8 week old still seems newborn

[NotRishi]

Born at 37 weeks, he is now 8 weeks, he sleeps almost all day and night, he'll stir to feed and he feeds hourly in the day 3 hourly at night. He hasn't smiled yet, he doesn't interact at all, he cries a lot and needs to be permanently held, won't last more than a minute without crying if not in arms. He still seems the sane as he did at a few days old just bigger. I can't help but compare him to my eldest who had much longer wake periods, fed less and smiled by now... normal or cause for concern?

Anyone?

Worse thing you can do is compare
Whilst my baby wasn't like this who is now 7months she wasn't the same as my first child so I've learned the hard way not to compare you won't get the reassurance you need here - speak to health visitor / GP

I just checked back on my kids at 8 weeks, they were definitely smiling and interacting, but I remember this as also peak crying time, often for hours, and definitely didn't want to be put down either.
Crying and not wanting to be put down is actually all interaction...
So I'd say not outside realms of normal but I'd have my pediatrician check them out anyway.

I know I shouldn't compare, I am trying to just enjoy him but he just seems so much younger than he is. I've not noticed much change besides his size since he was days old which is what started to concern me. I'll mention it to the HV.

Has he had his 6 /8 week check up done? They usually check for smiling etc at that appointment and would address any concerns you have.

He wasn't smiling at his 6 week check and the GP didn't ask, I did mention it and he shrugged it off and said he's still young

I think I would also mention to health visitor - you should have a review soon? However I also want to add my second was born at 38 weeks and I definitely feel like she was more sleepy and took longer to wake up than my first. Being born at term but a bit early does seem to have a small short term impact!

I could have written this myself. I have a 2yr old who did everything when they expect and I have a 14 week old who is hitting every milestone late.

At 10 weeks wasn't smiling, tracking our faces etc.

Now at 14 weeks their face lights up every time they sees us and it's so lovely ❤️.

They also slept a lot - probably only really waking up for longer periods in the last 10days or so. They take agesss to feed, so most of their short awake time up to 12 weeks or so was feeding!

I don't have the same availability to interact with them as the toddler is very demanding. But have increased tummy time and floor play on the advice of the HV to build up their development.
I did raise it with our HV and we've had feeding / weight issues as well.

I think that in order to get an 'average' of a milestone, you have to have some babies that are ahead of that and some that fall behind.

Enjoy those sleepy snuggles ❤️

Also, similarly to a PP they were born at 38weeks. Previous baby, born at 40.

OP, my grandson was born at 36 weeks, and when my daughter-in-law used to take him for his early check-ups, the nurse told her that, while he was technically 2months old or whatever, they’d be considering him as the age he would be, had he been born at full term. He appeared to be a newborn for quite some time but now is crawling around the place and trying to stand at 9months old (his actual age rather than calculating from had he been full term at birth.) Please try not to worry and just see how it goes, and enjoy plenty of cuddles and snuggles with him.

My twins were born at 36 weeks. They were sleepy babies until they were about 8 weeks old. Their 'little' sister came out 2 days after due date like a bat out of hell and didn't ever seem newborn to me.

My twins reached the walking and talking milestones earlier than their little sis. Some babies take more time to get over leaving your womb xx

Thank you hopefully I'm just being impatient! They said as he was 37 weeks then he doesn't have an adjusted age as such which seems odd if he was a couple of days earlier he would!

I had exactly this as if baby had been born less than 36hrs earlier she would have had an adjusted age. I started to think about it like that myself as 3 weeks in the womb is a lot of development. She smiled at 7 weeks but I remember her being very sleepy up to that point. She also crawled/babbled and sat on the slower end although still within normal ranges.
The only thing you have said that might worry me is lack of weight gain?

He's nearly doubled his birth weight his weight gain is very good, he's definitely a lot bigger than when he was born but that's about the only change I've noticed in him!

Sorry me reading with half a brain switched on! I thought you said you hadn't noticed much change in his size since he was a few days old.

Born at 37 weeks he is only 5 weeks corrected