I'm not a hypochondriac honest!

Before I became pregnant I hardly ever went to the doctors. I'd soldier on and self medicate.

When I became pregnant I swore I wouldn't be the type of mummy who is at the docs every 5 mins with their child over every little sniffle.

Since I'd had Immie all this has gone out the window. Some months we seem to be at the docs every week. (not always for Immie, but for me too!)

I can't work out if we're picking up every sort of illness going or if I just worry more?

Poor Immie hasn't been well for a month. She's had a nasty cough and cold that she just can't seem to shake. We have been to the docs a couple of times and had amoxicillin a couple of times (1 for ear infection and 1 because I think the doc wanted to get rid of me for a week or so!)

But last night her temperature was up and down. One minute boiling, the next shivering. Calpol didnt appear to fix it, so I phoned out of hours doctor. I was told to give her Ibuprofen instead, then take her to the our of hours surgery at the hospital.

When we arrived Immie insisted on waving at every poorly person in the waiting room, then she did some clapping, which had the whole waiting room giggling. I passed her, her Emily toy (that crinkles and rattles) she grabbed it in her arms and said "ahhhhhhh" at which point the whole waiting room said "ahhhhhhhhhh"! She wasn't doing a very good job of looking ill. But right on cue she did a nasty cough, so I felt justified in being there.

After a 45 minute wait we saw a very lovely doctor (according to my husband his badge said he was a paediatric specialist which was good). He examined Immie (who was of course the perfect angel and didn't look ill at all! See http://mamastokes.blogspot.com/2010/08/why-do-babies-behave-for-doctors.html) He concluded she had a lot of fluid behind her ears which was pushing on her ear drums (hence she was pulling her ears), the snot and cough was all linked to this too. He said he thought she'd probably had a couple of colds, hence it was lasting so long but that as it was viral, there was nothing he could prescribe. Just keep giving paracetemol and ibuprofen and ride it out.

So there we have it, the magic words that all docs seem to be obsessed with "Viral". I am convinced viral is a code word for "The NHS needs to save money, so you're not getting anything on prescription, its just a cold, go home, give them over the counter stuff and ride it out."

At least I know I'm not making it up now or being a fussy mummy. I just hope my poor baby shakes this soon. Apart from anything else, Im having to wash her snot caked bedding twice a week!!!

Mama xx