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Am I the problem or my instincts are right?

4 replies

Anxiouslikenoneother · 25/11/2022 15:17

My instincts are telling me that there is something not right with our long awaited child and I am suspecting hypotonia. My husband however thinks that the problem is in me as I suffer from anxiety and can’t judge the situation adequately.

Our lovely baby boy is 7 weeks old and was born after ivf pregnancy with a number of minor complications including reduced movement and growth, a swollen kidney and a dramatic birth. He looks absolutely perfect and the first time he latched for a feed I had such profound feelings of love I haven’t experienced before. The world changed that day.

we have been going on well and he has put on a lot of weight moving up from 25% to 50% centile despite problems woth breastfeeding. We have just had our 6 week HV check (done at 7 weeks) and it brought up a massive worry for me o did not have before. My LO just started to smile, tracks black and white pictures well, puts his head straight when laying down but otherwise he is completely floppy.

he has almost no head control - although I can see him trying a little bit at times when I sit him for burping or on a shoulder. We have done little tummy time but started doing it regularly now. He cannot lift his head off the surface and maximum he can do is to turn head from one side to the other. He is so floppy like a rag doll when you pick him up , and his movements in cribs are still very much as of a newborn - jerky with limbs being mostly flat across the matress. He also a bit fussy at breast and possibly has a weak latch and cry (but he is my first baby and the only newborn I have dealt with so not sure how you can tell?). He does choke on milk a bit and it looks like it’s quite difficult for him to feed.

he is due to have his 8 week check next week with the GP where I of course will raise all of the concerns but wondered whether there were other children who were so floppy at 7 weeks old without any issues later on?

i am so sick to my stomach and hope my instincts are indeed wrong and it’s just the anxiety talking but looking at 2 month old milestones on pathways.org for gross motor skills all I see is atypical presentation in my baby boy.

it also looks like he might have the almond eyes so worried about Prader-Willi syndrome.

please tell me if you experienced anything similar?

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
PritiPatelsMaker · 25/11/2022 22:42

it also looks like he might have the almond eyes so worried about Prader-Willi syndrome

I've known adults and children with Prada-Willi. If your baby seems settled after a feed and will sleep, I highly doubt it's Pravda-Willi.

You've mentioned a worrying PG and a traumatic birth. I'm just wondering if you've had any support with the traumatic birth?

Nothing you've mentioned would suggest that there's a problem to me @Anxiouslikenoneother.

You've had a very worrying time and I can understand that you're anxious but I feel that you might need a little support to help you with your health anxiety.

Please talk to your DH/DP about your feelings and speak to the PANDAS Foundation. They're open again at 11am tomorrow Flowers

PritiPatelsMaker · 25/11/2022 22:44

Sorry about the typos and the first paragraph should have been in bold 🤦‍♀️

Anxiouslikenoneother · 26/11/2022 09:16

@PritiPatelsMaker thank you for replying, I am having a CBT therapy which is helpful but extremely challenging and about to go on medication. However I cannot shift the gut feeling that something is wrong as I don’t see him display any anti gravity movement - does not hold his elbows off the surface and overall moves in a random, jerky way. No lifting head at tummy time, just turning to other side.

re birth - it was very emotionally scary as baby went into distress and I was hurried away for an emergency C-section but ended up forceps delivery. I asked about oxygen deprivation and they said they did not have concerns but he came out all blue and limp, and now I keep wondering if something has gone wrong.

OP posts:
PritiPatelsMaker · 26/11/2022 09:29

thank you for replying, I am having a CBT therapy which is helpful but extremely challenging and about to go on medication.

Both of these things have helped me in the past. I would speak to the PANDAS Foundation about how you're feeling though.

Have you spoken to the Birth Trauma Associationn* too? They can help to make sense of your birth notes Flowers

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