Smiles?

[dizz]

I'll be honest - this one IS breaking my heart.

She still doesn't smile at me - she'll do the smiling motion in her sleep - but I just get the relentless grouchbag and I'm starting to wonder if she's ever going to do it. She's 9 weeks now, but was born at 33 weeks and it's absolutely tearing me up that I'll never go to pick her up when she wakes or look at her and get a smile and a giggle back because of her bloody arsing prematurity... hell it's my birthday and I'd give anything just for a smile as a present - but no luck there.

Tell me it gets better cos now I'm starting to tie myself up in knots fretting about things like autism over it all.

Everyone ELSE gets a baby that smiles and giggles and gives that emotional connection back to them - seems like we just get kicked in the teeth over and over again - with 4 years of fertility problems, a run of miscarriages, then her horrific premature birth... I think I've kind of become fixated upon her really starting to smile as some kind of marker we're over it all or something.

Or perhaps she just hates me.

 

[Albatross]

Oh hun.. of course she does not hate you. Your a mum and the most important person in her world, she just does not know how to show you yet. But she will you just have to give her time.

Baby's normally start smiling at about 6 weeks old, and with preemies you need to go by her corrected age which is only 3 weeks. I know how frusrating it is when everyone elses babies appear to be doing things and your preemies aren't, but they do get there it just takes a bit longer thats all.

Give her a couple of weeks and I am sure you will get that first smile and it will make all the waiting worth while.

 

[Sam182]

She's only 3 weeks corrected which means she wouldn't normally be smiling for weeks yet. You must always think of your babies milestones in corrected terms and even then unfortunately some prem babies are a little behind in their milestones.

 

[Charliej101]

I worried about smiling too and every other milestone until she achieved it I just can help it.

Lydia smiled between 5 and 6 weeks corrected

Im sure you'll have lots of smiles and giggles soon but I know how easy it is to worry and google everything

 

[x-amy-x]

my baby was born at 26 weeks and only this week.. at 11 weeks corrected... has she smiled! Your little girl is still only small.. babies dont normally smile til they're about 5/6 weeks anyway!

Easier said than done but don't fret.. she will smile, and it WILL melt your heart... just like mine did...

https://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/484337_10150959634553394_146267841_n.jpg

 

[Lully2011]

I know exactly how you feel, hold in there it'll be worth the wait!!! It will melt your heart!

Us premmie mothers have it tough!
X

 

[dizz]

Health visitor's bugging me about it (if you've read my birth story you'll know why I have to keep them happy lol)... and I'm just bloody pissed off that we fought for 6 years to have this little girl, only to have to go through the hell of her coming early and us being treated like dirt by the NHS, and now for us to have to spend her entire life with her not being on a par with other children her age is absolutely shredding me to the point I'm not sure I can take it anymore really. I'm sick of fighting and she's never going to be able to keep up with the rest of the world - same as I am.

 

[Lottie86]

She's not quite 4wks corrected yet and babies don't start to smile until around 6wks so I wouldn't be concerned and she def doesn't hate you

My little girl didn't smile until she was 6 months corrected but when she finally did it was *amazing* and I nearly melted into a puddle

 

[Albatross]

Health visitor's bugging me about it (if you've read my birth story you'll know why I have to keep them happy lol)... and I'm just bloody pissed off that we fought for 6 years to have this little girl, only to have to go through the hell of her coming early and us being treated like dirt by the NHS, and now for us to have to spend her entire life with her not being on a par with other children her age is absolutely shredding me to the point I'm not sure I can take it anymore really. I'm sick of fighting and she's never going to be able to keep up with the rest of the world - same as I am.

She won't have to go through her entire life not on a par with other children, they do catch up. The difference between preemies and termies is most obvious when they are really young, but as time goes on it gets less and less. By the time she is 2 you probably would neve know that she was early at all.

My boys were 10 weeks early and did not smile until 4 weeks corrected, or 14 weeks actual. They are now 16 months old and other than being a little on the small side you would not know they were preemies at all.

 

[AP]

My LO didnt smile til 11/12wks corrected xx

 

[toothfairyx]

Awww I hope you had a nice birthday all the same. She will smile but you do have to be patient, and she won't be behind all her life. By the end of year 2 you won't even think about it.