# question re preemie development milestones



## Fleur29

Hi everyone

My Lo was born at 34+4 weighing 5lb 8oz - she did really well was in low dependency scbu for ten days just to feed and put on weight.

She is pretty much like a full term baby bit just a bit smaller.

Anyway I was wondering whether I should go with the normal milestones timings - ie smilingby 6 weeks from the date she was born or the date she was due?

Thanks!.x


----------



## 25weeker

You should go by her due date in the early days. As she gets closer to one she will probably be doing things based on her birth date as our neonatal said babies born from 34 weeks usually catch up in the first year.


----------



## Fleur29

Ah thanks hon. It's really hard as I am in a post natal group and everyone elses babies are smiling/doing x,y and z and I feel like she is really behind. I wish I knew some other preemie mums in real life - its really hard comparing ourselves with full termers :+(


----------



## AP

I know all preemies are different, but my best friend has a 33 weeker. She spent approx a week in SCBU, and went home fine. 
Developmentally she was a little behind in some areas, mum began to worry...., and then when she hit 1 year - omg - she just really came on amazingly. Shes now away ahead of her peers at 2yr old.


----------



## pinkjoelle

my girl was 5 weeks early and weighed 3,11 pounds..

she is behind on some things and normal on others... you need to go with her corrected age. be patient and remember even full term babies dont develop at the same time....


----------



## stepmum

I know it's hard but try and forget the milestones and unless you see a drastic delay, don't worry. This is how I've had to think about it. I've stopped googling "when should my baby..." Oliver was born at 32 weeks and he's been discharged from the hospital care as they believe he's developing fine but still I'm pretty sure he's behind in some things by a tiny bit, sometimes I have the occasional wobble as he's not doing certain things yet and I'm sure if I looked it up he should be doing it going by his actual age but I have to allow for his corrected but even now I don't calculate either age, he does it when he does it. I think back to my niece (she is two months older) and I compare but I quickly snap myself out of it. As PP have said every baby is different, full term or prem. :flower: They will get there in the end. 

P.s Oliver smiled properly roughly at about 10 weeks old, going by actual age this is late, going by corrected this is early, so it can get confusing.


----------

