Are your premmies still catching up?

[Ronni78]

Hi, I had a premmie back in February.

He's doing pretty well, growing etc but I've noticed some things are still developing that I feel should be... well... already developed.

Like...

He's got almost the same neck control as a newborn and he's 5 1/2 months.

His beautiful eyes are sleepy all the time.

He can't roll or hold himself up on his tummy.

Not very chubby (although he was like a skeleton when he was born)

I know he's caught up on so much in such a short amount of time, and he has done really well...

But I was just wondering if anyone else was going through this?

[3BoysBlue]

Hi Ive got 2 premmies DS1 eventually caught up but about 12mths in every thing but height/weight and speech hes 2 1/2yrs now and where still working to the speech and weight issues but there coming on fine

Ds2 is almost 1 and is now crawling and cruising
he didnt hold hes head up for ages and he wasnt rolling or hold himself on hes tummy until hes 8mths
and hes still not sitting unsupported he had lots of physio and OT to get him where he is now

it sound like hes doing well and coming along great
have you spoken to a pead about your concerns??? they might be about to suggest some things or organise some physio

[naiwen]

Yep mine is,

He is 14 months and was 10 weeks premmie, and he is still catching up. His biggest delays are in eating/growth and speech.

He is still thin but he is healthy now.

How premmie was your boy? mine didnt roll until 6months corrected.

[Ronni78]

He was 5 1/2 wks early - which is not bad as premmies go - but I had terrible gestational diabetes from the beginning.

It was a troubled pregnancy and when he was born, was sick in hospital for 3 weeks.

I know these things take time and as things are, he has made spectacular progress already. But I am so impatient for him to be 100%, you know?

Thanks ladies, it makes me feel better to know that it's not uncommon :shakehands:

[MadCatR]

My DD was 7 weeks early and also born in Feb. With a few things I feel like she has done them early. She babbles lots since about 3 1/2 months but never cooed. But somethings have been a bit delayed (oldest in our mothers group but somethings she is doing a couple months after others), She has only just started holding and grabbing things and putting them to her mouth. She had strong neck muscles from birth but was one of the last to push up on her arms (but hates tummy time I think due to reflux). She didn't smile until almost 3 months and she has't really laughed, only just started making a kind of hicup sound if anything with a smile and arm wave.

I found it difficult because she wasn't prem enough to have follow check ups but then I found that the CHN and GP's really unhelpful in relation as to whether her being prem may be the reason for something.

I am focussing on whether she is progressing in any small way as a sign things are good, I have also found that she will not do something for a long time then suddenly skip a step or two and do it, so maybe its just her.

If you feel that something is not right get it checked until your happy with the answer. Trust your mother's intuition.

Oh yeah and I still find my DD really sleepy. the longest she has been awake for in a row is 3 hours and that is only a handful of times when she's been sick, she often falls asleep drinking her bottle and shows all the 'tired' signs after being up half an hour, but this is slowly improving.

[twinmumma]

hi, my twin boys were ten weeks prem born in december, they are definately smaller than others their age but quite close in other development eg. rolling, head up, almost crawling etc. i noticed their constant sleepyness too but that wore off when they were about 3 months old. can i ask.. are your prem babies breastfed?? ive often wondered how much difference that makes. mine are both fully breastfed from birth and put on weight really fast and have never had any other problems apart from being early.

[3BoysBlue]

DS1 had EBM for 12 weeks then FF either way he was alway little and struggled with weight and growth but developed within the norm he was hardly ever sick. and never lost any weight he just didn't gain much and gained slowing

DS2 was BF/EBM until until he was 4-5mths then onto formula and we have had all kinds of Issues with development, solids, sleeping (once he went onto FF), Sickness etc the only thing we didn't have issues with was weight gain and growth except for this winter where he has lost weight due to being so sick

im not sure what you where actually asking so i hope i answered right:o

[DoubleDelight]

With DD she caught up really quickly and has always hit milestones etc. around chronological but DS3 has always been that bit behind. He's smaller, had a little muscle stiffness and was diagnosed with a mild receptive language delay.

He's pretty much there now, nearly 3 but I believe that he was our gift to teach us patience.

It's a frustrating road we travel but I tend to look at the blessings and have enjoyed having a "baby" a little while longer.

Our babies do tend to sleep more but I think that's because they missed that extra sleep time in utero. You'll find one day it's like someone flicked a switch and you'll wonder where that baby went.

Do you do any OT & speech?

