Worried about cleanliness of house for newborn

[lozzareeves]

Me and my partner are expecting a baby on the 6th of feb, we are planning on moving soon but the house she lives in is a state.
The carpet doesnt look like its been hoovered since the 70s, there's is junk and clutter in nearly every corner, the kitchen is thick grease on what looks like has never been cleaned, there isnt a single open space on the worktops and is just covered in rubbish that hasnt been thrown and other junk, the bathroom is covered in pubic hairs and has marks in the toilet, sink and bath and there's dust everywhere.

Will the health visitor report the house or am i being overdramatic?
Id like her to come to mine for the visit but I dont think she will.

 

[Teri7489]

Have you ever spoken to her about it? HV's may say something if it's dangerous or at the point of flies/maggots and a general risk to health. They won't usually comment on how tidy a house is. They also only visit the house the mother (therfore the baby) is registered at. Could you maybe help her get it in good shape for your baby coming. It will only get more difficult when the little one is here and housework is usually the last thing people want to do when you are exhausted. gl x

 

[Lucasmum]

Is there any reason you cant do the cleaning if you are going to be living there as well

My flat is a tip its to small and is cluttered and sometimes I dont hoover for days HV has never said anything

 

[lozzareeves]

Its her parents house, not her's.

 

[Teri7489]

Unless you can either clean it or have a discussion about it the HV will see it. Usually they are focused on the baby, the temp of the house, if anyone smokes etc so shouldnt really comment. If you want your partner and baby to be seen at yours she will have to register at her gp surgery with your address otherwise they wont come out to you. Usually after the initial midwife visits up to day 10 the HV only visits once or twice then asks you to take baby to the surgery rather than keep having home visits x

 

[MindUtopia]

There is normal messy and then there is unhealthy messy. We certainly have clutter, some things on the counters in the kitchen, maybe dishes from last night in the sink, a few pots to be washed on the stove, but it's nothing a good clean wouldn't fix and it's not unsafe. If the whole counter is covered with old food and unwashed dishes and bathrooms are genuinely dirty beyond what's normal, yes, they might say it's an issue. I'm assuming you're just living their temporarily and you could always just say that to the HV and say you know it needs to be cleaned, but it's not your house and you can't keep it clean yourself. If you acknowledge it's a problem and have a plan for how you won't carry on living there with baby, then they are likely to be understanding and not see it as too big of a deal, unless it's seriously unsafe, like a fire hazard. But if you are living there too, is there not a reason why you can't clean it? I mean, I know it's not your house, but I wouldn't want to live somewhere dirty and my husband and I would just clean it so it was nice for when the HV came. But yes, they will flag up concerns if there are safety issues, so best to address it if it's more than just a normal level of messiness.

 

[LoveCakes]

I'd be more concerned about the baby than the HV. I know the baby will be in the cot and not in the floor much but her talking to her parents about getting the house clean should be a priority.

The HV won't mind a bit of mess, they'll be concerned about health risks. I'd say the kitchen would at least need done if you plan to make bottles or sterilise feeding equipment there

 

[noon_child]

I was worried about the HV being our house but she only came in to the lounge to talk to me (she was more concerned with my history of depression and anxiety) so she didn't see the kitchen or bathroom.

Mould, unsecured chemicals, animal or human faeces, would be my top concerns.

However if the baby is going to be living there I don't think you should try to hide the mess - maybe it will be useful to have someone impartial there who you can ask about whether it is going to be a health risk to the baby, what can be done to improve the situation, and what you don't need to worry about.