Ella is 6 weeks old today and I have some questions

[Annie050408]

Ella is 6 weeks old - doesn't time fly when you're having fun?!

She now weighs 8lbs, takes 150ml of formula every 4 hours and only wakes once in the night for a feed. She is such a good baby and we are so in love with her

So, my questions are:

1) When I feed her, I notice that as some of it dribbles down her chin it separates - is that normal?! If not, how can I stop that from happening?!

2) She tends to wake up, cry franticly for a feed, take her feed, be winded and then sleeps for 3 hours until we do it all again- is that normal for this stage or should I be trying to keep her awake a bit more during the day? If so, by doing what?!

3) I often get gorgeous windy smiles from her (see pic in post below) but nothing in reaction to people. When can I expect this to happen and will it be later because she was 4 weeks premature? I suppose what I am asking is should I be viewing her as a 6 week old or a 2 week old in terms of development?

Sorry to sound clueless, it's just that with her being my first, I kind of am!

 

[Annie050408]

Windy smile - but I want a real one!!

 

[Annie050408]

Flirty windy smile

 

[AugustMum]

Im not sure about your first question, but the sleep thing is deffinatly normal. Paige was a massive sleeper, well still is bless her. And I think with prem baby you go by their adjusted age for mile stones, so in the next 4 weeks she could be smiling away at you!

She sounds like shes doing fabulously!

 

[AugustMum]

Awwww!!! Shes so lush!!

 

[Apple]

I don't think my little man even smiled until he was around 3 months! He was a bit of a grumpy bum!!

 

[Annie050408]

Aah ok so it could happen any time then but likely to be another few weeks yet. Are there any other things to watch out for that will happen before the smile or does it just come out of the blue?

 

[amyjayne77]

Oscar smiled much later than his sisters. They were both 2 weeks late and he was 3 weeks early and I can see a 5 week difference in them for sure.

He just started out of the blue, it reaction to us acting daft and talking to him x

 

[Annie050408]

Cool- will try acting daft xx

 

[titch]

Hiya I know in terms of developmental milestones the paediatricians tend to talk about actual age and 'corrected age' so your LOs corrected age is 2 weeks. no idea when you should expect a smile. Morgan started really watching peoples faces when they talked to him for about 2 weeks before he first smiled.

shes beautiful by the way!!

 

[clairebear22]

Hiya!

I'm a Childminder and care for a baby who was born 3 weeks early. He is only slightly behind for his age but is catching up fast!

She'll get there hun! She's beautiful btw!

xxx

 

[evajo]

She is gorgeous. Don't know answer to first cos i have always breast feed - second question is definatelty my little one cannot stay awake for more than 1 and a half hours and she is 12 weeks - enjoy because they say babes who sleep loads as babes will continue to do so x thirdly i'd say you need to correct age to when she was due for mile stones. Just keep talking to her, exagerate your smiles and make sure you have good eye contact - you'll know when it happens for real and it will melt your heart x

 

[emmaandamyleigh]

aww shes gorgeous and that looks like a real smile it doesnt look like a windy one to me. i was told by a nurse that just coz babies that are born prems that they wont do what a full term baby does. some times they can learn quicker than full term babies thats what i was told too they also do things when there ready aswell they thought amy was prem coz of how small she was apart from probs she had there still not to sure they also sed she would be brain damaged to but shes come on along way it amazes me what she can do and say and how early she has been doing them for shes trying to walk as well now and trying to stand on her own i think in a few months shell be walking. its amaing how quck they learn things weather there premature or have problems. ella's sleeping patern seems good to if shes only waking up once a night thats quite good and shes gaining weight to amy was 6lb by 6 weeks about your first question im not sure about babies do tend to sleep all the time there like cats theyll wake for a feed then go to sleep again and wake up when they need a toilet in baby case need a nappy change lol but she seems to be doing really well shes gorgeous too i hope this helps and hope you understand it too

 

[lanny]

what flow teat is she on the very first one? I know from my other two when they moved on the next stage teat it ran down there chin for a wile till they got use to it coming out faster with ella being prem the flow might still be a little fast for he and she cant keep it sure it will be fine tho just a little dripping down.
dont worry about the sleeping everybody moans they have never seen herbie awake lol.

 

[titch]

I switched Morgan to Aptimil comfort after the HV recommended it for him. its thicker so its less likey to come back out his stomach but ive noticed that he doesnt cough and splutter of feeds at all anymore and he doesnt dribble, im guessing thats cos its thicker.

 

[Annie050408]

SHE SMILED!!

It was a real smile followed by more and it was absolutely beautiful!!

 

[evajo]

Yeah - one heart truely melted x

 

[keljordan]

I have no advice really Hun she sounds to be doing great but I just wanted to say she is GORGEOUS!!! xx

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[titch]

SHE SMILED!!

It was a real smile followed by more and it was absolutely beautiful!!

yay!

sorry i meant to press quote not thanks

 

[JJ Mum]

Ahh bless her!

Well mine started smiling to peoples silly or smiling faces at 8 weeks onwards. But as Ella was so early, I guess that could be 10/12 weeks for her maybee?

Sleep wise, yes all sounds perfect esp the nights! lots of sleeping and repeating of bum, milk and then sleep! make the most of it, she will be awake more later on