Preemie Comment at Grocery Store

gysberger04 · April 2012

I took my DD out to the grocery store for the first time last night (at 9pm, to avoid people since it is still RSV season here for a few more weeks). We were at the deli counter and a woman came up to me and said 'what a cute baby, how old is she?' and I said 'almost 6 months', then the first thing she asks me is 'oh, was she a preemie?'. I was taken a little off guard (this was the first time I have not said 'she is almost 6 months, but 4 months adjusted, preemie, .....'), I just responded 'yes she is, she was born exactly 2 months early'. The woman was very nice and said she looks like she is doing very well and smiled and walked away. I wasn't offended or anything by her immediate preemie question, but it got me wondering, is my DD that small that she must've been a preemie? She got weighed at the doctor on Friday and she was 14lb 10 oz (3lb 6.7oz at birth), so she will be about 15lbs when she turns 6 months on Saturday, is that obviously small for a 6 month old? From what I have seen on growth charts, my DD will have actually caught up in weight at this point (I think); I was just confused as to why my DD could look so obviously like a preemie (or maybe I'm reading too much into it).

katie4253 · April 2012

My guess is that she has some sort of preemie experience. Most people who don't just say something like "wow, he's small" or "Really?!?"

As far as her weight, she is between 5-10% for her actual age. So, yes, she is smaller than the average term baby at that age. We've been hugging the 5-10% curve forever.

ChickensFive · April 2012

This is what I was told. Babies should be at least doubke their birth weight by the time they are 6months old and at least triple their birth weight at 12 months. So even though your daughter is well beyond that double weight rule at 6 months she is still smaller than a averaged weight fullterm baby; even 1lb in a baby makes a huge difference. I agree with Katie that she probably had experience with preemies.

cookiemonster03 · April 2012

I agree, she probably had experience with preemies. Ours were only a month early but one was IUGR and while they're 50th and 25th percentile for height, they're only 10% and not quite on the chart for weight. We get comments ALL the time about their size, especially for the peanut.

urbanflowerpot · April 2012

What the PP's said

I was just asked, "How many months is he?" and I laughed, over a year now

I'm feeling less whatever-i-was-I-was-feeling-before about it. A few days before that I was at a thrift shop and was asked how old twice and I just tag - "he's a preemie" at the end and smile. It happens so much. Well, it turned out that each of those people had preemies! One was related (grandma?) and told me about her experience at the local CH. The other girl was at the register and had a FT baby who inhaled mac, failed a carseat test, and was admitted to NICU w/ lung infection. She said she felt very uncomfortable there because everyone would stare at her 9 lb baby like she didn't belong there - she was there for almost a month! anyway, sorry to write a novel in response but you never know. You could always ask a question in return and maybe have a relateable chat - it was nice for them, too, I think

urbanflowerpot · April 2012

BostonKisses2:
I'm with everyone else that she must have preemie experience. We get comments like this a lot, and people never believe me when I tell them she's 16 months old lol.

Wait........she's 16 MONTHS???? JK ;P

Geeked

lkm2006 · April 2012

My LO is close to that same size! He I right at 16 pounds last week at the doctor (he was a month early). At the beginning, we got tons of comments on his size. Not so much now, except last week someone guessed 3 months!

Its so hard because we have seen exactly how much they have grown so they look huge to us! It always takes me a step back when someone makes a comment on his small size.

Mrs. Alice · April 2012

I agree with the others! I was one of those preemie askers to a lady last week who had a teeny tiny newborn, but it's turns out she was full term. I don't get it so much any more now that they are getting bigger (still tiny for 9 month olds though), but most people don't look at me in disbelief when I tell them their age. My guys are 6 months adjusted and weigh about the same as your DD.

lilmejo · April 2012

I often ask myself this all the time. DS is going to be 8 months tomorrow 15lbs 27in. I think he's getting so big, until someone appraoches me and seems shocked at how tiny he is. He was born at 35 weeks BTW 4lb 14oz. What I've come to understand having gone through this experience is that our society associates a chubby baby as a healthy baby. Chubby cheeks and little rolls on their legs is known to mean that the baby is happy and healthy. Or if you see a baby who is 8 months old and looks 12 months old you think what a big boy/girl. I obsesss over my son's weight and size all the time, but I think I'm coming to understand that if he's happy and doing well then that's all that matters.

jiffy-pop · April 2012

I'm lurking today, but it seems like your DD is pretty much caught up on weight. My DD weighs the same as yours and she is 5 1/2 months old. Our doc told us at our 4 month appt that she is growing around the 50th percentile so my DD is pretty average for her age.

IncogNeato · April 2012

No, that's not really small. My LO was 16 pounds at a YEAR so your LO is significantly bigger than mine was at 6 months (see siggy.) I've only been asked once if LO was a preemie, oddly enough, considering that she's not even on the growth charts and rarely has been since birth.

Who knows why people ask what they ask. It sounded like she was being nice, though.

lwmooney87 · April 2012

I agree, that person must have had a preemie experience. That would have been a breath of fresh air for me...for someone to understand that she's a preemie right off and not just a malnourished 1 year old. I always get the "how old is she?" question and when I answer, eyebrows raise and I have to say "She was almost 3 months early" and then I get the "Ohhh! well, so and so was early, blah blah" It kind of slows me down when I'm going places in a hurry because people want to tell me these stories hehe. I have to admit, having to explain it does get old but I'm getting used to it.

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