9 months

It's been a little while since my last post...

Eloise is now 9 months and 3 weeks old - she's cruising the furniture - eating chunks of anything she can get her hands on (mostly off the floor) and has 2 teeth (the first one of which was rather painful..) and she loves the swimming pool.

This month we have to visit the doctor to have an obligatory 9 month check - there is a sheet in the back of your carnet de sante that has to be completed by the doctor and stamped otherwise you don't receive anymore money from the CAF.

Eloise was generally measured and weighed - questions on the form included "can she play peepo?" (yes) and does she point with her finger? (no) and does she know her name (yes).

We have to go back at 1 year old to have another vaccination.

Cost of visit to doctor Euro27.

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!)

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...

3 month checkup

Back to the normal GP in the village - it's Eloise's three month check. She's measured,: she's 59cms (bang on average) and now weighs 6.1kgs (a little bigger than average) and the page in her carnet de sante is filled in. She's given a quick once over to check she's OK.

She has two lots of injections (one on each cheek of her bum poor thing.) and she screams the place down, yes again. Her big sister, Alicia seems to be in greater pain than Eloise watching this - I have the most rotten cold and think I'm going to die too.

This visit is 100pc paid for by the CPAM - the Euro27 I pay the doctor will be refunded via the carte vitale.

9 weeks old

Still going back and updating the days I've missed - I promise.

Today though, we go to the normal GP in the village - for Eloise's two month check. She's measured,: she's 57cms and now weighs 5.5kgs and the page in her carnet de sante is filled in. Her hips are checked and she is put onto her tummy to see if she pushes up with her hands and holds her head up.

She has two lots of injections (one on each cheek of her bum poor thing.) and she screams the place down. This visit is 100pc paid for by the CPAM - the Euro27 I pay the doctor will be refunded via the carte vitale.

Declaration de Grossesse

I went back to the GP today - with my blood test results in hand - I want to get my paperwork in order so that the Caisse Maladie (CPAM) and CAF (child benefit people) are all informed.

This paper needs to be completed and sent off before the 14 week of pregnancy.

I read on www.magicmaman.fr that the maternity leave minimum in France is 6 weeks before the birth and 10 weeks after - all of which is paid as your full salary, from the social security instead of from your company.

I also nip into the Laboratoire to check on what I need to do for my next blood tests as I am not immune to Toxoplasmosis - I have to be tested each month for this. I'm given a little bottle for the urine test (no eating before) and have to do a blood test too, which I can eat before...

Just to confirm it

I go to our GP today to get a real test done. I'm given a prescription and told to go to the laboratoire d'analysis next door (very handy) straight away as I don't have to have 'starved' myself before this test.

I'm tested for everything from AIDS, to Hep. C, Hep B, & toxoplasmosis. I hand over my Carte Vitale and don't have to pay anything - the laboratoire will do all the claiming of monies directly from the CPAM and my mutuelle

3 years ago when I had this test it was €190.00
Visit to the GP €22.00