Teeny baby

harrigan my third baby WAS 3 months old when born (well sort of) he stopped growing for 6 weeks in the womb at 5 months gestation. He started to grow 6 weeks later. In those days no scans available so on his due date (Jan 16th) they X-Rayed me and found that he wasn't ready to be born. I was X-Rayed over the next couple of months and he was induced on March 10th. They were looking at his toe bones, apparently they could tell by the way they were growing when he was ready - this is what they told me. When he was born, a good 1lb 8oz heavier than my previous two he was on his tummy and lifting his head to the surprise of the nurse. He is now a strapping 6ft1" man and the proud father of the tiny baby, a toddler and two gorgeous teenagers. I have the card to prove that he was due Jan 16. My father had suffered a bad stroke at the time the baby stopped growing and the consultant (who I was sent to as baby hadn't grown) said it could have been the shock.

Yes, a friend's daughter gave birth at exactly that stage - 27 weeks. She is now a healthy, feisty, 3-year old. I believe prem baby girls generally do better than baby boys.

Good to hear she's holding her own Flower (((hugs)))

Latest (Friday) Daisy is doing well, holding her own.

My godmother's father was a gamekeeper and used to use the warming oven to revive sickly pheasant and bantam chicks.

Congratulations Flower
I have no experience of tiny babies, my last one was so big he looked three months old when he was born.

How is this babe doing flower?

My mother was born in 1924 weighing 2lb 6oz. The midwife wrapped her up and put her in a drawer, obviously on a blanket etc and told her parents to keep the drawer almost closed, to keep her out of draughts!

My Dad is 91 now. When he was born, the smaller if twins, the midwife swaddled him and put him in the warming oven, to keep warm!

Congratulations. My daughter had twins recently and also had a steroid injection - she had to have a planned C section as they were the wrong way round and I thought they were small. In comparison, they are huge. Good luck and I'm so glad to hear so many wonderful stories about tiny babies growing up.

I remember reading somewhere that many years ago it was advised to wrap premature babies in cottonwool and put them near the fire to keep warm.

Photo of boys on my profile! Long hair (now 23) born at 26 weeks, 1lb 12oz. younger lad (now 16) born at 28 weeks 2lbs.

My 23 & 16 year old nephews were born too soon (26 and 28 weeks)
Both are lovey young men now! Will try to upload pic on my profile for you to see!

My mother's copy of Dr Spock (1946) has instructions for caring for your premature baby if you were living miles out on the prairie! Basically you wrapped them in flannel and put them in a box with a hot water bottle and fed them with a fountain pen filler. This went on until you could reach a doctor Heaven knows whether it was successful!

DD's best friend had a baby born very early after a difficult pregnancy and six years later she is fine, although still no taller than her younger sister.

Next door's twin girls! They took almost a year to catch up with my GD, born at the same time, but now all three little girls are the same size and all at the same stage of development. All equally noisy and demanding. And very funny.

Sorry, I should have said congratulations and hope all is well with the little one

Congratulations on your teeny Grandaughter. I have no experience personally but I know the baby units are brilliant. I send my best wishes and hope she will soon be fit and well and waiting for lots of cuddles .

And our step-great-niece weighed not much more, although she was born at 30 weeks. She is now 12 and at senior school, a very sporty girl who is diligent with her schoolwork too.

A friend of DD's weighed the same at birth as your DGD. She is now a solicitor in her 30s and living in Australia.

+Thank you all so much for kind words and inspiration. She is doing ok at the moment but like you say there are days she will slip back. The unit is amazing. My son and his wife are too. Lots of stories to give me hope. She is adorable, I have had my little finger held by her. Thanks again, nice to be back.

Many congratulations flower. I have no personal experience to offer you, but just wanted to send my warmest good wishes.

FLower Our twin grandsons wil be a year old next month. They were born at 26 weeks weighing 1.5 and 2.3. No time for the injection so their lungs were quite weak. They are still on oxygen and wil be for a while yet. However they are now strappng boys, big for their age and are trying to crawl. As others have said, there were a few frights along the way and they were in hospital for 4 months but the neo natal unit was really amazing. Nothing will stop you worrying but as can see there are a lot of people who have had positive experiences of this.
Good Luck

Hi flower, nice to see you again and congratulations!

Our nephew's best friend and his wife miscarried threes times before they had a baby really early [can't remember the exact dates!] who had all sorts of problems. They named her hope! She is now a super, bright, confident 11 year old who has a lovely little brother who was born at full term! All good wishes and try not to worry too much!

Will pm you.

A very good friend of mine had premature twins that were unbelievably tiny - each about the size of a bag of sugar. By their first birthday, you would not have known they were premature, and they have never looked back. The same thing with my young neighbour; her first baby was premature and she was so worried about him. Now three, he is a strapping, healthy, active little chap. It's normal to worry, but even tiny babies are very resilient.