How important is the 18th month check?

[*Belle*]

we didnt go and get an 18month check for our DD2 - she seems fine the gp says when she sees us and asks us questions etc.

[Nelle]

I wouldn't say the it's the world's most important thing. With #1 (and while #2 was young) I missed heaps of visits, but to be honest it's mostly because I didn't much like my MCHN, I swapped and then the one I did like retired!

But since I've moved, I really love our MCHN and so we've been/talked on the phone a few times. And, just a little anecdote - I took #2 for his 24 month visit thinking it'd be pretty routine, and she wasn't quite satisfied with his eyes and wants us to see an optometrist - so there are things like that that us mere mortals might not pick up on. You might get free stuff too - at 24 months anyway - we got books for both ours.

So yeah - you don't have to, and I know how inconvenient it can be with 2 kids. But, if you have a good MCHN, it could be worth it.

[Rach75]

depends whether you imunise or not you get the chicken pox vac at the 18mth check