Dose everyone get worried and stressed about their preemies health & development??

Caroline - posted on 07/04/2012

My daughter was born 9 weeks premmie, weighed 3 pounds & 11 ounces, stayed in hospital 4 weeks, she had many challenges. She was not able to walk un-assisted, she needed support to sit up, drooled constantly, developmentally delayed, frequent body tremors, some seizure like episodes, kind of in a daze all the time, clenched left hand, choking on her food, speach problems, left side weakness etc. She was elevated on her toes when holding her to walk, she was splinted for a leg brace & they wanted to give her botox, but after researching botox and discovering how it’s made and there were no long term studies I decided against it. Her life was restricted & so was mine ...and it looked this way for the rest of her life ... & mine. I felt hopeless.

We were attending all sorts of treatments and therapies which cost a lot. A friend told me about some special wellness supplements from a particular company, she started taking them in her yogurt, after one week she was up walking un-assisted, it made an immense difference to her brain function, memory, balance, mood & cognition in a short space of time. She began to thrive. I was elated!

I am so grateful to the person that told me about this incredible technology. She now has a life now ….. and so do I. It’s now over 14 yrs later and she continues to take these special nutrients, she has attended normal public schools, she is almost 16, in a few weeks she begins driving lessons and has just started an after school casual job in a fast paced food takeaway. Now she is taller than me.
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Robbie - posted on 12/30/2011

My 3rd was born at 35 weeks and is now 15 mos. Though he's caught up with the physical milestones (crawling, walking, building towers, etc.) he seems pretty behind with verbal skills. He only babbles still and only mimics noises, not words or even syllables (like MOO or MAMA). It is so frustrating because I know everyone compares him to my other boys who did all kinds of cute things and were using words and simple sign language by now. He's healthy as can be, though, thank goodness! I've never had any health issues with him. But it does bother me to see babies at his age doing all sorts of things mine can't do yet. People wave bye bye to him and he just looks at them. LOL

Jennifer - posted on 12/18/2011

Denise513 try a cup with a stray. They have the ones in the baby section at wal-mart called a starter cup to learn to drink from a stray. It has a spot on then where you push on just to give the taste of the drink and they do the rest. My son is now 22 months and has just now learned to drink from a sippy cup. We still have trouble with certain foods because of texture but he is growing and healthy. Good luck and if you want to talk some more send me a message.

Denise - posted on 12/15/2011

I feel this way allll the time. My son was born at 29 weeks. He is currently 11 months. They say he is doing fine for his corrected age but I still worry all the time. Small things he won't do that worry me. Like not being able to eat stage 3 baby foods because of the chunks or cant drink from a sippy cup.

Jennifer - posted on 12/14/2011

My husband and I feel the same way. Our son was born at 26 weeks and developed NEC at almost 2 months old. He had to have surgery to remove part of his small intestines and ended with an ostomy bag to poop in for the next 12 weeks. After his last surgery to correct the ostomy bag he came home and has done great so far. He is now an active 22 month old who loves to play, dance, and talk to you all the time. He has had his share of develomental delayes but he is now just starting to catch up.

Sandra - posted on 07/04/2009

My son was born at 26 weeks and weighed 2 lbs 7 oz. He developed phnemonia at 8 months and spent 10 days in hospital. He also developed asthma and the doctor said he will probably outgrow it by the time he is 7. He is now 16 years old, 185 lbs and has no more asthma. I know it is very stressful to have a baby born so small, but just remember that even full term babies develop at different speeds. Just enjoy them and enjoy each milestone as it happens.

Ericka - posted on 07/02/2009

My son was born 5 weeks early weighing in at 5lbs. 3oz. He was in NICU for 11 days. He didn't know how to drink from a bottle. I stayed at Ronald McDonald Children's House at Loyola the whole time he was there. All the other mom's that I have spoken to about milestones are telling me all the things their babies can do already. Even ones born on the same day!! I freak out because he's still behind. I constantly call his Ped. I probably drive him crazy, but it worries me.

It's true ladies... We will always know our kids need that little something extra. Preemie babies are so special and we are so fortunate to have them in our lives. We will always be a little more protective of our (extra little) bundles of joy!

Ashley - posted on 06/29/2009

My twin boys were born at 33 weeks weighing 4lbs 5oz and 4lbs 7.7oz. they are only 5 months and weigh at least 14 lbs now and they are doing great. They are already trying to crawl and situp on their own! It's a big relief because I was pretty worried when they first came home but all worries have subsided :) good luck I dont think yoiu have ne thing to worry about!!!

