I attended the turnout went from 8 mums, to 2. A friend also experienced her and agreed.