10week prem and DS still wont do anything by himself

[leggie1995]

hi everyone m new to this so want to get to know people and ask for peoples advice. im 17 and had a baby who was 10weeks premature, he is now 9months and still doesnt sit up by himself, crawl, roll or do anything. i have tried helping him by supporting him when he sits up but just falls over. hes only just started teething aswell. is this all normal for him not to be doing anything and only starting to teethe now?

Is he 9
Months actual or corrected ? Of actual then it's too early to worry . 6.5 months is fairly early for sitting and crawling . Teeth will come when thy are ready .

Hi! I have 2 preemies (32 weeks and 34 weeks) and a 3rd one on the way. I know it can get stressful when you look at other babies of a similar age and start wondering why yours isn't doing the same things. But remember you need to think of your baby's development in terms of his adjusted age (ie age from his due date) rather than his actual age (from his birth date). So If he is 9 months but was 10 weeks prem, developmentally you would expect him to be more like a 6 or 7 month old.
This page shows the range of 'normal' development - I'm not sure about the rolling but sitting/crawling he's still within the normal range www.who.int/childgrowth/standards/mm_windows_graph.pdf
My eldest never crawled at all, or bum shuffled, but walked at 14 months (12 months adjusted). The teething is also normal, some full term babies don't get teeth until quite late in the first year.
If you're worried about his sitting up/rolling etc could you ask your HV or GP to have a look at him? Do you still have any paediatrics appointments or have you been discharged?

Hi there, just wanted to reassure you - my DS was 12 weeks prem and didn't sit up unaided until well past 9 months actual, he never crawled at all, and rolled once on Christmas Day (when he was 8 months actual) but I think it was a fluke as he never did it again for another 2 months. He also didn't get teeth until close to his 1st birthday.

Thankyou for all your reassuring comments,DS actual corrected age is 6 and a half months, it worried me as im a first time mum and no one in my family hasent ever had preemie babies. I have got DS a walker to get to grips with his feet but just leans over and goes to sleep, ive been putting him on his playmat and rather putting the toys above him ive been putting them to the side to get him to roll to reach them but then doesnt bother anymore. When i put him on his belly he gets really frustrated and starts crying so i pick him up. Regarding my heath visitor how ofter are we meant to meet? i take him to baby weighing every month but its not the same place where the health visitor is, she hasent seen DS in around 4-5 months ago, everytime we have called her shes either never in or is too busy to talk or set a date to meet.

Have you got drop in clinics near you?

Leggie - does your DS not have any follow up appts with the hospital? I think we were seen quite regularly at that stage. Are there any of the HVs that you get on with? Are there any BLISS groups near you?

i only have a baby weighing clinic but my HV isnt there, i=there are hospital appointments every 3 months next ones in march but they dont do much either. am still waiting for my referral to the phsychiatrist but they wont help me till im 18.

and i didnt realise bliss would still help me, i thought as soon as DS came out of hospital that they wouldnt help anymore.

I was told to go by my DS2's corrected age until he was about 2 - he was born at 31 weeks.

At 10 months (uncorrected) age he could not sit reliable - still fell over.
Did not crawl until well over a year.
Walked independently at 17 months - and then went straight to running lol .

Every baby is of course different, but you do sound quite alone with all of this. Could you phone the secretary of the dr who saw your DS recently and speak to him on the phone?? IME the clinic do not 'do' much as there is not much to do unless his progress gives cause for concern.

Most mental health services will accept referrals for people over 16 - are you sure you have to be 18 to be seen? What about Youth and Adolescent Services? Speak to your GP again.

Baby walkers will not help him to learn to walk/stand. Walking is about far more than strength of legs - it involves development of balance, coordination and therefore brainmaturity.

Don't just speak to us, but speak to people in RL who have seen you and him.
He sounds like he is doing just fine. Give him time. But if you have concerns, get them address.

yeah i suppose only time will tell, yeah definitly 18 ive had loads of referrals, like doctors, DS hospital, my last 2 HV's but all theyve done is sent me to loxford hall (camhs, child and adolescent mental health service) but im only in the family therapy thing at the moment because the physchiatrist wont see me till im 18. They were saying regarding me not hearing DS when im asleep to go to the doctors but what are they going to do? would the doctors help with a thing like that?

Well, yes, get somebody to look at your ears (wax??) and get referred for a hearing test.
Is DS in the same room as you? Or do you use a baby monitor?

CAMHS also have psychiatrists who should be able to see you until the adult services take over.

okay will give that a go then, nope he doesnt recently we moved him into his own room but even when he was in the same room as me i couldnt hear him then, i have the monitor right next to my pillow and still cant hear him.
Ive asked to see the psychiatrist but they keep saying to me i have to wait till im 18, they've put me on a referral list so then i get seen early as soon as im 18 but its so long away.