Corrected Age VS. Actual Age

When you have a preemie, things can look quite a bit different, developmentally, as compared to a full term baby. While I am NEVER a fan of comparing babies to one another developmentally, there is one particularly important thing to note when your little bundle of joy made their debut early. Note, this isn’t so you can see how they measure up to the others in the play pen, but so you can provide YOURSELF with realistic expectations of your baby and their progress through their first few years of development.

It takes 40 weeks for babies to fully develop in the womb, which is what your due date was based on when your pregnancy was confirmed. During that time, each one of your baby’s little features, from fingers and toes, to lungs and heart, to their central nervous system and brain have their own prime opportunity for growth. The longer your baby stays in utero, the longer these features and systems have to develop. An early arrival does not mean early development, and even though your baby is living in the outside world, they still have ALL of that developing to do.

Corrected Age: How old your baby is based on a 40 week gestation calendar

Think of this as their “would be” birthday, or their age based on their predicted due date.

Actual Age: How old your baby is based on when they were born.

Here’s an example: Your baby’s due date is June 28th, and they arrived on May 28th (one month early). In July, you would say that your baby is 2 months old (actual age), but their corrected (gestational) age is 1 month old.

In a lot of ways, your baby is ahead of the curve! They’re adapting and learning “outside world” things way ahead of when they normally would, had they stayed tucked in hotel uterus until their due date. The flip side of this coin is, we need to make a few accommodations to give your sweet little miracle some time to catch up, depending on when they made their grand entrance.

Milestone moments, and supporting your baby’s continued development

Here, we will look at your baby’s gestational age, what you can look forward to, and what you can do to support your baby as they continue to progress in the NICU. Already home? Here’s a great reminder of how far your baby has come! Stay tuned for future newsletters, where we will look at ages 0 and beyond!

28 – 30 Weeks Gestation:

31 – 33 Weeks Gestation:

34 – 36 Weeks Gestation:

36 – 38 Weeks Gestation:

One of the *many* important things to remember about the journey you and your baby are on together, is that everything takes time…sometimes, more than you think. The information provided above is a guideline. Just like full term babies, not all preemies are on the same schedule. Yesterday your baby may have been feeding like a champ, and today they may not be. It doesn’t mean they are facing a setback, it might just mean that eating is hard work, and they’re tired! Be patient with your baby, and be patient with yourself. Not every day will be one to celebrate, and not all progress will be seen immediately. If you can be flexible with your expectations throughout the process, you will better set yourself up for success in a stressful situation.

Just remember to try and savor these moments like you would any other, because before long, your baby will be asking for car keys, and you’ll be asking where the time has gone!