MagicMum.com

Irish Premature Babies offers support to families with premature kids. Why not check them out at www.irishprematurebabies.com or on facebook irish premature babies. They run a buddy system for parents that links them up with other parents with prems. They also organise meet ups for families.

Thanks Mandy. Have liked them on Facebook so won't miss anything now! Need to remind DH to sign up for pounds for prems tonight.

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How are things lotus? Hope the clinic appointment went well?

This thread has gone very quiet. Anyone else around?

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My little monster is 13 months. He was 33 weeks when he was born in midst of all that bad weather last december. Alot of what you all say resonates with me. I got very bad enclampsia, pains in chest etc. Half of me ignored how bad I felt just thinking it was weather, tiredness etc. He was an emergency section and I only saw him in passing as I was in ICU for 3 days. He did v well out but then got a v bad case of rsv last feb and was on a ventilator in Holles Street (only place he could get a bed once he was ventilated). I will never forget my bday as first they thought he had meningitis. After that he had a small op for his hernia so he is the king of dramas. Tough tough times. But worth it all now.

Now I think he is 20 lbs. Sitting, crawling, starting to pull himself up. Seems spot on for an 11 monther. I expressed with him (with ALOT of support here) and hey we even got him on boob from May onwards, - he still gets boob in morning and evening and has no intention of giving up but I'd like to wean. Mum is trying to get back to herself after a long year.

my guy was born @ 33 weeks nearly one year ago
He went into severe RDS and was ventilated
I expressed for 6 days then I went into kidney failure with post-eclampsia
and I ended up in HDU
so we spent quite a bit of time apart

He has been referred to CRC in Clontarf for 'developmental delay'
he is behind even his adjusted age

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"It's the friends you can call up at 4am that matter."
- Marlene D.

We got weighed today-18.9lbs at 16 months! SLT thinks he has issues with mixing lumps with smooth & thats why he's gagging with everything. His hypotonia restricts his chewing so we are going to try food play and see how he gets on. Appointment in crumlin next week was cancelled so annoying because we had to both book time off work And now we have to try and get it off for the following week /:(
How's your bubs lilbaba? Hope he's piling on the weight & enjoying those
Bottles

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Doodlebops, Ds is 13 1/2 adjusted but not hitting some of those milestones, alot of it I think is him just being a laZy bugger he finds one way of doing something & won't try anything else! We are under eis and there's not much they can do because he's still young. What developmental
Delays does he have?

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Lotus flower what do you mean?
I didn't say what one's?
He isn't sitting up etc
I know from experience they do fantastic work in the CRC
There was an issue for him around a delay in ventilation

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"It's the friends you can call up at 4am that matter."
- Marlene D.

Oh sorry doddlebops I read that wrong, once they get in under the care they do great work with them.

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Sorry I thoughts meant I had said what was wrong
Thanks it's a long road ahead but we will get there

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"It's the friends you can call up at 4am that matter."
- Marlene D.

Hi everyone. Just a quick post. Our little man came home today, 4weeks and a day before his due date and weighing 5lbs 3oz! So glad to have him home

Lotus, sorry to hear about the appointment. That's a real pain.

Molly Dolly and doodlebops, sounds like you both had a very rough time.

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That's excellent news and 5 weeks before his due date, wow! Youve got a fighter there, enjoy the cuddles together as a family!
Our dietician has decided to move him onto a high calorie milk than the one he's on, he had stopped eating so she cut out his bottles and he's started eating again! He just has a tummy the size of a bird & can't fit much in there! Fingers crossed it continues & he doesnt tweak his bottles are missing!

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Well our amazing guy turns 1 on Sunday
(well not really if u read premature babies articles lol)
It's certainly been a rollercoaster year and still rolling
But he is amazing and I feel very blessed that he is even here

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"It's the friends you can call up at 4am that matter."
- Marlene D.

Happy birthday to your little man doodlebops hope the next year brings lots of new things for you all

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Oh doodlebops, just saw ur other thread with the photos and your DS is adorable wishing him a very happy birthday. Must be a very emotional time for you.

Lotus, hope your DS hasn't noticed the missing bottles! How is he doing?

Have had the nicest few days since DS came home. He is a real gem and is such a content little man, though I'm really hoping it's not just the honeymoon period! The relief of having a normal family life and not having to go in and out to the hospital every day is immense. Check up on Tuesday. My biggest worry is that he'll need a blood transfusion and i'll have to leave him there overnight.

