Premature twins- Birth date or corrected date?

[Toddlerandtwinss]

Hello,

Looking for experiences of other mums of premature twins.

My twin boys are currently 8 weeks old however corrected age of 3 weeks as they were born at 35 weeks.

Did you find your twins hit growth spurts at the standard estimates times (2/3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months etc) according to their birth date or their due date (corrected age). Health visitor unable to answer question- says she doesn’t know.

just wondering what other experiences are with premature twins so I can identify if they are going through the predicted growth spurts according to either due date or birth date!

also when people say it gets easier from 3 months etc does that mean it’s really 4 months for me?

hope that makes sense

any help appreciated

thanks x

My twins were born at 33 weeks. I tended to find they hit milestones for their first year at approx midway between corrected and uncorrected age. Anything over 37 weeks is classed as full term, so I guess for my girls correcting to 37 weeks was about right. I didn't find it got any easier till my girls were established on solids I am afraid to say. However they had bad reflux and cmpa (which wasn't picked up till 6 months old). But all babies are different. My first daughter (singleton and born at 37 weeks) was easier from around 4 months or so.

Not a twin mum but had a 34 weeker

Growth spurts were entirely unpredictable! But DD had a tongue tie so think feeding was a bit crap until that was sorted.

Developmental stuff like smiling, sitting up etc all happened on corrected age. Yep easier from 3 months = easier from 4 months actual age but not all babies follow this rule anyway…

Weaning, the advice is go by actual age as they run out of stores from the womb. So 6 months actual/5 months corrected age

Mine were born at 36 weeks so not that early really but they did most things according to their due date rather than when they were born. It was wild to me to have such sleepy babies for such a long time!

Thank you for your reply!

The whole corrected age confuses me as 37 weeks they aren’t corrected at all but 35 weeks they’re corrected by 5 weeks- don’t really understand that!

That is helpful to know when you felt milestones were being met!

i have heard that 6 months is more the time frame when twins get easier. Maybe I’m just impatient but 8 weeks in I really thought it would be getting a bit easier but isn’t at all. Every evening is a nightmare with constant fussing and feeding!! 6 months feels a lifetime away 😓

Yes I completely agree!

The boys are 8 weeks old now and still spend the majority of the day sleeping like they are only a few weeks old which I guess is what they are corrected age!

so disheartening when you think you’ve completed 8 weeks but in fact you’re only 3 weeks in!!! Soul destroying!

Re 37 weeks not being corrected - there is a movement to start calling 37 weeks “early term” as it is increasingly recognised that 37 week babies are not, on average, just the same as 40 or 41 week babies, and are at greater risk of things like jaundice, reflux, etc.

My premature singleton with IUGR hit all the milestones according to his corrected date until 14 months.

Mine hit all their milestones on time (not corrected age). They were born at 30 weeks. They slept through the night at 6 months 7-7. They did go onto solids at 16 weeks due to slow growth (IUGR babies) and at the request of a paediatrician.

Prem twins here 35.5 weeks. They were rather unpredictable but low birth weight meant mixed feeding etc so all growth was a positive. Milestones were a bit hit and miss - didn’t sit up until 9 months, walked at 16 months. They’re 12 now and you wouldn’t know. I was very concerned about dtd2’s speech… she doesn’t stop talking now.

Mum of 37 week and 40+6 baby.
The differencw was massive in sleeping, feeding amd interaction.

37 week baby did everything two weeks "late". For example at 8 week appointment not smiling and that. GP was pushing "but surelly there was a smile!" I have agreed just to get rid of her and as expected baby smiled two weeks after.

My 34 weeker went through the Wonder Weeks leaps exactly according to her due date.

My 29 weekers hit all their milestones based on their corrected age (so 11 weeks later than they should have according to their birth date) until about 16 months then they they caught up and did it all according to their actual age.