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Calling all mummys who had prem babas!

Hi girls,
just a quick question as it's driving me
alittle mad!

You know u all say to count your little ones
by their "due date" not their actual age for
development etc...

My question is:
when people ask "ahh how old is your little one?"
do you say their actual age?or their due date
age?

It's driving me mad the amount of people who
ask when I am out and I've been saying 10wks
and they are like "oh...right...she's very small"
then I have to go into the whole story that she's
prem and is size/weight/development 6weeks old.

Could I just say she is 6weeks?
But then if they ask when she was born and
I say May do you think they will think "
crazy women?"

is really small thing but is really bugging me!

Replies

  • Hi,

    My DD was born at 32 weeks weighing 3lb 3oz and now is almost 10 months old and is still in 0-3 month clothing and weighs under 14lb image

    When asked her age i say her actual age, i then do get strange looks (as if people are thinking 'she's small' ) but unless people say anything i don't say anything about her being early.

    However her being so tiny did work to my advantage the other day as we went to Monkey Bizz and under 6 months get in free, the lady at the desk just asumed that as she was so small she was under 6 months and let us in for free!! I wonder how many time we can go back before she notices!! lol.

    xx
  • God, I remember this all too well! I used to say Skye's age and people looked at me funnily so I always felt the need to explain she was 7 weeks prem. It surprised me though how many other mums I spoke to had also had prem babies or knew someone who had, so it was sometimes kinda nice to share :\)

    It is literally in the last month or so at 21 months old that I know just say Skye's age and don't feel the need to explain!! She's chronologically doing everything she should now, and with me being only a touch over 5 foot she's not destined to be tall anyway! image

    For some things I always just used Skye's corrected age, as it meant I could get into music/soft play cheaper, like shezakeza, and when she was small she was obviously developing on her corrected age.

    Go with what makes you comfortable I guess? I always convinced myself I'd just say Skye's corrected age to save the explaining, but for some reason found that I had to say her real age, it felt kind of "wrong" to say her corrected age, after all, it wasn't when she was born!!

    Sorry if I waffled! :lol:
  • DD was born at 32 weeks and i just told them her actual age then explain that she was nearly 8 weeks prem.

    like posy said there were so many other people that had prems too or knew someone who had. although i was told by one woman that she was 5 months early!!! and another was 2 months late!!!!!

    again like skye, when people ask her age no one seems to bat an eyelid now at 21 months. like posy im just a touch over 5 foot and not very big myself so no seems to expect her to be a giant rugby player

  • Finn was born at 30 weeks - to be honest i cant bear having to explain everything to people so I just tell them his corrected age!
  • It gets on my nerves having to explain the whole prem baby thing, i hope eventually as she grows we will grow out of having to explain why she is small for her birthdate as its ANNOYING! x
  • I always used to tell people Emily's actual age but then felt i had to explain that she was 14 weeks early in case they thought i wasn't feeding her or something lol.
    Now she is 3 i don't need to do that anymore but i do sometimes pretend she is 2 to get in somewhere for free!
    She started walking at 16 months and strangers would be amazed as she only looked about 8 months. so that was quite funny.
    The number of people who said "Oh she is so small" when i told them her age! Really, i hadn't noticed.
    Don't worry about what others think. if you don't want the odd looks or having to explain it all, just tell them her corrected age.
  • I just told people Kara's real age and then if asked I explained that she was almost 6 weeks prem and weighed 3lb 12oz. She is 3 next months and she is doing everything that she is supposed to. She is actually very advanced and smart for her age. She is also taller than average for her height and her volcabulary is great. Prem babies I believe come on as well as children born on time or late.
  • hi ladys just like to share my story i had my first son joshua in 1998 born at 27 weeks 1lb 8oz he was very ill baby had 2 bleeds on the brain and in hospital 4 three months he is now coming 12 years old with no problems just a little small for is age but he will get there had my second son at 33 weeks 4lb 9oz having hart problems he is now coming 5 years old i am trying again for my third baby but am so scared of a prem would love to have a girl i am at the mo just taking a ovulation tablet called clomed so fingers crossed will keep u posted xxx
  • Hi
    amelia was just under 35 weeks and was 5lb 5. She gained weight very slowly and was (and still is) teeny tiny. i always gave her real age and just added..she was 6 weeks prem!

    People are just curious.

    My Dr always plotted her on her chart as corrected. If she was 8 weeks then he would plot her as 2 weeks otherwise she was underweight hugely.

    d xxx
  • my third lo was 5 weeks early and although he was small to start off with he caught up quickly and was average size by the time he was 12 weeks, skye on the other hand was also born at 35 weeks and has gained weight slowly, and she is still small now, i went to a party last sunday and there was a 7 week old the same size as her. when i people ask her age i just say 5 months but she only weighed 4lbs 9oz born, i then usually get asked was she early, and i just reply yes, then the questions tend to stop. if they carry on i just point out that i have had 3 prem babies, and have never carried a baby past 38 wks. saves all the ill questions that give me a lump in my throat. and skye's chart is always marked 5 weeks early, and shes still under weight for that. x
  • i just say his atcual age (14 weeks) and if anyone asks ill say he was 6 weeks early if not i dont bother!
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