Newborn weight: how much should it grow per week?
Mine baby gains enough weight? This is one of the questions that new mothers arise more often, especially those that breastfeed and they don't know exactly how much milk the baby is getting every day. If the weighed periodical at the pediatrician helps to get an idea, it is good to keep in mind some basic rules recognized internationally, in particular those of the guidelines of the World Health Organization.
In this article
- Physiological decline at birth: how much weight a newborn loses
- How Much Weight Should a Newborn Take?
- The double weighing: unnecessary stress for breastfeeding mothers
- When to worry about a baby's weight
- How to evaluate the growth of a newborn
- What to do if a newborn loses weight
Physiological decline at birth: how much weight a newborn loses
All projects birth each newborn has a weight that is around the estimate made during the last days of pregnancy. After delivery, the baby begins to excrete urine and meconium (the baby's first stool, consisting of amniotic fluid, intestinal epithelial cells, mucus, bile, and water), while feeding on a small amount of milk. Indeed, if breastfed, the baby will initially ingest the colostrum, a thick, yellowish liquid rich in proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and antibodies. There whipped milk it usually arrives 48-72 hours after delivery, which is why it is normal for the newborn to undergo a weight loss even a few hundred grams (usually between 5 and 10% of the initial weight). Once the milk arrives, the baby will regain his birth weight and start growing.
Read also: Weight loss of the newborn
How Much Weight Should a Newborn Take?
In the former three months of life the child grows faster, even coming to take 600 grams of weight per month. But this shouldn't alarm new mothers: each baby has its own characteristics and growth rates. Wanting to make a rough estimate, we could say that a neonate in the very first months of life it should take at least 80 grams of weight per week, but it could be as high as 200 or even 300. This does not depend on the "quality" of the breast milk - the mother's body knows exactly what to do! - but from many other factors: the infant's voracity, the time spent at the breast, the production of milk, the ability to assimilate and expel what has been ingested.
The double weighing: unnecessary stress for breastfeeding mothers
In the past the double weighing it was widely used by new mothers, even on the advice of pediatricians, to check how much milk the baby was getting. Double weighing consists of weighing the baby on a special scale before and after feeding. In reality, this method is now considered outdated and causes only stress in mothers, because it only considers a number, that is the weight of the newborn, and not other factors, such as breastfeeding and the clinical examination of the baby.
When to worry about a baby's weight
That breastfeed or with the formula, the best way to evaluate growth of your child is observing how he behaves. Does it wet the diapers? How many a day? Is he active, alert, does he follow the normal stages of development for his age? You can worry if you always find the pdry annolino, if the child is unresponsive and always sleepyis lose weight. In this case, the only thing to do is to ask the pediatrician for a consultation, without panicking.
How to evaluate the growth of a newborn
It is not just the weight that is important to him development of the newborn. You may have noticed that the pediatrician, at each visit, updates the so-called growth curve: even if your child falls within the lower percentages, the important thing is that his growth is regular. In addition to the weight, the doctor measures the length, the head circumference and assesses the general condition of the child and his / her development with respect to age. If he tells you that everything is fine, don't worry and trust him. Not all children are gluttons!
What to do if a newborn loses weight
In rare cases it may happen that a newborn, in the first months of life, weight loss. After a medical evaluation, your pediatrician may suggest you a supplement of formula milk, or recommend a more frequent breast attack to stimulate the production of breast milk. Follow her advice and consult a milk consultant if you are in trouble. If, on the other hand, you decide to supplement with the formula, you may need a little patience: many babies accustomed to breast they struggle to accept the bottle. In this case, try different types of teats and flow, as well as different types of milk. Suggest that dad or someone close to the family offer the bottle for you. With a little practice, you will find the right solution for you.
The amount of weight a newborn should take in the first months of life it is very variable, so try not to fix yourself too much on the numbers but observe the situation from every point of view: you will avoid unnecessary stress!
SOURCES
The WHO Child Growth Standards
How to evaluate the growth of the newborn?
Double weighing: balance stress is useless
How can I increase my milk supply?
TAG:
- newborn weight
- growth curves
- breastfeeding
- newborn 0-3 months
