I have two friends who had babies on the same day. One mom gave birth to her first child and the other delivery was to baby number seven. Here’s what I learned that day: whether you’re a novice or an experienced mom, you worry about baby’s feedings and weight. “Am I producing enough milk?” “Is the baby gaining enough weight?” “How much weight will the baby loose before she starts gaining again?” “The baby sleeps so much! Is she getting enough to eat?” These are all valid, important questions and the more you understand these issues before your baby arrives, the more relaxed you’ll be when he’s finally in your arms.
You baby’s birth weight is an important indicator of his development. “Normal” weight varies, depending on the length of the pregnancy, but for the most part, the range is five to nine pounds for a full-term (born at 40 weeks gestation) baby. If your baby’s weight is much more or less than this, the doctors will check for other developmental issues, like lung and digestive track development and blood sugar levels. Remember that boys tend to be slightly larger than girls.
Once your baby is born, he will probably loose a little weight – just a few ounces. Most newborns lose between 5 and 10 percent of their birth weight and anything up to ten percent is normal. So if your baby weighs 6 pounds, 10 ounces at birth, his weight might fall as low as 6 pounds and that would be considered normal. If he drops more than that, it’s important to call your pediatrician.
Your baby will probably get back to his birth weight by the time he’s two or three weeks old, then he’ll gain an average of four to eight ounces each week during the first six months. It’s also important to note that breastfed babies tend to gain weight more rapidly than bottle-fed babies for the first few months, then breastfed babies’ growth slows down again and they gain weight less quickly. Bottle-fed babies tend to gain weight in a more linear way – a few ounces a week, every week.
When you’re at the doctor’s office, you’ll probably see him or her filling out your baby’s growth chart. It’s really fun to talk to the doctor or nurse about it. You can even ask for a copy so you can track you’re child’s growth at home. I have friends who include a growth chart in their babies’ scrapbooks. It’s a great way to track your baby’s growth for all posterity and to let go of any worry you might have about your child’s development.
When you look at the charts, you’ll see that the age (in months) runs across the bottom of the page and both length and weight are tracked along the side. The length is in centimeters and inches and the weight is in kilograms or pounds.
To see where your baby falls on the chart, just find his age, then run your finger up to his height or weight. The numbers along the right-hand side of the curves show’s what “percentile” your baby is in. So if your baby is 3 months old and weighs 14 ½ pounds, he’s around the 75th percentile. That means that he’s just above average. Most likely, you’ll find that his length is also around the 75th percentile, give or take an inch.
There are several reasons why your baby’s weight is so important. First of all, your baby’s fat is an important insulator for his organs. Babies have a harder time regulating their temperature than adults and their baby fat is critical to helping stay warm. It’s also very important for babies’ developing brains and bodies that they receive adequate nutrition, including vitamins and minerals, fats and proteins (all of which is in breast milk and formula). If your baby is gaining weight, that’s a great sign that his organs are all being fed and are growing, too.
My giant first born (who weighed in at 9 lb, 13 oz at birth and never dropped any weight after birth) gained a whole pound a week for the first six weeks! He was this huge, roly-poly love of a baby but he was perfectly healthy in every other way and now he’s a tall, thin, beautiful ten-year-old boy. My daughter was on the other end of the scale: at birth she was long and scrawny and she continues to be tall and thin, even though she eats like a horse. Even though my babies were totally different, they were both normal, healthy children.
I tell you this story to point out one very important point: all the scientific numbers aren’t as important as knowing that your baby is healthy and growing and wonderful. These numbers are just sign posts, helping you to relax and know that your baby is fine. If you have a feeling that something is just not right with your baby, call your pediatrician to talk about it. The sooner the worry is off your mind, the sooner you’ll be able to enjoy motherhood.
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