Hi my daughter was born at 35 weeks as dates go but paedatrician thinks she was about 34 weeks!

she was a good weight (5 70z) but not too suprised at that as my last baby was 9lb 4oz!

Anyway, she doing well though she colicky and grouchy from about 4pm till midnight! However, she not really smiling as such yet. She will be 6 weeks on tues. My others smiled at about 3 to 4 weeks. she is otherwise very alert and looks intentley at me but no smiles. I thought she did the other day but it wa wind!!!!!

Do early babies reach milestones as they should or age corrected???

Thanks

denise x

Hi Denise, Kenny was 7 weeks early and started smiling at about 8 weeks, although didnt start smiling in response to us playing with him until he was about 15 weeks and now he is smiling all the time. When it comes to development I go by his corrected age.

Kenny also had colic in the evenings and its hard work but it will pass, I used Infacol but it didnt really help.

Denise
x

Apparently with prem babies development is based on corrected age. I got this advice on here by other Mums. Kara was born at 34+4 weeks. Can't remember exactly the week she smiled though. They say that their development catches up by the time they reach 2. I'm sure the difference to a full term baby development wise will not even be noticed.

I also used Infacol for Kara when she had a bit of colic and I found this worked well. It effects all babies different. I hope it passes soon for you.

Louise

Hey my boys were born at 35 weeks and were always 5 weeks behind milestones until they were 10 months by then they have caught up. hv used corrected age (ie gave them an extra 5 weeks) and said its not unusual for them to be slightly behind until they are 2 so dont worry- tho i did when at 7 months they still werent sitting up but now you would never know xxDBxx

Morgana was born at 32+5 at 3lb 4oz and didn't smile properly until she was at least 12 weeks old. I was also for the longest time convinced that she had a problem with her eyes as she refused to follow a moving object with them. Then one day when she was about 4 months old she woke up and start tracking objects and showing interest in everything around her. Since then she has come on in leaps and bounds and is only a little bit behind the other babies of her uncorrected age and in some areas like rolling onto her tummy, she has even overtaken some of them. I worried a lot about her development as I had no idea when to expect anything. I find now that she will just do things when she is good and ready and let her get on with things :)
Oh and I also gave her Infacol to help her with her colic and wind and it helped her a lot.

Thanks so much for your replies they have put my mind at rest!

Colic still bad but she has her 6 week check in morning so will speak to doctor then.

thanks again

dx

Hi I am 29 weeks and 5 days. My midwife just said that i will be having my baby early but we dont know when she is realy hopeing that ill make it to 36weeks.

I have been bleeding.. thats why they think ill go into labor early. My midwife and doc said for me to have my bags packed and ready to go for the baby. but i realy hope i make it all the way to the end.

Its a very worrying time for you but try to relax, put your feet up and dont lift a finger. There are another couple of girls on this site going through the same just now too. What the doctors can do for premature babies is amazing. Babies are surviving at 24 weeks and going on to become healthy toddlers.

I really hope your bubba decides its nicer in the warm tummy and stays put.
xxxx

hi victoriaw, i am too at risk of premi labour my daughter has already tried at 27 weeks,all the ladies on here are so lovely and really helped to put my mind at rest.
xxxx

Victoria don't worry about going early as the survival rate is great for prem babies. You are well into your labour as well and I have seen babies being born at 29/30 weeks and are coming on brilliant. There were a couple of babies in the Neo Natal when Kara was there and they were born at 30 weeks and were great. There was 1 boy and he was born at 24 weeks and survived. I think he is almost a year now. He was in for a couple of months but was coming on great when we left Neo Natal.

I hope your lo stays in longer but don't worry if it happens. Everything will turn out fine and the staff at the hospitals are more than able to cope with this.

my baby was born at 27 weeks 5 days weighing 1 pound 10 ounces she was in hospital for 90 days. she is now a 14 week old bouncing baby the only problem we have is that she is on home oxygen as we didnt have time to get the steroid injections in, she will be on oxygen till her lungs mature. other than that she really is thriving.so try not to worry about your baby coming early the neo natal staff can do amazing things and prem babys are extremely strong too x x

Welcome to the premature baby forum Milliesmummy. Thats great she is doing well. When did she come home from hospital?
xxx

ahhh little millie was tiny. You must be so proud of how well she is doing.
Just wanted to ask if when you all go and get baby weighed does your doctor plot the chart as age adjusted or as the age they are there and then. Mine keep going back 5 weeks and I am confused. Surely he should take her at the weight she is...Ok i understand it will probably look like she is too small for her age but I just feel its complicating her charts.
thanks
d xx

Hi there Dee Dee

Yes my health visitors do age adjust my lo too for his weight - I am glad though as he is just following the 9th centile and if they didn't age adjust him he would be too small and not even on the chart!

It is because those last weeks in the womb they put on LOADS of weight so it is only fair to even the early ones out - glad my lo was early int hat respect as at 34+2 he was born weighing 5lb6 so they reckon he would have been a ten pound woper if he had gone to term! OUCH!

amelia was 35 weeks and weighed 5lb 7oz. Her nearest sibling was 9lb 4 so think she too would have been pretty big!
d x

My friend gave birth to my god daughter at 27+4, two years ago she did absolutely great and was out of hospital after 8wks, however her pediatrician said that as far as development goes they will go off her corrected age until she is two. I think this is good coz it gives premmy babies that chance to catch up its only to be expected that things might progress a little slower. Congrats on ur lil girl by the way. Kerry xxx

My HV always goes by the corrected age as well. Kara was born at 34+4 and still is small for almost 9 months. She only weighed 3lb 12oz at birth so if they took her weight in comparison to when she was born she would underweight. I do agree though it is confusing.

I think Amelia was a good weight as she was my 5th and therefore they get bigger with each one. First was 3 days early at 7lb (girl) then 3 boys ... 3 weeks early 5lb 110z, 1 day early 8lb 14, 2 days late 9lb 4 and then little Amelia at 5 weeks early and 5lb 7oz.. she was soo long but very skinny. No fat on her at all.
I found it hard to not have her by my bed and my hat really goes out to you lot who had to leave hospital without your babies. I was lucky to be in for 8 night due to losing a lot of blood and then suspected DVT.. meant she could come home with me which was lovely.
She gets weighed again on the 18th but think she has slowed right down but as I bf her that is normal. She is healthy and happy..

d x