Jen - posted on 06/27/2009

Aliya was a 34 weeker too and also 5lbs 6oz. Though she was born limp and blue had early hyaline membrane disease and spent 35 days SCN before her early release from the hospital (she at the time of release had not met the minimum requirements for going apnea and bradycardia free). I was constantly stressed because at first she was still having apnea and bradycardia and I was terrified she was going to stop breathing and her heart crash and I wasn't going to catch it. She is 4 1/2 now and doing great. she is getting OT PT and ST to help her catch up developmentally though. I think the reality is we are educated women and we understand the risks and implications of premature birth. So of course we worry and track everything because we are the advocates of our children we need to voice if something isn't right.

Lindsay - posted on 06/26/2009

The worry doesn't go away...I think you just start learning to ignore some of it...My daughter is now 17 mos old (14 adj) and has PVL (cysts on her brain-due to oxygen deprivation at birth). Her PVL increases her risk of having CP and a number of other problems. In fact her new neurologist said he is surprised she isn't paralyzed on one side b/c her PVL is that severe. We weren't sure she would walk at all and she has just started finally walking...she was discharged from OT and PT back in March b/c they said she would be walking any day...3 months later she just started...but for 3 months I worried everyday about why she wasn't walking when they said she would any day...maybe they were wrong...maybe her PVL would keep her from walking...we worry constantly about reaching milestones...will she meet them or start falling behind? We have been VERY lucky so far that she has met most of them for her age.



As far as health goes...we still have Purel in every room of our house and I sanitize our toys once a week(and after any time another child is here)...we spent our entire winter in our house not going anywhere...it paid off though, we went all winter with only 1 cold!

Rebecca - posted on 06/26/2009

my son was born at 33weeks, 4lbs 12 oz. was in the NICU 10 days--on CPAP for a day then developed RDS and on ventilator for 3 days then back on CPAP. had a heart murmur (cleared with medication) and jaundice(not requiring light therapy) and then he was in a step-down nursery until he was 1 month, learning to feed from a bottle, and gaining weight. he is 6months1week old now..and im always worried. is he coughing too much..is he choking on spit/formula, is he breathing ok...is his colour ok....is he allergic to his rice cereal(day 5 of cereal today)...etc etc. the worries never end it seems!! i think its the early birth and initial health issues that stay with us. very hard to get over, nomatter how healthy and well-developed they seem now.

Sarah - posted on 06/25/2009

my duaghter was 2 months early ( 32 weeks) she was in NICU for 2 weeks and she was 4 lbs 10 oz when she was born ... I took her home and she was only 4 lbz 7oz. she is now 8 months old.... I can see that she is behind in some things but on target in others. Her doctor said she was caught up on her 6 month check up. Thank god she has never been seriously sick... little colds here and there. I was advised to give her the RSV shot when she left the NICU and for 4 months after ( to prevent whipping cough) I am so glad because I think it made a huge difference. She did have a eating problem when she was born ( choking very easy ) she still when drinking a bottle may gag a little but she can stop herself. She eats all the baby food and wants whatever you have... so she is doing well that way. She is only 15 lbs now and about 25 inch. She is teething but still no sign of a tooth... she can roll over and sit up by herself but all this came with in that last month... she loves to stand up with help and pushs herself in her walker... crawling she is showing signs of it ( pushing herself backwards and randomly getting on her knees ). I wonder though she is a very happy kid, smiles and waves at everyone but will only laugh or giggle once or twice so far..... and still cant hold her own bottle ..... yes I will always be ware of the fact she is a special kid and needs extra attention....

Treisch - posted on 06/24/2009

My son was 5 weeks early. I follow all the milestones, read articles, and the county nurse also comes to visit once a month to help me understand where he should be and how he's doing. As posted earlier, I don't think preemie moms ever forget that the babies were early.

Elaine - posted on 06/24/2009

My son was born at 31 weeks and weighed 1.49kg. He spent 6 weeks in NICU. He didn't have any medical issues in hospital and thankfully to this day has not been unwell. However, I worry about his growth and development every day. He is now 12 months old and has not caught up. He is very light for his corrected age, 7.22kgs, although his development is on track for his corrected age.



