Premmie Mums #9

[Astrolady]

Hi girls!
Being a parent can be overwhelming at the best of times & that feeling can be compounded if your baby is premature or has health problems that require a stay in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or a Special Care Nursery (SCN). This thread is here to help you gain, & provide support to other parents going through similar experiences.

If there is anything you would like to discuss about the thread or have any problems then please contact one of the moderators. All emails/PM's are treated confidentiality.

Astrolady astrolady@bellybelly.com.au ~ Administrator

[Early Kids]

Hello RainbowBrite, welcome

How's everyone going?

[tk1999]

Welcome RainbowBrite

DD and I are doing well... she is currently 17mths old, starting to toilet train, talking well, loving her books (and beginning to 'read' them). Life is good here at the moment.

The cloud that is any future pregnancy hangs over my head from time to time but I am ok with that.

I am taking the time to marvel in how far DD has come from my premmie princess... though she still is my polly pocket in her size 00 bottoms and crawler nappies LOL

[Early Kids]

WOW, she is doing really well TK!

Tristan is 19 months, not talking yet, but he is starting to jump (on Brendan's and our bed! ) He's still in crawlers too, size 00 bottoms, but a 0 top (because he has a big head!! ) He gets weighed tomorrow and I'm hoping he has cracked 10kg finally! He is still dairy-free, and will most likely go wheat free as his nappies haven't improved at all. Will need to make an appointment with the GP and Dietician.

Brendan is 4 next month, recently diagnosed with PDD-NOS (Autism Spectrum Disorder). Which just adds to his little list of things, SPD, delays, speech disorder, etc. He's toilet trained (woohoo) for day time, but still has accidents. He starts Kindy in 2 weeks (eek) bit nervous, but he should be fine. He's about 13.5kg now and roughly 104cms tall (hoping to measure him tomorrow too!) Still waiting on the ENT... appointment in June just to see the Dr, I've exhausted all my avenues we will just have to wait it out 18 months wait is just far too long! He's also dairy-free too.

We are moving house hopefully this weekend, can't wait! It's bigger and better

[butterfly_warrior]

Oh my goodness!

I feel like Sam is ginormous! He's two... and 14.5kg. DH is over 6 foot tall, so he was never going to be a short person... and I'm used to seeing him the same height as kids a year older than him but to hear that he weighs more than a four year old is astounding! But he seems to have finally hit a bit of a growth plateau so hopefully he'll stop costing me a fortune in clothing and shoes. Size 8 shoes, too. Some days it's so hard to remember that he started out so small... But the tummy bear doll is in the cupboard to remind me.

All is not fantastic in his development, though. I've let our referral to the paed expire and I know I'm supposed to take him back around now, which will mean it will take about two months to get in when I finally get myself to make the appointment. His speech has come miles in a few weeks, but he's still way behind. Some days I can almost be convinced that it's not his speech that's the problem, it's the fact that DH and I just can't figure out what he's trying to say so he doesn't get the encouragement to keep trying.

Regardless of what happens with the paed, I think I need to get his blue book two year check done - just debating whether to get him in with my favourite GP (the one who gives me all the time in the world for my own health issues) or book with the community nurses... I figure I'll get more time with the nurses, but I trust my GP more.

Anyway, his clearest words are "more" and "oh no" (complete with hands to face and cutest expression ever!). We also get bike, bookaboo (so annoyed that ABC2 have taken it off!), bird, woof, no, mum (maaaarm), dad (although he seems to be confusing his d and n sounds), and probably a few more that I can't really remember. We get lots of nods for yes and head shakes for no, but you'd swear at times he's just nodding yes to every question you ask him... And yet he can follow instructions like "Sam, can you put this in the bin for mummy please?" with no issues. His current key obsession has lead to a few sets of lost keys, but if you ask him where left them, he'll lead you straight to the place they are - generally he's dropped them into something and can't get them out. He'll get his shoes when you ask him to (and will get sneakers or sandals, sometimes depending on his mood and sometimes in answer to a specific request). So I'm really baffled by it all. He definitely understands and comprehends and remembers - but just doesn't seem to want to talk! So orally fixated that we've got no hope of losing the dummy any time soon, and I know that's probably a big contributor to his speech, but I can't help feeling there's more to it. Fine motor skills are absolutely extraordinary... gross motor skills seem fine. He can't jump, but can kick a ball well enough for the four year olds at day care to be happy to play soccer with him.

