Baby born at 5lbs 3oz at 37 weeks

[OnMyJourney]

Hi!

So I've been in and out of hospital and due to preeclampsia I'm being induced or possibly having a Csection on Saturday, today when I went for a growth scan they said she is only 5lbs 3oz she's gonna be a tiny girl! (I know these scans aren't always accurate) but basically I was just wondering if you had babies around these weights, what size clothes fit your baby and which size nappies? We have a few tiny baby bits and I think 1 packet of size 0 nappies but I'm just thinking if we may possibly need more?

Any help is appreciated ☺️ x

Mine were both under 5lb. Size 0 nappies, definitely.

DD1 was smaller and we had some stuff from Next for her that was their 5lb size. That barely fitted DD2, who was longer, so she was in more the under 7lb size. So you might want to have a few bits in both sizes as it'll depend on the proportions of your baby really.

If you want a sling, a stretchy wrap one will be more likely to have a low weight limit. I've had a Close Caboo, lower weight limit 5lb, and also a BabyBjorn structured one which is great when they're older but the lower weight limit is 8lb. DD1 couldn't have used that till she was about 4 months!

You might want to check whether your car seat needs inserts, ours didn't but I know some do for very little ones.

Also, the midwives will probably tell you this, but co-sleeping is advised against for babies born under 6lb, so you might want to make sure you've got a good sleeping arrangement set up with baby on a separate sleep surface. A lot of sleeping bags also have a lower weight limit. We used blankets, very carefully tucked in, till ours met the weight limits, but I'm sure you can get small sleeping bags.

On the plus side, tiny babies are much easier on the arms and back!

My story was identical to yours, OnMyJourney, back in 1986. When my son was born he was 5lb 3oz and he was so tiny that he fitted in the palm of my dad’s hand. The first size baby clothes I had swamped him but the hospital at that time had a scheme at that time where they loaned premature baby clothes. He grew so quickly & was in the 0-3 month size of baby clothes by a month. He’s now 6’4”. I hope all goes well for you. I was induced at 36 weeks and my labour was quick. He only spent a few hours in the incubator.

DD was born 2 days before her due date at 5lb6oz. Definitely size 0 nappies, and had to send DH out for an emergency clothes shop for prem baby clothes. She didn’t fit into newborn sizes until she was 4 months old!

Enjoy your baby, I adored having a tiny baby!

Although she was born on the 0.4th centile, she is now 10 and is on the 91st centile for height and weight - so she didn’t stay tiny for long 😂

Our ds was born 5lb4oz at 35 weeks. He was in tiny clothes <6lb. Mostly we got sleepsuits for the first few weeks. I can’t remember the nappy size, it might have been 1 but I don’t know, they say weights on them.

I'm currently in pre term labour. I'm 34 weeks+1 my lil girl is weighing about 5lbs... so no baby is gonna be a big girl

@JollyHostess101 my baby girl was born at exactly the same gestation, weighing exactly the same as yours! We bought loads of tiny baby from George Asda as well 💜

I had my little one at 37+2 he was 6lb. I used premiee baby grows and he was swamped in them and the tiny baby nappies! Good luck xxx

Mine was 5lbs at 37 weeks and tiny baby was the best fit followed by early baby when she was a bit bigger before newborn from around 6 weeks later

Mine was 5lb at 36w with IUGR and had the largest premie size but grew much faster than his full term sister.

My DD was born at 38 weeks and was 5lb3!

Tinier than they were expecting but just fine. We did have to do a very quick shop for size 0 nappies and get a few more sleepsuits for tiny babies. To be honest I used to just tie the legs together at the bottom of the bigger ones, as I’d always find her legs had come out anway 😆🤷‍♀️

my daughter was this size many years ago deg size before newborn which I think.is tiny baby she was born in dec and hardest thing to find her was a coat that fitted snow suits swamped her more suit than baby she was short in length as well and quite floppy compared to other babies 10 days early 6 pound 7 ounces then she lost a few ounces

still managed to find her tiny dresses including a tiny red velvet xmas dress at independent baby shops/stalls including tiny lace tights

Both my girls were 5lb 3oz! They wore tiny baby for about 6 weeks and size 0 nappies for that time too. I love a tiny baby they seem to be babies for much longer.

My tiny baby was 4lb 6. He was in tiny baby clothes (which swamped him initially) until 11 weeks, but he was a slow grower.

