Cover that welt, we're off to the Child Health Nurse

Getting ready to visit the Child Heath Nurse (CHN or MCHN for you east coasters) the other day, I was mentally preparing myself to be told I was doing everything wrong.

Our CHN home visit had gone relatively smoothly if you don't count the part where I was told off for feeding Bobbin to sleep. I felt like saying "Dude, she's 9 days old! Feeding takes all her energy!!". I don't know if it was because I was still in a post birth euphoric state but I managed not to roll my eyes and instead I did the whole smile and nod thing.

Tricky's CHN was a lovely lady. She was helpful and non-judgmental. But I knew we weren't seeing her and the horror stories from almost every other person I'd spoken to had me worried I'd either leave in tears or ready to punch someone. Or both.

I shared my fears over on the Facebook page and asked what you all thought of Child Health Nurses. It seemed to be an all or nothing phenomenon - they're either amazing and full of friendly, helpful advice or horrid creatures handing out misguided advice and designed to make you feel like the worst mother in the world.

My nervousness increased when, on getting Tricks and Bobbin out of the house I managed to DROP MY KEYS ON HER HEAD creating a lovely red welt. Mother of the year, right here.

Luckily the welt disappeared on the drive over so I wasn't marked as "neglectful key dropping mother". Instead we got off to a different and slightly less welt inducing start when I got told her wondersuit was too small - I swear it fit her two days ago so I didn't look when I dressed her! My bad. But except for pulling me up on the wardrobe malfunction, I was blindsided by her awesome attitude.

She wasn't numbers obsessed. It was up to me whether we weighed and measured her because "she looks healthy and it's obvious she is growing" and then I got told that as long as it's going in one end and coming out the other fairly regularly that all is well - which is pretty much my whole philosophy for checking if my kids are OK. Then she gave tips on how to have tummy time safe from the feet of a boisterous toddler - on my knees, who knew?

She didn't even bat an eye when she found out I was in to placenta encapsulation.

So it appears that our CHN falls in to the first category: friendly and full of practical advice. PHEW. I don't really see the point of going unless there is something of concern or a question to ask, but when she booked me in for the next appointment there and then I couldn't quite bring myself to say no seeing as she had been so awesome. Oh well.

Got a fabulous/horror CHN story?