Thankfully, another 23 weekers mommy told me about a 6 months NICU follow up appointment that Olivia should have. I called last week and had the appointment with the developmental pediatrician this afternoon. We waited over an hour and a half for the doctor! I was almost going out of my mind! Luckily, I was able to feed Olivia and she took a short nap while we were waiting. Olivia was an absolute joy the whole time (we left at 1 pm and didn't get home until 5 pm!) She was smiling and laughing during the entire examination. The doctor was astonished by what a happy, joyful baby she was. Now that I think about it, I was getting frustrated by the long wait, but Olivia was enjoying all of the cuddle time.
As you know, Olivia's actual age is 10 months, but they do not evaluate her as a 10 month old because of her extreme prematurity. They evaluate her by her adjusted age of 6 months which is what age she would be if she was born on her due date. Her language and communication skills are right on track with a 6 month old. Her motor skills are about 2 months behind her adjusted age (or about like a 4 month old.) Her biggest obstacle is her shoulder retraction which is a result of her prematurity. Instead of being curled up in the womb, she was laying flat in an isolette. She had no muscle tone and was forced to deal with things like gravity before she should have. Her arm position is what's normal and comfortable for her and as we all know, it's difficult to break habits. She is working so hard and I'm so proud of her. I feel blessed that there are no obvious signs yet of cerebral palsy. I'm so blessed with everything about her. She's perfect and she's amazing and I know she'll do everything in time.
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2 comments:
I'm so glad you got in with the developmental ped. I thought they put that on all micropreemie discharge papers, but we all know how things can slip through the cracks. I'm thankful Olivia is doing well. She will get through this shoulder thing I'm sure. You are a good mom who will follow the PT and dr's advice!!
Neva
Wow, it's so obvious now why she holds her arms like that I almost feel stupid for not automatically knowing that's why she does it. Well, she's amazing and will gain that muscle tone like a champ I'm sure. Glad to hear she showed her true colors for the doctor. She's a happy little girl (at least whenever I see her--I don't believe you when you say she cries sometimes).
Have a good rest of the week! Oh and update us on how Ryan's job is going.
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