If there's one way in which parents want their babies to be average, it might be when it comes to weight. Too low and parents fret that their little ones are, well, too little or perhaps ill; too high and they start to worry about other health problems.
But here's some news that might help you relax: There's a wide range of healthy weights when it comes to newborns, and as long as your baby is eating, peeing and pooping, there's probably no cause for concern.
What does the average newborn weigh at birth?
The average birthweight of babies born in the U.S. is around 7 to 7 ½ pounds.
If your newborn baby falls somewhere between 5 ½ pounds (or 2,500 grams) and 8 ¾ pounds (or 4,000 grams), there's probably no reason to be concerned about her size. If she's bigger or smaller than that, your practitioner might recommend some extra tests or monitoring to make sure she stays healthy.
What factors contribute to your newborn baby's weight?
What makes your baby weigh more or less than the newborn in the next bassinet? Several factors come into play:
- Your own diet and weight, both before and during pregnancy (if you're overweight, you may have a heavier baby; if you don't get enough nutrients while you're pregnant, your baby may be smaller)
- Your prenatal health, including whether you drink, smoke or have diabetes
- Your own birth weight, plus genetics (your size at birth, plus both parents' sizes now, can both play a role)
- Your age (teen moms tend to have smaller babies)
- Whether your baby is a boy or a girl (boys tend to be heavier)
- Whether this is your firstborn (they tend to be smaller than subsequent children)
- Whether your baby is a twin or triplet (multiples tend to be smaller than singletons)
Newborn weight loss
Don't be alarmed to learn that, upon discharge from the hospital or birthing center, your baby will weigh on average 5 to 10 percent less than she did at birth. What's up with the downturn? She's just losing fluid, which is normal right after delivery.
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And because she doesn't need a lot of food right now (a good thing since mature transitional breast milk won't arrive for three to four days postpartum), she won't gain those ounces back right away. Not to worry — within five days, she should start gaining weight again, and within 10 to 14 days, she'll be back up to her birth weight, if not beyond.
Newborn growth spurts
Your pediatrician will monitor your baby's weight at well-baby checkups, most likely at 1, 2 and 4 weeks of age. (If your practitioner schedules fewer appointments, feel free to bring your baby in for a weight check anytime.)
Don't go by your scale at home — it's not sensitive enough to pick up on those fractions of an ounce that matter when it comes to newborn weight!
Typically, once they're back to their birth weight, new babies gain 4 to 7 ounces a week for the first 4 to 6 months — that's 1 to 2 pounds a month. After about 4 months, formula-fed babies will gain at a slightly faster rate due to formula's slightly different composition and that parents tend to have babies to finish bottles (as opposed to letting them stop at the breast whenever they want).
If you're not sure whether your little one is getting enough milk, here's a good gauge: If your baby is eating enough, she'll produce eight to 10 wet diapers a day, and at least five poopy ones if she's breastfed (fewer than formula-fed newborns).
Many babies go through a growth spurt at 7 to 10 days old, and then again at 3 weeks and 6 weeks of age.
Don't be surprised if your little one demands extra feedings around those times, or nurses for longer sessions. (It's a good thing that breastfeeding is all about supply and demand; the more baby nurses, the more milk mom makes!). Baby's weight might shoot up during these periods, and increase more slowly in between growth spurts.
How to manage too much weight loss or weight gain in your baby
If your baby is consistently gaining much less than the recommended 4 ounces a week, you'll need to do some troubleshooting to find out what's holding back her weight gain and how to fix the problem. Some common issues include:
- She's not fed often enough. To optimize weight gain, try increasing feedings to eight to 10 times per 24 hours and never go more than three hours during the day or four hours at night between feedings.
- Your baby's not draining at least one breast in each feeding, getting the highest-fat hindmilk that comes at the end. Make sure she finishes one breast, feeding for 10 to 15 minutes, before offering the second.
- She's not eating effectively because of a tongue- or lip-tie, hasn't learned how to coordinate her jaw muscles, or gets tired or frustrated trying to eat. In this case, supplementing with bottles of pumped breast milk or formula might help her gain weight. Working with a lactation consultant could help resolve some of these problems too.
- Your baby is sucking a pacifier too much. Getting her sucking satisfaction from something other than drinking milk could mean she might not be eating as much as she should. Put aside the pacifier for now if that's the case.
- You're not producing as much milk as you could be because you're sleeping on your stomach (which puts pressure on your breasts), you've returned to work, you're expending a lot of energy, or your baby is sleeping through the night. Milk is produced on a supply-and-demand basis, and it takes a lot of energy! Increase your feeding or pumping sessions during the day and night if you're able to, make sure you're eating enough calories and drinking plenty of water, and try to take it easy.
What if your baby is packing on the pounds faster than 7 ounces a week? If that just happens over the course of one week, you might be in the middle of a growth spurt. And some newborns simply grow faster than others.
If your baby is exclusively breastfed, it's unlikely that you're overfeeding her, and the extra weight gain is probably just a sign of her growing appetite. If you're supplementing with bottles, or feeding formula exclusively, make sure you know the signs that your baby is full.
A full baby will usually:
- Close her lips
- Stop sucking
- Spit the nipple out
- Turn her head away
When to call the doctor
If your baby has the recommended number of wet and poopy diapers a day, seems alert after she wakes up from sleeping, and is latching onto a breast or bottle correctly, there's no need to obsess about the scale.
Babies all grow at different rates, and the newborn who's slow to grow will likely catch up to her peers later, just like the one who's growing at an impressive clip will probably level off in time.
But a call is warranted if you notice any of the following:
- Your baby hasn't regained her birth weight by the time she's 2 weeks old
- She has a dramatic drop in weight after she's already back to her birth weight
- She seems listless or unresponsive even when she wakes up after a nap
- She's not latching onto a breast or bottle at all
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