What to expect and when?

[RAFWife12]

I don't know if this has been asked before, I have asked midwife, NICU nurses and Health Visitor and get no answer!
DD was born at 35+2, today is her due date. She is doing well generally - gaining weight really well (breastfed) and no real health issues. What I am trying to work out is what to expect developmentally. I have been told with major milestones she will always be allowed an extra 5 weeks to achieve them. However with things like feeding and sleeping, are we basically starting again? Have we just gained an extra month of the newborn stage or will she follow "normal" development. Obviously I know every baby is different, but I like to have an idea of vaguely what to expect. Obviously baby books only talk about full term babies.

Congratulations and

Dtds were born at 33+2, but twins tend to arrive a couple of weeks early and I'd been expecting them in another five weeks or so.

They stayed in SCUBU until 28 days old, when weights reached 5 lbs and breastfeeding was well established. They weren't very good at it at first (and neither was I).

For the first three or four months, they seemed to be doing their developmental milestones bang on time for their due date (38 weeks) rather than actual delivery date. Then they steadily seemed to start to catch up with their peers, and by around age two/three they were very much on a par with the rest of the playgroup.

So many of the 'milestones' are ball park figures though, it's hard to tell.

*SCUBU???

Mysterious extra U there... and it was fifteen years ago since I had an excuse for Baby Brain!

Congratulations!

Every baby is different, that's true, but I'll tell you a little about mine in the hope that it will help you.

I had my son at 33+1. He's now 11months old and has fairly consistently been about two months behind on developmental milestones. However, he's doing almost everything a 9m old should, so there are no concerns about his future.

I'm afraid that it's quite likely you'll have a 5-week extension on the newborn period, sorry! I had a rough ride until about 16-18 weeks, when he seemed to settle considerably, started sleeping in 5-7 hour stretches and I got a bit of desperately-needed rest. Before then he would sometimes wake every 45mins.

My best advice: get a sling like a Close Caboo - our consultant recommended it and it was the single best baby thing I bought. They are suitable from 5lbs and will allow you to cuddle your baby whilst walking, shopping, doing (light) house stuff. I didn't start using mine until 7 weeks, as I didn't go out much to start with (hospital for 3 weeks, exhausted and bewildered at home for a few more!) but when I did, it was a revelation. I loved it so much I still use slings far, far more than our pram.

Good luck - all being well, it will get better and better and easier and easier every week. Having my son is the single best thing I've ever done.

Thanks for your responses. An extra month of newborn phase is kinda what I thought - just needed someone to say it really.
Thanks for the sling recommendation - I really need to get one as DD does NOT like being put down! I haven't been out much except for Dr and Hospital appointments and getting definite cabin fever.

2 yr old ds was born at 34+5. He is perfectly fine and dandy but things like sitting, walking, talking etc have all been a bit later than his peers. Although still in the'normal' range. He was weened at 6 months with no issues.