My "preemie" babies are pushing 16 pounds at 20 weeks! (pictures!)

[IdaBriggs]

(I'm cross posting this in the DU Lounge, and also in the Health forum because I think the information is important!)

Brief Recap: My babies were born at 32 weeks, 3 days gestation. My daughter weighed 3 lbs, 15.6 ounces, and was 16.75 inches long. My son weighed 4 lbs, 3.5 ounces, and was 17 inches long.

They were born on February 24, 2007, and their due date was actually April 18, 2007.

Here is what they looked like together on March 15, 2007 at 19 days old:

Then together on May 11, 2007 (when they were both in the 8 lb range):

I don't have a good picture of them together at the moment, but they have doubled in size since then!

Perhaps this will help with relative sizes --

My husband with the babies on March 22, 2007 (one month old):

Then my husband with them last month on June 17, 2007 (last month -- four months old):

Brianna at 19 days old:

Brianna at almost 20 weeks:

Cameron at 19 days old:

Cameron at almost 20 weeks:

Officially at 18 weeks old, their weights/heights were:

Brianna = 13 lbs, 13.5 ounces and 23 inches long.
Cameron = 14 lbs, 1 ounce, and 24 inches long.

They appear to be gaining about a pound a week, and about 1/2 an inch. As of their "official" four month air breathing appointment, they are OFF of the preemie growth charts! And, yes, the pediatricians jaw DROPPED when she saw how big they are!

Yes, I have "a secret" that I did not ask permission from my physician to do: I have been putting a liquid mineral supplement in their formula (1/2 tsp or 3 ml, however you want to view it) once a day ever since I stopped pumping for them at the end of April. Prior to that I was putting two tablespoons of the supplement in white grape juice and drinking it myself as part of my continuing pre-natal vitamin/mineral regime (approved while I was pregnant with much eye rolling by my OBGYN).

I have reported this to the head of the NICU where they were born at the request of some other local "preemie" parents. (I ran into three sets last Sunday/Monday, with two of them having singleton 9 month olds who weighed in the 15 lb range.) The doctor has promised to investigate, but I fear he will ignore it, despite the stunned disbelief of all the medical staff who saw them during our visit to the hospital this week. (We were there for a blood draw the first day, and to drop off the literature about the liquid mineral supplement the second.)

NOBODY BELIEVES THEY WERE PREEMIES AT THIS POINT!!! And they are ONLY 20 weeks old!!! (Yes, that is "really" a corrected age of THREE MONTHS!)

For those who care, I used "PDCM 72+" available from www.milleniumnaturalhealth.com at 3 ml (1/2 tsp) once a day. The cost is under $20 for an 8 oz bottle (240 ml). I have a non-medically educated theory as to why it made a difference in their size, but its only a theory.

In the meantime, my babies are healthy, and happy, and I am just thrilled beyond words at their wonderfullness....

:) :woohoo:

[wildeyed]

1. They are really adorable.

I am glad they are so healthy and big! Congratulations!