Everything can be ordered quickly online so I always caution against buying too much, but realistically I think you want five tiny baby vests and sleep suits. Newborn is for 7lb up in most brands.

You’ll definitely need more packs of size 0 nappies.

My little girls was born at 37 weeks to, she was 4lb 1oz, tiny but perfect, she's 5 now. Size 0 nappies and premature baby grows.Hospital wards often get alot of premature sized clothes donated, well mine did. Good luck, it's all going to be fine, all good things come in small packages, just like my little Tinkerbell 😉

DS was 5lbs 11oz when born at 37 weeks and he fitted the tiny baby suits perfectly. We used size 1 nappies - in theory these should have fitted well but we found that they were a bit baggy on him for a while and he had quite a few leaks.

Really good advice above about safer sleeping and making sure that car seats/carriers fit. We tried newborn sleeping bags and found that they swamped DS and weren't at all safe.

My son was born at 39+6 and weighed 4lb 11oz, tiny baby was perfect with lots of room too even tho he was a long baby. And size 0 nappies lasted a good while too

Exactly the same as my little girl! Also pre eclampsia also induced also 5lbs3oz. Tiny baby size for first few weeks. She’s now a tall and healthy 4 year old, you wouldn’t know she was born little.

Ahhh how’s she getting on? We’re still petite at 4 months so only going into 0-3 now…. All the clothes we were given were summer so I’ve stocked up tights and cardigans 🤣

Our local Asda only had Batman tiny baby when we were told we were going in to be induced so she was our superhero for a few days 🤣

My DD was born at 35+6 with iugr weighing 2lbs8.
This was 24yrs ago overseases...no premmie baby clothes available.
I cut down Terry toweling nappies and bought babygrows from the doll range at the local toy shop...my mum sent out m and s tiny baby clothes which still swamped her.
She didn't fit 3-6 month clothes until she was 1...
She grew up petite...but oh my "she may be small but she is feisty "

@JollyHostess101 shes 19 months now and still petite, so she’s still in some 9-12 stuff, but can also wear 12-18 months if I roll up the arms and legs 😂bless her x

I had my daughter at 37 weeks on Monday. She is 5lb 12oz. I’d definitely buy some tiny baby clothes. First size up to 7lb is drowning my girl and she is getting her arms and legs lost in baby grows. (she is in proportion rather than ‘skinny’).
Even if it’s just tiny baby vests and baby grows.

She has a lot of Spanish style baby outfits and they are sized a lot smaller so those arnt too bad, but the supermarket baby grows are huuuge.

Pampers first size fit her, but we tried Asda little angels last night and they were up to her armpits.

Be aware that growth scans arnt always accurate so don’t go crazy with the smaller clothes. They were spot on with my daughter, but way out with my son.

Our girl was 5lbs1 and born at 38+4 😊
We were told she was going to be around 8 and a half pounds at 37 weeks so we’re so unprepared for her tiny size.

Next tiny baby goes upto 7.8lbs and they were massive on her in the first few weeks but we got loads of them as they lasted the longest.
Matalan do tiny baby which is upto 6lbs and they were great just not much selection.
Most things were big on her but we popped a long sleeve vest and a babygrow over top and she was fine 😅

We found most things she would get her arms and legs lost for the first few weeks!

We also used aldi nappies- size 1 premium go from 4lbs-10lbs and they fit her well, she dropped to 4lbs12 two days after her birth and the nappies fit really well, we had no leaks :) x

DS was unexpectedly 6lb1 at 40+2 (measured.5lb14 at 36 weeks). Size 1 nappies were fine and tiny baby clothes, but he grew very quickly once out (fed ferociously) so didn't need a lot. We didn't have any tiny baby clothes when he was first born and he was ok in bigger sizes with sleeves rolled up. Good luck!

love a tiny baby but boy are they hard to feed at first for a while tummy so tiny only take 2 ounces at a time then they keep falling asleep seem to take ages with my daughter then bing 2 hours later another 2 ounces and by the time you had winded changed them in between there was no respite
My son on the other hand born 8 pounds six so almost two pounds heavier would down a four ounce bottle in about five minutes flat practically from newborn
He was lifting his head up when up on someone's shoulder from day 1 and trying to look round then screaming when his head would flop down again. My daughter on the other hand could no way lift her head up at 5 pounds six ounces no where near as strong very floppy in comparison to him