Therefore I work with a dietician, OT's, Physio and Homeopath to try and ensure my son meets his full potential. I find it really tiring constantly going to healthcare professionals and having to educate myself with all this information and the best ways to meet my sons’ needs.

Tracy - posted on 06/23/2009

I am constantly worrying that my daughter won't catch up. I just keep telling myself "She's preemie and needs time" She just turned 1 and didn't start to crawl until two weeks ago. I have a friends who's little girl was full term, and is just 2 weeks older, and Elizabeth isn't too far behind but I still worry. But I think that's what moms do best, worry.

Brittany - posted on 06/23/2009

I dont know if it goes away but my dd was born at 29 weeks and weighed 2lbs 8 ounces and was in the nicu for almost two months. She is now 16 months old was diagnosed with failure to thrive at 12 months should have been sooner but whatever no doctor listened to me and didn't seem to care to much. Also like i said she is 16 months old and at the tops weighs 16 pounds. She really hasn't grown in the last seven months next monday she is getting admitted to possibly get a g-tube and some other tests done. Like i said i don't know if it will go away but i do know that every time she coughs or even feels a little warm i freak. she started getting sick when she was about 7 months old and then when she was 10 months old was in the hospital for rsv and then again when she was 13 months old for turning blue when she was sleeping. She is delayed in speech, fine motor skills, cognitive skills and she has some eating issue and mouth issues that has been going on since she was sent home from the nicu and no one seemed to listen to me until she was almost a year old i switched dr's three times before someone listened to me. She has speech therapy, ot and nutritionists and a lot of other specialists.

Demi - posted on 06/23/2009

YES I DO!!!!!! I am fanatic. My baby was born at 34 wks and weighed 5 lbs. 11 oz. Ia m constantly worried. My friend had a full term bby 3 wks aftrer me and he does more than my bby. I have to constantly remind myself. He stayed in the NICU 3 weeks and had eating problems. But he is also meeting many of his milestones......he is small for his age but I am 5 2 and his daddys 5 4 so he dont sposed to be big anyways!!!! Our kids surprise us so may b we should just let them grow up and quit obssessing over every little detail.

Jennifer - posted on 06/23/2009

Yes!!! My son was born at 29wks at 3lbs 2 oz and spent nearly 2months in the NICU. He just turned 3 at the end of May. Today he had a dental check up and I once again brought up his lack of 2yr molars and was once again reassured, they'll come, just later. He was considered caught up developmentally at about 18m and then was considered "out of the water" weight wise at his 24m appointment. So it has been a full year where all being said he is supposed to be home free, but my hyper awareness of his preeminess hasn't gone away and I am sure it never will. I will say it has lessened in a way I don't worry about his weight gain and I don't worry about him catching everything. I actually am more amazed most of the time. He is so smart and strong and special and I am so appreciative of it!

Andrea - posted on 06/12/2009

My daughter Nora was born at 30.5 weeks and weighted 3 lbs 5 1/2 oz and she was in the NICU for 43 days... she didn't have any major problems in the NICU but just needed to learn some stuff. When she was 3 months old she came down with a e colli infection but lucky she didn't have to be put back into the hospital but we did have to battle major diarrhea for about 2 1/2 weeks and she stopped gaining during that time, she didn't lose any. At 7 months she was hospitalized for a UTI and with a allergic reaction to the antibiotics and spent 3 days there. She is doing really well now and isn't behind on anything that we know of, we had to use PT and OT to get over some hyper-hypotonia but didn't have to do that for very long. I am not as much worried about being behind in development but in her weight... she is 14 1/2 months old and is only 18 1/2 lbs, she isn't a failer to thrive but is getting close to it. Other than that sometimes I think that we as preemie moms are programmed by the nurses and dr's to worry about stuff like that and while that is a good thing it can cause us to stress out major about something if it is a little off. I think that it is also normal to worry even if your child is a preemie are not but with having a preemie tends to just add a little more. Please don't feel alone and remember that ppl are there for you if you need them!!!

Jade - posted on 06/12/2009

hiya, i am the same! every time my son has to see the peadiatricions i get really worried that they will find something else wrong! my son was born at 24 weeks weighing 1lbs 8oz and was in hospital for 4 months and 2 days. he has very weak bones and fractured his growth plate in his knee which had made his right leg grow differently to his left!. he also had bleeding on the brain when he was just 2 days old which could affect the way he learns and many other things but we wont know till he is walking and talking. i know he will always be behinde on his development due to how premature he was but it is always a constant worrie!