What to expect when you give birth at 34 weeks?

[Flyingkites123]

Hi,

My little girl was born at 34w4d. She's now 6 weeks old, so just a few days past her due date.

My question is, if you gave birth at a similar gestation stage, how is your baby doing now?

Only just now does she seem to be able to see and register me. Did your baby smile later? How were they in putting on weight?

[Farmmama]

Mine was born at 33+2 and is now 13 months. His weight gain was never a problem (born very big for gestation at over 7 pounds!). He was always behind with his milestones and still is a little bit I suppose, but I’ve no concerns about him. Try to remember your little one spent the first 6 weeks of their life doing the growing they should have finished inside you, so it’s only natural they will be “behind”.

[HolyMilkBoobiesBatman]

Mine was a 33 weeker.

Severe IUGR and weight gain was very very slow for the first year or so.
Developmentally they hit all their mental milestones like talking more or less at an average time based on their actual age but physical milestones were delayed even based on corrected age.

The first few months to a year or so can be a worry if you’re comparing to other babies, but as PP said, don’t forget your little one has done some of the growing that normally is done in the womb, outside. It’s totally normal for your baby to follow their own development pattern. Just try to enjoy it. They grow up to fast and my once tiny baby, who we weren’t sure would survive the night, is now a feisty little creature who amazes me everyday with how far they’ve come.

[HolyMilkBoobiesBatman]

Oh also, I’ve just properly read the previous poster’s reply -her LO was born at an almost identical gestation to mine but mine barely scraped 2lbs!
Always important to remember how different each baby can be, even those born at similar gestations!

[Marmite27]

Mine was 35+1. She was 6lb 11oz (only 2oz less than her term sibling).

She was very sleepy and what I remember most were her ears, they were just little soft flaps of skin. I remember DD1’s being perfect little ears, but DD2’s were elf like.

She’s 13 months now and now on the tiny size (6-9 months clothes) so I think her birth weight was a complete anomaly. She’s a spirited madam who has been walking properly for 6 weeks, but has only just fit in the smallest shoes you can buy. She’ll probably be in cruise and crawl shoes for sometime rather than proper walkers.

They amaze you everyday.

[Marmite27]

Oh and she’s been weighed every month until we were finally discharged this month. I have no idea why she isn’t huge as she eats more than her 3 year old sister does!

[neversleepagain]

My twins (girls) were born at 34+5 at 5lb4 and 5lb8. 2 weeks in scbu.

They gained weight slowly but steadily and were quite small for their size until around 18 months.
They only smiled at 10 weeks but slept through the night at 11 and 14 weeks, which was lovely!
One had bad reflux (medicated) but both weaned really well and are still very good eaters.
They both sat unaided at 9.5 months and crawled at 12 months.
One walked at 14 months and one at 16 months.
Language development was good.

They were behind slightly initially but it stopped as soon as they walked and they took off. Both could swim by age 3.5, ride without stabilisers by age 4. Both could do perfect cartwheels at age 4. They are very far ahead of their peers physically now, they are fantastic little athletes and play for a local football club and run in a athletics club. They are also very tall for their age at 128cm and 125cm at age 6.5.

I feel very proud of them and how they excel after being so small.

[WallisFrizz]

My 34 weeker is now a perfectly healthy, boisterous, bright 4 year old. You would never know she had been prem.

For the first couple of years she was 6 weeks delayed in everything physical social/emotional eg smiling but it doesn’t last long.

[TildaTurnip]

My 34 weeker had caught up in terms of milestones by 10 months. I don’t think anyone could pick him out as being born early now at 4.

[thebeatofthedrum]

DD was born at 32+1, weighing in at 3lb 10oz. There were medical complications that resulted in major surgery for her at 4 days old and and 5 week stay in SCBUs. There were follow ups with her consultant for 2 years with a final (optional) scan at 5 years old.

We were told to adjust her age for the first 18 months to 2 years so we didn't worry that she didn't crawl till 12 months etc. She picked up every bug going and every cold turned into a chest infection. Even now she's particularly susceptible to a cold!

But ... she's 21 now and just coming to the end of her third year at uni. She's beautiful and smart and sociable and the best big sister ever.

[user1493413286]

My 32 week DD smiled at 6 weeks corrected so 14 weeks but by 6 months she had caught up weight wise and was crawling at 8 months and walking at 14 months. Her speech has followed her corrected age but her physical development has followed her actual age i’d say.
If you download the wonder weeks app that goes by due date and she seemed to follow those leaps which made sense to me as she might be physically having opportunities she wouldn’t have if born at term but her brain is still the same younger than other children her age

[BelfastSmile]

DS was born at 35w5d, and DD at 35w. They were both a decent size - 6lb12 and 5lb4, I think.

Didn't notice much in the way of development delays, although they were both late smilers! We corrected to due date for the first couple of years, but after a year it didn't really matter. Both healthy now!

[FraterculaArctica]

My DD was born at 35+2, weighed 5 lb 11, needed some help with feeding and jaundice treatment but no other special care. She was a much sleepier baby than her brother (born 41+4) and didnt smile till 10 or 11 weeks - I think that's pretty normal. Weaning she had to be propped up a bit as you're usually advised to start at 6 months uncorrected. By 8 or 9 months I'd stopped bothering to correct for prematurity when people asked. In terms of weight gain she's always been a very keen eater so rapidly caught up with her uncorrected age.

