Premature Baby

[CarlaK]

Hi. I was wondering if there were any other mum's who have had premature babies. I would love to know and chat with you as sometimes all the advice and books don't apply to our tiny ones!
Ella was born at 32 weeks weighing 3lb 8oz, with various medical complications. She is doing really well now but all the advice in the baby books tell me she should be doing various things when she is not. I am genuinely not bothered that she isn't doing what she is 'supposed to,' but sometimes it is hard to get relevant advice. It took the HV some time to realise that she wasn't chronically underweight, you just put them on the weight chart from the date they were supposed to be born. So Ella is actually 46 weeks old but you put her on the chart for 38; otherwise she falls off the bottom of the scale!!
She is still in 0-3 vests but she is gorgeous. I'm sick of other people saying,' Oh, she's not long born,' 'Or, she's not very old is she?' Actually she is 10 months old!
I read all the advice on here avidly and find it really useful; but for example, you are not supposed to wean until 6 months old; is that 6 months born for a prem or 6 months from their predicted birth date. I was told by the doctor to wait until she was 8 months old but my little gannet couldn't wait that long for food!!!!
She has hydrotherapy and still can't sit up; yet she has started to pull herself up and stand!!! The physio's are trying to give her exercises to sit up yet she completely ignores that and stands instead. I just think it would be nice/helpful to contact other mums who have gone through the same stages etc. PM or posts would be fine.
CarlaK

[noababy]

Hi! As far as mums to preemies, the only one I remember off the top of my head is cole.


I can't help you as far as personal experience, but a couple of things. First all babies have a very different age range for doing things, especially preemies.

The same way some babies wean at 4 months , some at 5 and some at 6 or 7 (non preemies i am talking about), the same probably holds true with preemies. If you find she is hungry and looking for food (ready for it-opens mouth for it, takes food off spoon instead of you emtying it into her mouth), then I would check again with doc/hv and explain this to him/her. Still though at this age for all babies (up to year), milk/formula is their most important nutrition.

Don't pay attention to people who make comments about your LO's size-big deal. Either that or say, no she is actually two, with a straight face of course and see how offensive they can then get and then have a good laugh to yourself at all these stupid people butting their noses in ...



The age you should be going for with a preemie, is their age had they been born on time not early, but even then like I said babies are all different and do things at different speeds.

Most importantly if she is happy and developing and advancing, I would not worry too much at all about guidlines.

Lots of luck and you'll find lots of helpful mums on here.

[cole]

Hi Carlak
My Georgia was born at 31 weeks. I have found it hard knowing what age to go by and have learnt (most of the time) to go by my baby. I was advised to start weaning at 17 weeks due to reflux (uncorrected age) but she wasn't ready. I generally go by her actual age apart from things like walking, sitting crawling etc cause there isn't a right or wrong age to start them.

Georgia is 16 months and didn't crawl till over a year and still not walking. I know what you mean about weight and size. Georgia wears 6-9 months and was born at 3lb. People always call her a little dolly.

Feel free to PM me. xx

[chipmonkey]

My ds3 was born at 32 weeks and was 5lb 3oz at birth. The advice a paediatrician at the hospital gave me was that weaning onto solids should take place 6 months after the birth date, not the due date because their iron stores are depleted at that stage. The only difference was that at 4 months corrected I gave him purees, whereas at 6 months corrected he would have been able for finger foods etc.
I wouldn't worry too much about your little one as all babies do things at different times anyway. Even when using corrected age, ds3 was a little slower to walk and talk than my older boys. He's 2.8 now (corrected) and never shuts up!

[Bear]

Hi
thomas was born three weeks early - so not very prem - i was 2 days off about 37 weeks. But even so he was 7 pound 4.5 oz so i dread to think what he would have been full term!!!! He's never been small like all your lo's and has grown really fast, to give you an idea his winter clothes are 18 m-2 years as his legs are so long - his daddy is 6ft3 so i think this has something to do with it. Over the weekend we got a charity bag for alderhey hosp and i put lots of his old clothes in, including all the tiny baby gro's and vests etc and i couldnt believe he used to fit into them!! ive kept lots of outfits that i couldnt bear to part with - too cute and precious!!! He now weighs 25 pound and my arms really feel it!!
xx

[victoria9bunny]

My son arrived at 36 weeks and my daughter arrived a bit earlier at 34 weeks. Matthew was absolutely fine but India had to spend a bit of time in scbu. We've had conflicting advice most of the time but I think Susie hits the nail on the head when she said they are all individuals and do things at their own pace. For weaning we were told we had to go by India's corrected age but when it came to hearing tests which she's finally passed them all they originally did them by birth date before moving on to her corrected age. India is doing really well, my only worry is she seems a little dinky compared to other babies her age but then their mummies and daddies are a different height to oh and I so I shouldn't worry, not sure about which centile she is on, the hv always messes this up but she was 22lb a couple of weeks ago.

[jules06]

Lauren was born 5 weeks early and as I am a diabetic they expected her to be big, but she was 5lb 120z (perfect control of diabetes does work and doesn't mean a big baby)

She was in scbu for 2 weeks due to her saturation levels being a bit haywire and not putting on weight quickly enough initially and to try and establish breastfeeding !!..

Anyway due to reflux she has been under a paediatrician every 3 months and we were told that by a year she should catch up. All other things to use her uncorrected age.

We noted that she is behind in her development really by about her premature age. She sat up later and crawled later and is only just starting to walk around the furniture, she will walk everywhere with you holding her hands but wont make that step to standing on her own. However I think part of it is laziness.

She has gone through spells of being really ill and that sets her back. Shes small for her age and at times weight was an issue.

For weaning you go by there actual age not the predicted birth date, the same goes for immunisation.

Her little friend at nursery was prem and is way ahead of her running around and everything so it goes to show, each are different and will do what they should do when they do it.. Laurens cousin crawled at 6 months and walked at 8 months!!!

[cole]

Originally Posted by jules06

We noted that she is behind in her development really by about her premature age. She sat up later and crawled later and is only just starting to walk around the furniture, she will walk everywhere with you holding her hands but wont make that step to standing on her own. However I think part of it is laziness.

Georgia is the same - she just not interested in walking alone. She gets her laziness from her Daddy hee hee xx

[jules06]

Lol, Cole lauren also takes after her daddy with the laziness.... I know there is nothing wrong with her physically, so she will do it, just in her own time whenever that will be... sure the same with Georgia

One good thing, at least we still have some time before we have those second pair of eyes in the back of our heads

[cole]

Thats what I say. She still my little baby at the moment. When I look after my niece who is walking (shes 12 months) it is a nightmare cause she can get to everything! And Georgia is scared of her - really scared!

V9B - Dont worry about India being small - Georgia is still only about 20lbs. Tiny like me! She now fits in 9-12 month clothes YAY!