Home visit by public health nurse: 7–10 days after the birth
What is a home visit by public health nurse?
A home visit is a visit by a public health nurse between day 7–10 after the birth of your child. During the home visit, you will be given information about the services that are available from the health centre. You can also bring up any topics you are concerned about.
The health centre will contact you to schedule the home visit.
You may contact the health centre yourself, should you need advice and guidance before the home visit.
Who you will meet
- public health nurse
Topics for the home visit
The public health nurse will talk to you about topics such as:
- interaction between you and your child
- childbirth experiences
- daily care for your child
- breastfeeding, vitamins and breast milk substitutes
- your child's sleeping (in Norwegian)
- safety for newborns and infants (in Norwegian)
- parents' wellbeing, mental health and parenthood (in Norwegian)
- social network
- smoking, alcohol and other drug use
- violence, abuse and neglect
Examinations
The public health nurse will examine your child's skin, head, eyes, movement and contact. The child is observed and examined without clothing. The child's weight and head circumference is measured.
Preparations
You may want to think through in advance, and maybe write down, if there are topics you would like to raise.
You have the right to an interpreter should you need one.
Both parents are encouraged to participate.
The Norwegian Directorate of Health. National guideline for health promotion and preventive work in the child and youth health centres and school health service, 0 – 20 years. [Internet]. Oslo: The Norwegian Directorate of Health; 2019 [accessed 2021-02-23].