Premmie Mums #9

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.

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Astrolady astrolady@bellybelly.com.au ~ Administrator

Hello RainbowBrite, welcome

How's everyone going?

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

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

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

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.

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!

He can be quite vocal at times. When I pick him up from day care he points and talks about stuff, I just can't understand any of it. He seems to know what he's saying. If we can keep his dummy out he's very vocal - but there are times where he's also trying to talk around the dummy.

About a week ago we were in the car and the reverse sensor beeped... Sam goes "beep beep beep" DH then repeated it and then Sam did as well... The entire 20 minute drive home we were all going beep beep beep at each other. It's not often that we can get Sam to repeat words or sounds like that. I had some wooden animals from a Noah's ark he was given out the other day and was telling him what they were - he was happy to try to repeat the name once, but nothing I did would convince him to have a second go. There's a speechy in our church and I had a chat to her a while back and do some of the things she suggested, but he just won't repeat things if he can't get them right first go.

Still haven't booked an appointment. I figure I may as well go straight to the GP and will just make sure I get a good one this time. If he needs referrals, I'll have to go there anyway, and it's not like the MCHNs in the area have ever been helpful for me (isolated first time mum with a chronic illness and big risk for PND and they didn't put me in a mothers group! Really!). So I'll go back to the GP and then to the paed if he wants me to. I'm just a bit sick of going to the paed every six months and being told to "wait and see".

BW

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


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

WOW Teresa, Hamish is doing really well!!!

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

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.

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.

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.

My pead has always told me to go by corrected age....my little man was nearly 4 mths old at due date and he was drinking what a newborn would not a 4 mth old. He was breast and bottle.

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.

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

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.

I stop and burp him heaps cos he only goes so far before he will stop drinking then I have to burp him and try again
He will stop for a burp 3 or 4 times during feeding. I am going by what he will take. Sometimes he will drink 160ml other times 130 and as I said other time 100 or less.

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.

He has heaps of wet nappies so I know he is getting enough (well I think anyway) and so far he's been putting on weight reasonably well. He has 4 to 5 feeds a day depending on what he feels like
I have just changed formula brands and he seems good with the new 1 and he's already on quiet fast flowing teats as he would fall asleep much faster with slow teats. I was thinking of putting some thickener in it cos he has been chucking a bit but I am wondering if thats a wind thing.
I have a health centre appt on Thursday so I might ask her what she thinks.
Thanks for the feed back ladies I am glad to hear it sounds normal to have a premmie feed slowly

Shazzi congrats on ur pregnancy. I was very worried too with DS as DD was 4 weeks prem (not much really) and DS came 8.5 weeks early but because of a completely different thing. Its very hard to know how things will pan out so my advice to u is to try to think positive thoughts and be prepared to have a happy healthy baby no matter what gestation bubs arrives at

shazzi - congratulations!

as for feeding, our paed said to go by actual age. i guess every paed is different.