She's soon to be 3 and never had any issues. In fact the only thing that could affect her long term is that her early birth took her across the 1st September school year cut off, so unless.we delay her she'll end up as one of the youngest in her year instead of the oldest.

[beckycharlie]

Mine was born at 34+1 And is now 19 months and like any other baby, hv have never had any concerns with milestones.

[FIFIBEBE]

Mine was born at 34+5. ( this was 23 years ago), weighed 5lb 1oz. Always on the lowest centile and now 5ft 9", so smaller than peers. He was a sleepy tiny baby who needed feeding a lot which took hours. Developmentally and socially fine although I think speech was quite delayed. Did A levels, uni and now a doing a decent grad job.

[AlunWynsKnee]

Mine's 9. He had reflux and ropey ear drums for a while but they cleared up and he's just one of the lads.

[LoafofSellotape]

Ds was a 32 weeker and had a 3.5 week stay in SCBU. Had a pneumothorax and an infection but recovered quickly. He was 3lbs 9oz. On his due date he was 7lbs exactly and didn't ever need any adjusting and all his mile stones were bang on target. 18 now and 6ft 4!

[DropZoneOne]

DD was 34 weeks. Her early development was very much 6 weeks behind - no smiling until she was 3 months old for example. It took about 8 weeks before she started to plump out and she was small for her age until she was 3 or so. She's now 11 and tall, in age 13 clothes for the height!

Hearing was compromised and she had speech delay, but now just a slight lisp remains after SALT at age 5 and again age 8. She was slow to roll and crawl but walked at 15 months and she was off!

Given she nearly died, she amazes me so much, you would never guess at her start in life.

[AussieMum28]

My son was born at 33+5. He has done brilliantly! He is now solidly in the 50th percentile for weight and he seems to be hitting his milestones. I have noticed that he isn't as "advanced" as a baby born a day before him (full term) in our NCT group but he's a super star! I have to tell the health visitors when I get him weighed he is prem because he doesn't look it. But a friend who had their bub at 35 weeks is different. He is still a lot smaller than a full term baby and he's just plodding along at his own pace. As a teacher (and a mummy) try not to compare because all babies/children develop differently but I know how hard that is to do!!

[KitKatCHA]

My son was born 34+5 and 5lb1, he gained weight rapidly and had caught up by 3 months. He's now 8 and wearing 11-12 clothes, not developmentally delayed and walked/talked within normal ranges.

[Waiting1987]

35 weeks and weighing 4 pounds 6 ounces. Slight later end of normal to smile, walk etc, but absolutely no other issues. By around 2.5/3 he was no longer smaller than his peers and now is one of the taller ones.

Congratulations

[SinkGirl]

My twins were born at 35+1 by emcs as twin 2 stopped moving. They’re 2.5 now

Twin 1 was 4.5lb, stayed in NICU 17 days

Twin 2 had IUGR, was 3.5lb, was quickly diagnosed with a rare endocrine disorder and was in NICU for two months

Twin 2 was diagnosed with multiple things last year - his optic nerves didn’t develop properly and he has some brain damage from the time around birth, possibly due to severe hypoglycaemia or the growth restriction, and autism.

Twin 1 was diagnosed with autism earlier this year.

Most of the twins I know were born around this age or earlier. Almost all of them are doing really well - there are a few issues (one had cataracts and vision issues, one has autism, one has very mild CP) but nothing too bad. The singletons I know from NICU are all doing amazingly well.

Sadly there’s no way to know the future - most likely your baby will do brilliantly and have no problems. Once they get to about 1 then you tend to stop thinking of them as premature / corrected age etc. My boys met most of their milestones on time or early, but then regressed later.

I don’t think any of the issues they have are down to premature birth.

[SinkGirl]

I will say that my twin with IUGR has completely caught up to his brother in height and now weighs slightly more! They’re still fairly small for their age but we are both short arses

[Biancadelrioisback]

My DS was 34 weeks. Tbh, other than some issues at birth, he has more than caught up. out of all his friends, he's the biggest. No developmental delays or anything.
He's now 2.5 and he's doing great!

[SinkGirl]

Other thing I forgot to mention - both of my boys and lots of my friends’ preemies are atopic (eczema, allergies and / or asthma). Both my boys are allergic to dairy, they were allergic to soy but that’s resolved, one is allergic to egg. Their eczema and awful nappy rash mostly cleared up when we got rid of allergens but occasionally they’ll react to something unknown. May not be an issue for you but it’s worth being cautious when weaning, careful with detergents etc.

The advice I’ve now been given (two years too late!) is that I should have been giving them nuts from when I started weaning them to prevent an allergy occurring (I’m anaphylactic to nuts so I’ve been too scared to give them!).

[Flyingkites123]

Thanks for all your messages and feedback. DS is congenetally, moderately deaf so think I'm worried about everything, especially as they prod and poke to figure out the cause. Relieved to hear smiling came later for most. DS is 8 weeks now. She seems to focus on light sources but not on me so much. Hoping her eyes are OK and it's just the prematurity. There's absolutely no sign of smiling yet. Such a worry!!