I think I just stress because I don't know what's normal, what could be a problem and what's just coming out of me being unwell and not being able to do as much with him as other mums can do with their kids.

Just realised... He turned two four weeks ago, but his EDD was yesterday. Happy adjusted birthday, Sam!

BW

[RainbowBrite]

Hi Early kids good to see you
woohoo for Brendan day TT! I think starting kindy is harder on the mum then the child (well was for me lol) I hope it goes well for you both.
Good luck with the move.

TK sounds like you little princess is doing really well!

Butterfly warrior Happy corrected birthday to Sam!
I really don't think there is a 'normal' My seven are all different...I have fulltermers, late prems and very early prems and they have all just done things in their own time. Maybe when you get the 2 yr old check done speak to them about his speech...they can refer you to a speechie if they think it is necessary.

Both my early prems are still tiny. Indy is 9.6kg and 80cm at 25 months...just a little poppet but very healthy, I think she is just going to be petite. She is finally into 0 clothing
Maxx just turned one last Friday (8.5mths corrected) and is 5.5kg...still in newborn nappies and 000 clothes. He is on prescription high calorie formula and a high calorie powder in his food...but he still does really gain. He is classed Failure to thrive...but apart from his weight I think he is thriving.
But he is such a happy baby and developmentally he is only mildy gross motor delayed but when I went to get him out of his cot this morning he had pulled himself up onto his knees
Emily has just turned 3 and she is a boffer but doing really well. We are having some problems TT but hopfully we will get there.

[Early Kids]

BW, Happy Corrected Birthday Sam xx

It definitely sounds like an oral thing, is he vocal at all? Brendan used to make lots of noise (at 2 he only had babble still with no real meaning, he lacked understanding and couldn't follow instructions) Tristan makes very little noise (except during a tantrum!) and has about 4 words at 19 months. He's not very vocal at all, but excellent understanding. I think it could be worth getting on to some speech therapy anyway, you might only need a few months

Had the boys weighed today... Brendan is 14kg, dressed, and 104cms tall. Tristan JUST cracked 10kg, he is now 10.08kg (just above the 3rd %ile) and 85cms (75th %ile) tall, 6cms growth in 2 months!!!

Got back Tristan's 18 month report and he's being referred on to speech therapy as he is well behind in communication and personal-social skills. Problem-solving is on par and fine and gross motor skills are slightly above average. Not too concerned though, he's only 19 months...

5ish weeks and Brendan is 4... scary stuff!

[teresa]

Hi ladies

Well DS is going great guns here. Turns 1 in 3 weeks so busy planning a party for him. He is such a busy bee everyday crawling around and getting into mischief. He is just over 10kg and still in size 0 clothing. He stood today for 2 secs by himself before sitting down. Pretty exciting stuff.

Tk - I also have a future pregnancy cloud that hangs over my head. Most days I am ok with it but others just make me sad. I feel it's going to take me a looooong time to get over what I went thru!

Hi to everyone else xx


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Early Kids]

BW, I understand the frustration The GP sounds like a good plan x

WOW Teresa, Hamish is doing really well!!!

[~*Kat*~]

Can I ask a premmie question???

My DS is almost 13 weeks now but was 8.5 weeks early
Now he feeds but is sooooo slow to feed (can take up to an hour to feed him). I call it lazy feeding. And sometimes he will only drink 100ml.
The heat we r having here isn't helping but I just wanted to know if its a premmie thing to be a lazy feeder or if I should be concerned

[RainbowBrite]

I think 100ml is good for a 4 week old (corrected age). Is he having about 6 feeds a day?
It is not uncommon for prems to take longer to feed and for it to tire out quickly.
Have you tried the next teat size up so he doesn't have to work so hard...if he splutters on it go back tot he smaller one.
Is he putting on weight? Plenty of wet nappies?
If so then he is probably getting enough.
If you are concern it might be worth talking to you CHN.

