Health visitor and charts!

[Xfactorstar]

Hello brave ladies. My ds was born late preterm at 34 weeks and 4 days. He was 4 13 born and home after 3 days. Were very lucky. He's now 6 weeks old.
Hv came today did his weight 7 7 so he's on 25th centile. She did his head circumference and length was 2nd centile. She'd plotted the head circumference and length on the chart for full term babies so I queried her and she said it was right. We plotted in on his adjusted age (1 week) and he's 50th! Does anyone have issues with hv not getting prematurity?

[AlbusPercival]

Didn't you post this exact question yesterday?

[Xfactorstar]

I'm asking from a point of view of parents who've had early babies

[user1493413286]

My health visitors are good at plotting correctly on charts but generally rubbish at giving advice. They always give advice based on her actual age and when I ask if that’s still the case with her prematurity they get quite vague, for example at 6 weeks past her actual birth date they said she should start smiling any day when we’d been told by the hospital not to expect that until 6 weeks past her due date. The same with pretty much everything and it caused me a lot of worry as I didn’t know whether something was wrong.

[MiniMaxi]

You should be plotting based on corrected age, not actual.

My DS was born at 33+6 (ie nearly 34) and we always were told to correct by 6 weeks. He's 50th centile on that basis and about 9th if you go by actual!

[MiniMaxi]

PS as pp says, that goes for everything developmental too. The only exception is weaning as far as I am aware.

[Dollylegs]

Thanks everyone. Hv said he's doing everything a typical 6 week old should be doing already so developmentally she's not worried

[tiredmumsclub88]

The health visitors I go to at weigh in plot it now on the full term chart but draw an arrow back to where he is adjusted to.

[WhoAteAllthePercyPigs]

My HV got it completely wrong! DS was born at 36 plus 3 and was 5 4. HV got somehow confused and plotted him as being born at 37 weeks. Not quite sure what she did but she plotted it so he was on the 25th centile...the next HV out to see us had to correct it and he's actually on the 9th! She did try to explain it but obviously wasn't sure herself. So I don't really understand how it works being crap at maths does not help

[RaindropsAndSparkles]

I Didn't meet one HV who understood the charts, let alone that the 50th centile is NOT an average.

DS was 36.3 and 7lb 5oz. Always plotted as full term and bumped down to 2/9 centile at 6 months, 25th for height 50th for weight for much of childhood. He ended up a 6ft prop forward.

DD was full term and 8.13. 90th centile for height/weight until about 11. She's 5'2" and a size 8.

It's Bunkum. Babies need to be happy and healthy and the obsession with plotting weight is absurd and misplaced ime.

[Dollylegs]

I know if he was 2nd for head circumference and length and 25th for weight hed look funny!