Six months three weeks..

I'm sitting up - albeit a little wobbly and have a cushion in waiting... and I'm eating anything I can get my hands on...

Baptism in France

There is an interesting article about a Baptism in France on This French Life's site here.

Mum and Toddler Group, Montpellier

Come over to the PIG - parent and infant group of Montpellier
- we have a new website here.
Meeting on Wednesdays in Castelnau le Lez , just outside Montpellier.

Bad back

One of the bad sides of a c-section is the bad back afterwards.... (you've lost your stomach muscles to hold everything together...)

I've been trying hard to walk to school to get the big sister, at least twice a day (i.e. nearly 4.5kms a day) to drop a few post baby pounds. But, this has set off some aches in my lower back / pelvis.

The GP gives me a prescription (not needed I find actually) to go to the physiotherapist - you are allowed, free, 10 appointments at the kiné under your maternity cover - so off I go.

If I'm lucky I get a lovely massage and the tens machine, after I've had a hot bag of cherry stones to warm up the muscles placed on my back for 10 mins.
If I'm not so lucky: 10 mins on the bike, then on my back for stomach / leg / breathing movements and then on all fours for arms and legs out in front and behind.

Actually the day after I feel worse than before... so I hope it's doing some good! - the massage is great though! I've just go to remember to hold in my stomach when I walk (not easy!)

Look what I can do: 4.5 months

4 month check up

Off to the local GP again for the 4 month check up. Eloise now weighs 6.69kg, is 61cm tall and has a head circumferance of 41cm.

For the last few days she's had pretty dry and spotty skin on her tummy and chest - I've tried a few different creams but nothing seems to work... the doctor says it's ezcema from her having very dry skin - so we are prescribed Dexeryl cream and she suggests that we buy some savon surgras - which I find in the chemist in the form of a tube of gel /soap from Mustela

Within 48hrs all the spots / dry stuff is gone - really pleased... we still have quite a problem with cradle cap which is rather unsightly and now Eloise can manage to get her extra sharp little nails to the back of her head to scratch which is annoying.

During the doctor's visit we also have the third and last of the vaccinations - which I've just had to go and buy from the chemist - and due to the fact that our mutuelle still isn't up to date for Eloise (either blame the mutuelle or husband's company for not getting their act together) I have to pay the 'top up' and will claim it back later... So I know that the cost of the 2 vaccinations are actually Euro85 and I pay Euro29 for this.

I also get a prescription for the weekly vitamin K capsules she's been having since birth. We gave up on the daily clementine flavoured vit c after the first week as she kept 'sicking' them up! (mind you, so did Alicia when she had them 4 years ago!)

We don't have to return to the doctor monthly now, unless there is a problem with Eloise (with Alicia we went to the pediatrician, each month until she was over a year old - which now thinking back, was totally unnecessary and expensive at Euro40 - odd a go)

We do have to have a medical check during her 9th month to continue claiming child benefit money... a reminder is sent for this and a paper for this can be found in the back of the carnet de sante.

The doctor also said we could start feeding Eloise fruit puree now - but I want to hold off a little longer...

Euro27 for the visit to the doctor...

Packing List for the clinique

I've just added that here.