What is a health visitor?
A health visitor is a qualified nurse or midwife who has completed specialist training in children and family health. They offer support and advice regarding the wellbeing of your child until the school years.
What care does your health visitor provide?
Your health visitor will provide you with specialist up-to-date advice and support on many health and wellbeing topics such as:
- your own support after the birth of your baby
- child development – sleep, speech and language, behaviour and school readiness
- assistance with the various aspects of being a parent
- providing information on childhood immunisations
- breastfeeding
- formula feeding
- weaning
- promoting oral health
- safety – reducing accidents
- minor ailments
- Building community connections
- Promoting good mental health and wellbeing of the whole family
When will I meet my Health visitor?
The health visitor will contact you between 32-34 weeks of pregancy to introduce the service.
What can I ask my health visitor?
Please feel free to ask your health vistior any questions you have at any time. Health visiting teams spend a lot of time on home visits but all health visiting teams have answer phones and will aim to get back to you as soon as possible.
If you have concerns and can not get in touch with your health visitor immediatedly, contact your GP surgery or NHS24 on 111.
Babies born from May 2017 will be on the new Universal Health Visiting Pathway
Useful links
- Let’s Talk Speech and Language Website
- Your Health Visiting Service: Information for New Parents
- NHS Lothian patient information
Edinburgh Infant Food Insecurity Pathway
The Edinburgh Infant Food Insecurity Pathway supports families in Edinburgh with infants under 12 months who are in financial crisis
and cannot afford infant formula, offering clear steps to access safe, reliable nutrition and timely and sustainable help. It
follows national guidance “Guide to Responding to and Preventing Infant Food Insecurity in Scotland”, to ensure infants
receive safe, uninterrupted nutrition and connects families with wider support.
The pathway was developed in partnership with NHS Lothian, H&SCP and community organisations in Edinburgh.
You can download the pathway here.
