does premature birth weigh in to your RF goal?

NannyMom

Well-known member
So, many of us have a goal for rear facing with our kids. Be it 2.5, 3yrs 30 pounds, 4yrs, whatever. I started thinking.... if a baby is born premature, their body is that much further behind, right? So if your goal for DC1 (full term) is 3yrs 30 pounds, would your goal for DC2 (born 3 months premature) be 3yrs, 3 months, 30 pounds? Or still 3yrs 30 pounds? I know preemies catch up with developmental milestones, but they can't exactly catch up with bone growth, can they?
 
ADS

canadiangie

New member
No, age 4 (or longer) for all of my children, regardless of one being early, and the other being close to term. :)
 

NannyMom

Well-known member
If I had a very premature baby, then sure. A baby born at 36 weeks? Not so much.

That's kinda what I was thinking. 36 weeks could just be a miscalculation or whatever. But 27 weeks (I actually have a friend with a baby born at 27) is very different.
 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob
Staff member
Yeah, I have to agree. Even 35 I probably would let slide. But, say 24, that would count. ;)

My goal is 5-6 and ready for a booster. But, after age 4 I take input from the child. So for a baby born 2 months early it would be age 4 and 2 months I'd let them FF IF they asked. (My 3 year old will be 4 in April, and shows no signs of wanting to FF-- possibly because her sister BEGGED to RF again. :thumbsup: )
 

henrietta

Well-known member
It's called adjusting for gestational age. And yes, I did (and do) adjust. I didn't have a definite goal for ds1, although how long I kept him rearfacing was partially determined by his adjusted age. He was a 29 weeker, and I refused to allow him to ride forward facing w/anyone until he was over 2 years old, adjusted (so, about 2 yrs 3 mos). With ds2, he was 5 weeks premature after a very problem pregnancy, so I do adjust some things. BUT, I've learned a lot since ds1 was born, and I would have kept him rearfacing till at least 3 yrs old anyways.

henrietta
 

brooklynsmommy

Active member
I would. However, until recently, Brooklyn has always been in the 7th pecentile. So mine was really more about size I think. Then she shot up into the 22nd percentle (2 inches) in two months and pretty much caught up with the rest of kids her age. She is a november baby. So our rule is that we can start booster training when we go to kindergarten. Yeah. Sneaky mom. I wanted those extra 10 months.
 

miraclebabies

New member
I have a 32 wk preemie that just turned one, even tho she meets the minimum standard to FF I couldn't imagine doing it. My goal with my kids and seats is till they meet the RF limit. I have MAs and they go up to 35# so I hope my kids make it to 3yrs. My older DD is ERF and she will be 3 in feb so I hope she makes it till then. My preemie shouldn't be one till Jan 25th and I will go by that, if she meets the 35# at the Jan or after that then I will be happy. I hope to make it through the winter she turns like April or may after her third bray. I get nervous cause my older DD is 30# now, I don't know how much longer before she will hit the 35# limit. She was 24# at 2yr and now she is 30#. Hopefully a year, who knows. My limit it 3 yr but if they make it past that I would be happy.
 

steph_s

New member
My goal is the same no matter what. Keep all kids rear facing as long as possible! If they fit in the rf seat then they go in the rf seat. I don't have a age or weight in my mind though like some. I know some people want to keep their kids rf till 3 or 4 years old, but for me it's all about safety not age. My friends twins were born at 28 weeks. Their ds is a big boy, but their dd is 4 years old and currently rf in a scenera (dad's car) she is that tiny! She will probably stay rear facing until she outgrows her radian in her mom's vehicle and then move straight to a booster seat. This is fine with her, she hates ff (had to once for a short trip) and even though her friends at school are in boosters already (you all know how kids at daycare get transported) she is perfectly happy rf. Their son is a big boy and outgrew the Radian rf about 5 months ago. He thinks rf is more comfortable, but doesn't complain much. He is built like my son with a super long torso! He is about 37lbs, but was out of his seat in height rf. They are getting him a frontier within the next few months and will put his Radian in dad's vehicle to replace the scenera whenever she outgrows it.
 

chloebeansmom

New member
Yes. My DD is a 31 week preemie. She only weighs 21 lbs now at 21 months old. I adjust any milestones for her adjusted age. We started solid food at 8 months instead of 6 months and will do the same with car seat use. We haven't decided our ultimate age goal for rear facing. It will probably be around 4 years old.
 

thepeach80

Senior Community Member
I think this needs to be more talked about. I know preemie moms on my birthboard who fully intend on turning their children around at 1 if they're 20# even if they were 2 mos early. DRs need to make sure that moms of preemies know they need to use their adjusted age as the earliest to ff and of course the longer the better.
 

MommyBoha

New member
DS was born at 35 weeks(after 7 weeks of hospital bedrest) and I wasnt as knowledgeable as I am now. If I had known abour ERF, he would have been able to until around age 3-3.5 years.
DD was born at 36 weeks and is still RF for now. But those days are quickly numbered. :(
 
I would factor in the prematurity. Like when my ds turns 12mo, I'll keep him rf an extra month till he's 13mo.:D Just kidding, I'll be ERF him till the limits of whatever seats are out there in a few years. My 10lber has a ways to go.
 

NannyMom

Well-known member
I would factor in the prematurity. Like when my ds turns 12mo, I'll keep him rf an extra month till he's 13mo.:D Just kidding, I'll be ERF him till the limits of whatever seats are out there in a few years. My 10lber has a ways to go.

Ok, I seriously read that part 3 times before I was even able to move on to the kidding part :eek:
 

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
With ds now being 3 I no longer calculate anything in terms of prematurity. I did delay solids until he was over 6 months adjusted age, and had I planned on turning him ff'ing at the minimums I would have adjusted his age for that too.

But at his current age and given that he's on par with his same-age full term peers, I no longer even think about him having been premature when it comes to things like this. Though he'll be rf'ing until close to 3.5yrs old because I don't want to turn him ff'ing during winter.
 

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