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Best of luck tomorrow Littlebaba
I know you must be so worried XXX
hoping it goes well for your little guy
yesterday was lovely, I was quite emotional, so much has happened for him since
anyhow we have his full assessment tomorrow in CRC
I will report back, if that's ok?

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"It's the friends you can call up at 4am that matter."
- Marlene D.

I'd a 34week baby over 3yrs ago and looks like this baby could decide to go same way. It's just a waiting game and I'm hoping we get to 37wks as it's the max they'll let me get to as it is now. I know i have and can cope with the scenario but I'm so anxious about having to possibly leave hospital again without my baby and how down i got after that I'm finding it hard to stay positive.

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"I'd like to be the ideal mother, but I'm too busy raising my kids." ~ Unknown

I had a baby at 31 weeks, almost 6 months ago. I have been reading this thread but haven't posted yet.. Does anyone have any experience of weaning a premature baby onto solids? I weaned my other kids at 5.5 months but they were both overdue and big babies!
She is 24 weeks , 15 weeks corrected.

Tia

Hey Slushpuppie, how is she at feeding? My Ds has some other issues like reflux and sensorial issues that meant he didn't like anything in his mouth but we started him at about 6 1/2 months actual or 4 corrected because he was beginning to get so unsettled. Nothing much, just a teaspoon of baby rice now and then to get him used to it, then moved onto some puréed veg and fruit. Usual stuff you know yourself. The WHO guidelines say to start weening onto solids at 4 months so maybe wait until he corrected age and start small. How is she doing besides? What weight is she?
We had a breakthrough with eating, since the dietician cut back his High Energy milk he started eating. Like I mean literally out of no where!! We were always being pushed to get the milk into him because it was so high in calories, felt like a bit of a dope when it was so obvious that he wasn't hungry! So at 17 months he is 18lb 11oz and just fitting 6-9 month clothes

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Hi ladies, I haven't been on here in ages. My twins were born at 28 + 4 and will be 2 this weekend!!

I found the whole when to wean/when not to really confusing. One of the nurses in the Rotunda gave me this link and the attached document which I found really useful.

http://www.bliss.org.uk/page.asp?sectio ... ing+your+p

Mine had (actually my ds still has) terrible reflux so we ended up weaning them at 6 months actually age and it worked great. Just took it really really slowly. Are you back for any check ups, we just went with the paediatricians advice on when to wean in the end.

hth

My guy is 12 months and he is still on very smooth solids
Paed said to leave him he gags on any type of lump
I weaned him at 5 months corrected age
But yes it is very confusing!!!

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"It's the friends you can call up at 4am that matter."
- Marlene D.

Doddlepops how did you get on in CRC?
Littlebaba how is your little man settled at home?

Anyone have any experience of hypertonia? DS has it in his face, just a mild case where he found it hard to suck bottles and I say I could count how many times I've seen him drool! I've always said since he came home that he had it in his shoulders too but got dismissed as worried 1st parent syndrome. The odd morning he will wake up and have slept funny on his neck and holding it funny.

Today he is so tense his head is nearly resting on his shoulder. He doesn't seem to be in any pain but can't get his to keep his head straight, tried massage but he is just so tight there is no release in it. Poor little fella, hate seeing him so tense. I just take a photo for the OT just to prove I'm not being over cautious

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Lotus flower your poor little guy
I would deffo mention it

Thanks for asking, CRC have referred him for MRI and full Physio assessment
Paed picked out things we hadn't noticed and in her opinion that it is not related to being premature more to do with other issues after he was born
Trust her 100% she has been DS1 Paed since he was 6 months
So seeing Physio there every two weeks is the plan
In Clontarf So hopefully it will help his strength
He is incredibly stiff all the time, very difficult to dress etc

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"It's the friends you can call up at 4am that matter."
- Marlene D.

Is he stiff all over or just in certain areas? Do they have another another concerns? Ds was so rigid for about the first 8 months only noticed looking back on YouTube videos how stiff he was. We did baby massage and i think it really helped him.
Will the Physio be with enable Ireland or eis? We are under eis & they are so short staffed for Physio we haven't seen anyone since last may

I'm not comparing babies but.... I have friends with 11 month olds & they have on their fb pages so and so started walking/ talking and I just get a little jealous... Sad? Can't figure out the emotion, you know how every little step is a huge one but he's just been at a stand still for so long now. No that's a lie he started kissing this weekend, big dirty eyes closed kisses lol wonder where he gets that from?

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