Experienced preemie moms....help!?

Question

How long did it take you to get over obsessing over your child's weight/percentiles??? My son is 8.5 months old and doctors have never been able to give me an explaination about why he was 5 weeks early. I was in the best shape of my life during my pregnancy, ate well, never drank/smoke/etc etc, was healthy and happy. My son only weighs 17 pounds. I really wanted him to grow big and strong like other babies his age, but he is so behind on the weight chart, and I feel like I'm not doing enough for him. Frankly I feel like a failure.

Does there come a time that you stop worrying about all of this?

Answer 1

Oh hun... don't stress... you're doing an awesome job I'm sure! :)  Us preemie moms always have that extra little worry... especially when it comes to those darn charts!  Don't expect him to be caught up until 2 yrs... that's kinda the norm.  Try not to stress too much about it.  Just make sure he's eating/drinking what he should be and that's all you can do.  Good luck! :)

Answer 2

mothers always worry about their children's health

but 17 lbs for an infant with a corrected age of only 7.27 months isn't "so behind" its actually very much within normal range

the only reason to worry would be if he is falling in his percentile, if he is staying on the same curve he is doing exactly what you want him to

Answer 3

My daughter was 6 weeks early and at every appointment they checked her weight against her due date not her birthdate. Now that she's two I don't have to worry about that anymore. Now they consider her a normal 2 year old.

Answer 4

he'll be okay. Percentiles are just an average. My son was born 5 weeks early but he was 6lbs 12 oz. But, my daughter was healthy and she weighed 15 lbs at a year.  Don't feel guilty, most moms normally do.  My preemie now has a neurological disorder and I wonder all the time what went wrong.

Answer 5

If the doctor isn't worried, you shouldn't be either. And in a few months he could have a growth spurt.  Sometimes there aren't any explanation for preemies, it just happens.  My twins were 6 weeks early, my water broke.  But they were not 20lbs until about 15 months old.  They have always been small girls, but right on track, the doctor has never been concern, and they eat healthy and are happy little girls, so I am not concerned either!

Answer 6

Most women who give birth to preemies will never know why it happened, most didn't do anything wrong to cause it. My daughter was 15 weeks premature and I was told she would either have a growth spurt between 6-12 months, 18-24 months or when she hits puberty. My daughter is 6 months old (3 adjusted) and only weighs 10 pounds (she was 1 pound 3 ounces at birth)  As long as he is growing and not stuck at a certain weight or losing weight, I think he's fine. Good luck and try not to worry, just enjoy the little man while he's little:)

Answer 7

my grandaughter was 3months early an weighed less than 5pounds, she is now 6months old an wieghs 12 pounds, my daughter is now feeding her baby foods . she is still so tiny compared to other 6month olds she looks like a 2month old dont feel like a failure its something you had no control over an with being a preemie they do take longer than the average baby  good luck an congrads

Answer 8

even non-preemies do change their spots on those percentiles....my first was pretty big...like 60 or 70%ile up until 3 months....nice and pudgy, then at 4 mo. he sat up, at 6 mo. crawled...and has been moving and skinny ever since....he barely made it to 20lbs. at 1 year so we could turn the carseat around. no problems though, just heredity and really active. fat is not the same as healthy

Answer 9

All 3 of mine are preemies.

From day one I tried not to worry about that chart.  You have to remember that the chart is based on averages, so that doesn't mean that if your child isn't "average" then there is something wrong with him.  Focus on his eating habits and day to day activities.  If he has a good appetite and is meeting his milestones (but those are averages also) than he's thriving and you should be patting yourself on the back for doing a great job mom!

Answer 10

If the doctor isn't worried, you shouldn't be either. If you want, take him to another pediatrician for a second opinion. My daughter was really small (and her twin brother grew huge, he was 39 pounds at 12 months!) but she's catching up.