Charlie

[tonicha]

Just seen him on skype again and he is now beginning to look more like himself, rather than a carbon copy of Oliver.

BUT, I am steaming, well as much as I can raise some energy, on Julia's behalf and although she's calmed down, she is also pretty mad.

A lady from the local clinic came round earlier this week, as they've been discharged by the midwife.

She was there was an hour and a half, asked so many personal questions, as in where were you both born, what sort of family life did you have, have you ever been in care, have you eve been abused, do you know any-one who has been abused., are you parents alive, where are they, if still alive, what sport of help do you have etc etc

Julia said that she stopped her from asking any more questions, because as she said, this is totally irrelevant to Charlie.

Yes, but I need to know this for your case files.

And can I see Charlie, to make sure he hasn't any bruises?

This was the last straw for Julia - she stripped him off, the woman made a note that there weren't any signs of abuse and was shown the door.

Is this normal, now, over in England?? I'm horrified.

As Julia said, we thought we'd better answer the questions, as no doubt, we'd be held to be obstructive and unhelpful.

We decided that the social workers (although this woman said she wasn't one) need more ethnic babies to make up their quota for adoption. That's the only thing we can thing of.

Sorry for going off on one, I'm so mad at the attitude and the fact that Julia and Sean felt they had to actually have to answer that type of question.

[Ally]

Oh my gosh Ton that sounds awful!

Things have indeed changed.

Whenever my midwife came round we'd strip the babies down to their nappies as a matter of course whilst she weighed them in the portable sling thing she brought with her.

For all I know even back then she could have been surreptitiously looking for any signs of things not being right.

Although I'd like to think this was not so.

Glad to hear Charlie's doing well Ton.

[meriad]

Good Lord - that is quite astounding.... I have no idea if that's the norm her or not Ton; but if that is then that's shocking! Don't blame Julia and you for being spitting mad; I would be to!

Jeez, whatever next?

[tonicha]

As she said, stripping him down for the midwife was not an issue - but they've been discharged by the midwife now.

There is one more visit from this so-called health visitor, or at least another health visitor - she's had two different ones so far

[saundra]

That is disgusting I would feel like complaining but then if you do you could be classed as abusive
Or something
K never had any problem with her health visitor we'll I don't think so but then again I didn't ask
But she did only see the midwife once that was disgusting I thought
Julie will probably never see her again I hope not

[Kaz]

I have never heard of this before How horribly upsetting for Julia

[tonicha]

We thought, maybe because of her ethnic background, this may be the reason.

But in saying that, there was no problem with Oliver.

Maybe she was just unlucky with the health visitor and had a slightly over-zealous one.

[TheOstrich]

I suspect the best spin you can put on it is that it was a box-ticking exercise ......nevertheless, I wouldn't have been in any way a happy bunny about it, but what can you do other than hold your tongue.

I think that Government departments are getting more and more intrusive whenever you deal with them.

[Kaz]

Maybe she was just unlucky with the health visitor and had a slightly over-zealous one.

I think this is probably the reason