[teresa]

have you tried offering half the bottle, sit them up and burp them, change their nappy then do the other half of the bottle? might wake him up a little bit. if you are formula feeding him, go by what the tin says with feeding not with their corrected age.

[shazzi]

Hi everyone

kat - my DD was a really slow feeder. When she came home at 6w4d she took 1.5 hours for a feed. Over the next month it went down to 50 minutes or so. But DD's breathing was laboured because of a PDA which surgery corrected at 12 weeks old. I think that it is quite common apart from the PDA issue that we had.

I am very excited to be pregnant again but really scared about having another premmie. I have gotten a bit depressed at times, especially about what happened at Miss K's birth but manage to pull myself out of it. It is very frustrating as the doctor I saw at my 12 week appt said he did not think i had a placental abruption as previously told. He thinks it was just the placenta praevia causing me to haemorrage and lose part of my placenta and cause DD distress (hence emergency c-section). Now i do not know what my risk is and I NEED to know. The hospital is good and already linked me in with the hospital psychiatrist that I see every 6 weeks. Just hanging out for the 20 week scan to see where the placenta is and then I can hopefully relax a bit.

Miss K is going really well. She started walking at 17 months but I am not so sure her speech is up to speed. I think I just need to wait and see.

Would write more but have a clingy child today with a molar poking through. In this heat too...poor thing.

[Early Kids]

Shaz, congratulations!!!!

Kat, I have never gone by the formula tin or what the books say, but what my kids do. DS1 was a very slow feeder, he fed every 2-3 hours for an hour until about 4 months old.

Sorry, gotta run again x

[black_rose]

There is a formula used to get the correct amount, I used to have it written down, it uses their actual age and weight to work out how much fluid they need rather than going on just age.

[RainbowBrite]

There is a formula used to get the correct amount, I used to have it written down, it uses their actual age and weight to work out how much fluid they need rather than going on just age.

80-100ml per 500g of body weight - eg: A 3.5kg baby - 3500/500= 7, 100ml x 7 = 700, 6 feeds per day 700/6= 116ml per feed.
HTH

[KittyK]

Hi guys, just wanted to join up to a forum for support and also advice.

I had my DS two days ago at 34 weeks and I got discharged from hospital yesterday but he still has to stay. Guess I'm still just trying to comprehend that he is out. For the past two days at feeding time I have just laid him next to my breast to see if he is interested but mostly he just licks my nipple especially if I squeeze some drops of milk out for him. About 5 times he has actally attached and taken a couple of sucks but mostly he just likes having it there to smell I guess since the nurses say his sucks wouldn't be strong enough to get any milk from me. Is this all normal for a premmie?

I think my milk has come in today, so will more milk make it easier for him to get milk from me? I have been expressing since he was born so that he can get some of my milk with the supplement milk they have been giving him but I wasn't able to get much at first but now I think I can supply him with just my expressed milk without the supplement added as this morning I got a fair bit out just by hand expressing. I'll try the pump when I get to hospital today.

Do you think its good to offer the breast at every feed even if he doesn't suck and they end up feeding him through the nose tube? Some of the nurses advised me to do that originally but then last night there was this one who was saying things like dont bother doing that when he is still so small.

Thank you in advance everyone, things are still just sinking in for me. going to visit him today, i felt so awful when I left last night since he is all alone there now. I know he probably won't notice but I just want to be with him every second.

[Onelittleprincess]

He is in the best place. It is true about the sucking. Generally kicks in by around 36 weeks but can still be a bit over the place. I was told putting them to the breast helps understand that that means food. Even if you just hold him close to ur body thats good.

Trust your instincts. If you believe something stand up for both of you. I found finding a nurse or two I was comfortable with helped

**my little girl was born at 30 weeks and were discharged 7 weeks and 1 day later. Everyone is different tho