My First 18-Month Checkup: The Process and Atmosphere as It Happened

There are several infant health checkups, aren't there?

In the area where I live, there are a total of six: at 1 month, 3-4 months, 7 months, 18 months, 3 years, and 5 years.

This time it was the 18-month checkup.
Until now, they were individual appointments at medical institutions, but starting this time, they are held at the ward office.

Honestly, I felt a little anxious, wondering what it would be like.

I'll write about the flow and atmosphere of the day as I experienced it,
for those who will be going soon.

*The content may differ slightly depending on the local government,
but I hope this will be helpful for those who are going.

What I did beforehand | Filling out the questionnaire

Before the checkup, there was a questionnaire to answer in advance.

The content was mainly questions that were like a developmental check.

• Does your child walk well on their own?

• Does your child pick up small things like raisins with their fingertips?

• Does your child say a few meaningful words?

• Does your child show interest in other children?

In addition to those,

• Does your child eat breakfast?

• Do you brush your child's teeth for them?

There were also questions about lifestyle habits.

It didn't feel like you had to have everything done perfectly,
it felt like it was fine to just write down how things are nowas they are.

"Does your child eat or drink sweet foods or beverages three or more times a day?"

It seems better to answer "no" to this, but in my daughter's case, it was "yes".

She eats fruit and snacks. I wrote it down honestly.

Flow of the Day | From Reception to Completion

On the day, I submitted the medical questionnaire and the Maternal and Child Health Handbook at the reception desk.

The subsequent flow was like this.

1. Dental checkup

2. Measurement of height, weight, and head circumference

3. Medical examination by a doctor

4. Review of results and consultation with a public health nurse

It finished in about an hour. It was crowded, but everything went very smoothly.

1. The dental checkup that left an impression

At the dental checkup, many children were crying loudly.

It makes sense that they would scream, right?

My daughter also resisted quite a bit, but we finished safely.
I was complimented that her teeth had grown in well and her alignment was beautiful.

In our home, we have incorporated BLW and have valued the importance of chewing well.

That may have led to an improvement in her chewing ability,
and perhaps had a positive influence on the development of her jaw and oral cavity.

I would like to write an article about the relationship between baby food and teeth as well.

2. The measurement time where I felt her growth

Her height was 77.7 cm.

Compared to when she was born, she had grown about 30 cm in just a year and a half.

Seeing it in numbers, I felt once again how amazing cells are.
She is growing properly and surely.

3.4 Interaction with doctors and public health nurses

During the examination by the doctor and the consultation with the public health nurse, there was no atmosphere of being strictly evaluated.

It ended in the blink of an eye, with my child in a good mood the whole time.

At the end of each session, my child would give high-fives or wave goodbye.
Seeing them take the initiative to communicate,
I was surprised to see how much their language comprehension has progressed.

Thoughts after going

I was a bit nervous before going, but once I was actually there,

It felt like a time to check on their current growth together.
That was the impression I got from the checkup.

Rather than whether they can do things well,
I feel that what is important is knowing where they are at in their own way right now.

No FAKE: Be authentic
No LAZE: Be more hardworking than anyone else
No HATE: Do not give yourself the middle finger

I was watching over my daughter with these feelings in mind.

That's right, No No Girls.
January 11th is the day the members of HANA were decided, isn't it? 🌼
The audition was truly moving.

I will continue to support them. 📣

Discovery Journal of Things I Can Do: Eating with a spoon!

Recently, they have become good at eating with a spoon.

I hope this will be of some help to those who are going to their 18-month checkup soon.

Thank you for reading this far. 🍀