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Behaviour/development

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Nursery keeps mentioning baby’s strength/lack of?

6 replies

Corestrengthworries · 28/10/2022 21:23

So my baby was born 7 weeks early due to severe preeclampsia and IUGR. She was 3lb 5oz. She was in the NICU for only 20 days due to doing so well, out before she was even 4lbs.

She started nursery when she was 10 month actual age (8mo-ish corrected).

Nursery keep mentioning about her core strength. That they’re trying to build her muscles in her legs up as she only wants to sit, doesn’t walk etc. They keep asking if she’s had her year check up from the health visitor and I’m starting to worry that they think she’s delayed or that I’m not helping her develop properly.

They’re correct in that she isn’t walking independently but she does walk holding onto your fingers, she holds onto furniture and is quite steady. She can’t pull herself up on furniture yet but can do it on people, like she’ll climb up our bodies like a little monkey. She doesn’t want to sit when she’s at home, she cries until you walk about with her. She isn’t crawling but is bum shuffling (steadily and extremely rapidly when she wants to), I was also a bum shuffler. I didn’t crawl at all and was walking at 9 months but I was born at 43ish weeks back in the 80’s and was chunky as anything.

As far as I’m concerned, she’s actually hit most of her milestones early or on track for actual age instead of corrected. I was told very premature babies are often really late to do most things. She has 5 or 6 words in her vocabulary, babbles appropriately, waves, camps hands and mimics actions and stuff really well.

Should I be worried here? I’ve had a bit of health anxiety since she was born as I was so ill and she was so tiny so the nursery repeatedly saying things about her lack of strength (which I don’t agree with) is weighing on my mind.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Corestrengthworries · 28/10/2022 21:25

*claps hands

OP posts:
moita · 01/11/2022 22:53

Try not to worry but they see lots of babies and toddlers and will be experienced so I would listen to them. Have you seen a health visitor recently?

It may be something that physio can help with.

My DD was similar but you wouldn't know it at 4 and now does gymnastics! Psyhio was brilliant for her.

PritiPatelsMaker · 02/11/2022 11:00

Have I missed the bit where you've said how old she is?

Corestrengthworries · 02/11/2022 19:25

She turned 1 three weeks ago, so 11 months-ish corrected age.

OP posts:
PritiPatelsMaker · 03/11/2022 07:14

Can totally understand you having health anxiety with her being born early.

I've only had full term babies so the advice might be awful, but I'd book an appointment with the GP and share the Nurseries concerns. There might be nothing to worry about but if Nursery are concerned enough to mention it, it's always worth getting checked.

Have you tried asking in the Premature Birth section as well? There are a few experienced MNers in there Wink

triballeader · 09/11/2022 18:13

Occasionally babies with IUGR can need a little extra help as they develop and grow. If you add prematurity on top that may increase the possible need for that help. All babies develop at their own speeds and in their own way. For example an active little boy may be great at climbing and walk early but be much slower to gain concentration and speech skills. A quieter little boy may develop the opposite way around. That said if you feel the staff are experienced with normal child development and they have picked up that here could be something that needs a bit of help its worth asking for this to be checked out just in case. DD who had severe IUGR did need input from OTs and Physios for a number of years as her IUGR then severe failure to thrive caused dyspraxia. Early support and intervention made a big difference for her. Did not stop her having dyspraxia but reduced its long term impact on her fine and gross motor skills.

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