Born at 36 weeks

[Fantail]

I am seeking a range of stories from people who's children were born at 36 weeks, so technically classed as prem, but only 1 week off being classified as full term.

My DD was born at 36 weeks exactly after I was induced due to worsening pre-eclampsia. She was a very healthy weight (6lbs 15oz) and breastfeed well from birth. She took almost 4 weeks to gain back her birth weight, but has gained steadily since then and for her actual age is on the 25th percentile.

She is a very happy, and smiley wee thing who babbles a lot already. She holds her head up well, but hates tummy time - I can't imagine her rolling anytime soon!

What I am wondering is if I am meant to adjust developmental goals (and things such as weaning) by 4 weeks to adjust for her gestation? I have asked HV, midwife and GP about this, but they haven't really had anything meaningful to say and just told me not to worry. I am not worried, but just want to know about other peoples' experiences.

Thank you.

DD was born a month early. She was 6lb 7oz.

Nobody really gave us any advice either! She was weaned late (7 months) simply because she wasn't remotely interested in solids until that point. She was fairly late (16 months) to walk, but then so was one of her brothers who was a week overdue so that may be just coincedence. She talked fairly early.

She is now 5 and almost at the end of Reception. She is at or near the top of her class, reads well, writes well, has very good self care and social skills. So being born a little bit early doesn't seem to have had an effect on that. She is still small, on around the 2nd centile for both height and weight, but she is tough little thing who plays football and rides horses.

Now, apart from her size, you wouldn't know that she had been born early. And who knows, she might have been small anyway!

Ds was born at 34 weeks, I weaned at 6 months. He was a few weeks late smiling, held his head up in the usual time, didn't sit up until quite late but I think that was just him rather then him being prem.
All in all they'll just follow their own timetable, might be a few weeks later then other babies with some milestones, might not.
He always hated tummy time too so I didn't force it, he never really enjoyed it but crawls now.
Good luck! :)

Dd was born at 36+1. She was 8lb and in SCBU for 9 days.

Weaning isn't affected because their tummy's start getting used to food once they are born and start feeding.

Other developmental goals are adjusted, dd didn't smile until she was 9 weeks, but technically that was 5 weeks.

In the red book your HV should be correcting your dd's weight on the chart, they will do this up until they are a year old.

With regards to head holding/sitting/crawling etc all babies are so different that the 4 weeks shouldn't make much difference. Dd didn't sit until seven and a half months and still isn't crawling, she is 1 soon, but even if she wasn't born early this would still be nothing to worry about.

I hope I have helped :)

Thanks for all responding so quickly - you have all helped. The HV haven't been adjusting her weight in the book, so I might have a look at that. It stressed me out having to have her weighed every week for the first 4 so she has only been weighed twice since then.

It makes a lot of sense about the gut being ready for food, but the rest of the co-ordination not being there. I will just look out for the signs at around 6 months and go from there.

Other goals, well she smiled at almost 6 weeks, she has just discovered her hands in the last couple of weeks. Her head control is good, but only about 90% of the time.

Try not to worry about her weight, as long as she is eating and happy that's all that matters. I used to stress so much over dd as some weeks she had lost weight! So I would advise just going monthly or every other month if you can

dd1 was born at 36 weeks and developmental oals werent moved for her, and didnt need movin, she was underweiht at 4ibs somethin but her development occurred at normal ae, only thin is she has sliht speech delay, but i dont think that is to do with bein born a few days early.

My ds2 was born at 32 weeks, let out of hospital 2 weeks before he was originally due. I did allow a little extra for development. He did not walk until he was about 18 months, not because he couldn't but couldn't be bothered, (my others walked at 13 months, 11 months and 13 1/2 months). Every child is different when it comes to food. My 2 dd would eat anything and everything but ds1 picky as hell and would barely eat and ds2 would eat normally. So long as she is happy and healthy which it sounds like she is, i wouldn't worry too much. You know your own child. try not to listen to parents bragging about their little angels, it would make any parent feel insecure. Your health professionals sound like the are taking a common sense approach.

DS was born at 36+4 and struggled a bit to bf, but got it after a week or so. I insisted on his earliness being accounted for in his weight checks! But he's 19mo now and met all his milestones at pretty much bang on average - smiled at 8wks, sat and weaned (BLW) at 6m, walked at 12m etc.

I say do adjust in her favour being 4wks early, as it helps you worry less!

Agree with Mistress, also had you not been induced she might have been two weeks overdue so technically you can allow an extra six weeks for her to do things always makes me feel better when dd is being a bit slow!