Do your consider them preemies still?

When my LOs were babies I told people they were small because they were preemies. Looking back, I don't miss those NICU visits or anything before their second month of life. They came home at a month and it was great to have them home.

I don't call them preemies now or take precaution (other then passing them around but I was like that with my dd1). Do you still consider yours preemies a few months into their first year? When did you stop?

 

I guess because mine were only a month early, and were 7.2 lbs and 6.4 lbs, I never really considered them preemies even though technically they were.

My older son was also born at 36 wks at 5.13 and I considered him more of a preemie, maybe because he actually spent a week in the nicu.

But to answer your question no, I don't consider mine preemies

 

Both the sets of twins I look after were born at 32 weeks. At 5 months I would still count them as preemies, mostly for development terms so milestones would be expected at (or not worried about until after) the adjusted age. We stopped adjusting sometime between 18 month and 2 years because by then they had 'caught up'.

Now my cousin was born very premature (24 weeks) and so his adjusted age counted much longer. I think my aunt was told to expect him to be pretty much caught up by 5 (although he did/does have some ongoing health issues).

 

I'm pretty sure they are still considered preemies until their 2nd birthday when they stop adjusting developmental milestones for age. My girls are 8 months old, but their adjusted age is 5.5 months. I can't compare their development to an 8 month old so I go by their adjusted age and, therefore, still consider them preemies.

 

I still definitely consider my girls preemies, even though they are caught up to their actual age (in size and gross and fine motor skills), and have been for quite some time. That being said I don't use their adjusted age anymore and haven't for a while, as there is no need for it. I don't go overboard with the precautions but it is always in the back of my mind. I have also heard that they are considered preemie's until they are 2. They will always be my little preemies! :wub: Every single milestone they reach is so special to me because I know how far they have come from when they were born.

 

QUOTE(Elisabethcogdill @ May 1 2009, 08:58 PM) [snapback]1297171[/snapback]
When my LOs were babies

Aren't your babies 5 months old? Aren't they still babies? I call my 3 y/o's my babies :laughing:

I think it depends on if you are talking technically or functionally. When looking at milestones babies are usually corrected until they are 3 y/o. If you "consider" them premies I think is how you "see" them.

 

I think I considering mine preemies until they were about a year. They met every milestone "on time" but to me they still deserved the thought that they were 2 months early.

 

I'm with Kyrstyn on this one. They will always be my preemies! Whenever someone comments on how big they are I always say "you'd never know they were less than 4lbs at birth!". I'm so proud of the struggles they have overcome. I still use their adjusted age for physical and speech milestones b/c they have always been at least 2 weeks behind in that.

 

yes, i consider them preemies. if they were hitting their actual age milestones rather than their adjusted age, i might not. plus they're still small, even for adjusted age (only 14 lbs at 7 months actual).

 

My understanding is that "preemie" means they were born early, so basically, once a preemie, always a preemie. Not that you'll always need to adjust their age, but I've heard of adults refer to themselves as preemies when talking about being born early.