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.