New parents usually worry about the newborns. They have questions such as

• is my baby underweight or overweight
• how is my baby growing

 
The weight of a newborn is often  used as a marker for good health. Parents often wonder how they would know if their newborn is gaining weight properly.  Here are some general guidelines that parents should look out for when monitoring their baby’s weight.
 

 

How to monitor your newborn’s weight gain ?

 
Birth weight and changes
 

Most babies are born full term which is 38 to 40 gestation week. At full term, babies usually weight 6 to 9 pounds. Factors that may affect the weight of a baby include the following :

• whether full term or premature
• baby’s gender
• parents’ build
• maternal health during pregnancy
• multiple birth
• nutrition during pregnancy
• babies health at birth

 
Babies born outside these average guidelines may be completely healthy. All newborn are expected to lose some weight  in the first  5 to 7 days  of life. A 5% weight loss is considered normal for formula fed babies. The normal weight loss range is about  7% to 10%  for breastfed babies.  In about 10 to 14 days, most babies will be back to their birth weight. It may take up to 3 weeks for sick or premature babies to gain their weight back.

Growth rate for breastfed and formula fed babies

 
During the first few months, most babies gain about 5 to 7 oz every week. Within about 3 to 4 months, babies should have doubled their birth weight. However the growth rate  for breastfed and formula fed women differ after 4 months onwards.

According to the American Pregnancy Association, most growth charts are based on formula fed babies.  Mothers of breastfed babies therefore wonder if their babies are normal. The World health organization has developed a new growth chart based on breastfed babies. However not all doctors  all using this chart. It is important to let your healthcare provider know  which feeding method your child is using so that the correct growth chart will be used.

Newborn’s weight gain

 
Newborns are weighed throughout their stay in the hospital. Sometimes they are weighed again about 48 to 72 hours after birth during their first doctor’s appointment . They are also weighed in a week and again in some cases 2 weeks after birth. Babies with health concerns will be weighed regularly.

How to monitor your babies weight gain at home.

 
If you do not have a scale at home, you can monitor your baby’s food intake in other ways.

• newborns usually have at least 5 to 7 wet diapers and 3 to 4 dirty diapers a day .  This may change as time goes on. Formula fed babies have less bowel movement that breastfed babies
• watch if your baby  is alert when he is awake
• monitor  if the baby  seem satisfied for a while after feeding

 
If you have concerns about your newborn’s weight, do not hesitate to ask your healthcare provider questions.
 
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