[Ronni78]

No OT yet. I am making an appt with the doctor today.

[paige1]

Oh yeah and I still find my DD really sleepy. the longest she has been awake for in a row is 3 hours and that is only a handful of times when she's been sick, she often falls asleep drinking her bottle and shows all the 'tired' signs after being up half an hour, but this is slowly improving.[/quote]

congratulations on your baby!my dd was 11 weeks early she just turned 2 and still sleeps 14/16 hours a day:sleeping:.she still refuses to put on weight or even eat and we have ended up back in hospital more than once.sometimes i am lucky to get her to eat a teaspoon of food a day:hair:.

she didnt hold her head up till she was 8months walked when she was 20 months so everything has been going slow.i used to stress and ask the doctors and got second oppinions when they said not to worry but i have now learnt (as you would have in hospital)patientce is a virtue and they go at there own pace nomatter how much we want them to grow!

also i could wait for her to grow up and now i regret it.i spent so much time looking forward to the child she was growing into and forgot to appreciate the baby i had.

premmie babies grow up in leaps and bounds so sometimes they need to save there energy

[Shakey]

my DD is comming up 11mths and she's still catching up

she held hear head up since birth just about (I breed babies with good neck control) she smiled at 2mths, laughed at 4mths, she rolled at 4mths, just over 5mths before she started reaching for toys, sat up solo just before 7mths, didn't start solids till just after 8mths, didn't loose tongue thrust reflex till 9mths, doesn't really roll much now, and she doesn't crawl, and when she's on her feet she doesn't lift a foot like other babies do

so although she did some things at the right time for her corrected age, she's not doing half of them now, and she still hasn't done half the things she's supose to, she will do them in time, we're going to see a physio in a couple of weeks to see why she's not rolling and stuff now, so will be interesting to see what they say

as for breast or formula, DD was EBM for 3 and a bit weeks, then breast fed till 7mths, and formula from then on

[OJandMe]

My twins were 5 weeks early and I have to say, apart from sitting and talking, they were pretty much doing things when they were 'meant' too.

They're now almost 4... and way ahead of their peers in lots of areas or development.

So don't worry about it... they say that most prems catch up fully by the time they are 6-8yrs old. Fine motor, Gross motor, intellectually and verbally.

[TwoBlue]

He was 5 1/2 wks early - which is not bad as premmies go - but I had terrible gestational diabetes from the beginning.

It was a troubled pregnancy and when he was born, was sick in hospital for 3 weeks.

Your story is very similar to mine with my DS#1

He is now 4.5 years old and still catching up with lots of things... Just recently his kinder teacher was saying that they definately think of him as 6 months younger than what he is...

But in some areas he is really bright and ahead of the norm...

Try not to stress, it does take time but it all evens out in the end :hugs:

[bellalika]

My prem is 5 1/2 months old now after being 4 1/2 weeks prem. He is doing some things normally, but others not. For example, he still won't push up with his arms and hates tummy time with a passion.

He has gained weight well though. The paed weighed him yesterday. He weights 8.25kg! this puts him in the 75th% for his actual age and 90th% for his corrected age. He was breastfed until about 1 1/2 months ago, and now he is combination fed.

[Ronni78]

OH my little munchkin has turned a corner! He is lifting his head so high when on his tummy!

And now he is.... :babydust2:ROLLING!!!!! :babydust2::D:D:D

[Purpose Blessings]

thanks ladies this thread has answered a big question for me and helped me to not be so worried. My DD2 was born in July, 5 weeks prem and is such a sleepy baby. She has only just started smiling and making noises. i had been told to expect some delays but was worried all the same. so thanks again for the reasurance.

[kotakai]

thanks ladies this thread has answered a big question for me and helped me to not be so worried. My DD2 was born in July, 5 weeks prem and is such a sleepy baby. She has only just started smiling and making noises. i had been told to expect some delays but was worried all the same. so thanks again for the reasurance.

I belong to a great premmie chat forum & I actually just posted a question the other week asking is it normal for prems to sleep so much. Quite a few said their babies did up until they were about 1. My Ds didn't really start smiling till around 11 weeks, and even then it was not very often. He's now almost 5 months & smiles all the time, it's wonderful. I have to remind myself I can't compare him to my other 2. By 5 months they were rolling, totally sitting by themselves, and starting to (very slowly!) try and drag themselves across the floor. Chais isn't rolling yet, let alone any of those other things. It is good to know that it's normal for prems to do things later.