A new baby is a blessing. For first time parents (mothers most especially), it also means a lot of changes to your life, one of which includes the weight gain that comes with pregnancy and childbirth. In this post, we will be discussing what you need to know about newborn baby weight for first-time mothers in Singapore.
It is all too easy to fret about the newborn weight, and you are perfectly justified to do so. After all, having concern for your firstborn is nothing but normal to any parent. You may find yourself observing your baby’s weight loss or weight gain and ask yourself if all of this is normal.
Familiarizing yourself with the right information, you will notice that all those worries will disappear one by one and you’ll be more confident to parent your child. The information in this article about newborn babies and newborn weight will surely help ease you up and will help you get a night of better sleep.
Why is it important to monitor my infant’s weight gain?
There is a wide range of average baby weights for newborns. Usually, a newborn’s weight is different from the average baby’s weight. However, they may receive extra attention from the doctors and nurses after delivery to make sure there are no problems. Well, generally speaking, the doctor will keep track of your baby’s weight, length, and height from the day they are born.
You may even notice on your first few visits with your baby’s paediatrician they measure your baby’s weight and height and even the circumference of the head. They do this because they are monitoring your baby’s growth. Mainly because growth is a good indicator of general health. And if babies grow within the average weight range, they are generally healthy.
A baby’s weight is important for diagnosing problems if they do not meet these standards. This is a vital step in the process of diagnosis. Low birth weight may be at risk of complications. Having a low birth weight is usually associated with premature birth, and it can be difficult to differentiate between the two if this is the case. However, in general, the lower the baby’s weight, the greater the risk they will face.
A low birth weight baby has a higher risk of dying in the first 28 days of life, according to the World Health Organization. That is why it is vital to check your baby’s weight and monitor the weight gain and weight loss in the first year.
Some of the common problems associated with babies with low weight are infection, low oxygen levels at birth, breathing problems, inability to maintain body temperature, and difficulty feeding and gaining weight.
A low birth weight baby will likely need specialist care in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) – due to the 95% survival rate of babies weighing between 1.6kg and 2.6kg.
Weighing the Baby- Knowing the Average Baby Weight
Now that you understand that monitoring the baby’s weight is important, the next question that comes to mind would probably be “How often should I weigh my baby?”
The Coventry Consensus recommendation of the UK’s paediatricians (1998) states that all babies should undergo a weight check at birth, and those who are growing normally should undergo another weight check at their vaccinations and surveillance contracts – giving them five weights in their first year.
As per the NHS, a once-a-month check of baby weight is essential until they are six months old, once a month between 6-12 months, and thereafter once every three months.
It is possible though to weigh your baby more frequently if there are concerns over their health or if you request a more frequent evaluation.
What is the normal baby weight?
A baby’s weight can come from a number of factors. A pregnant woman’s gestational age is also important. Babies born after their due date and around their due date are usually larger than those born earlier. Other factors to consider when looking at the baby’s weight includes the following:
Parent’s Size
Short and petite parents may have smaller-than-average babies, while tall and big parents may have larger-than-average babies. Genes play a big role in the baby’s size.
Gender
Normally, girls are smaller than boys, but at birth, the differences are not major.
You can check the chart provided by the World Health Organization for reference.
Order of Birth
In some cases, the first baby is smaller than a brother or sister born later.
Multiple Births
If you have twins, triplets, or more, you may find that your babies are a bit small. When multiple babies are born in the same uterus, they compete for space, and their size at birth is often small.
Mother’s Health during Pregnancy
Having a newborn weight loss can have different causes; a mother who has high blood pressure, heart disease, or who smokes, drinks alcohol or has used illegal drugs during pregnancy. The baby may have too much weight if the mother has gestational diabetes, with high blood sugar levels or is obese.
The growth spurt and development of a newborn depends on good nutrition – before and after birth. When a woman is pregnant, a poor diet can affect her weight and how much she grows like a baby. Weight gain can result in a bigger-than-average baby being born.
The Health of the Baby
The baby’s weight and growth of a child can be due to different medical problems, such as some birth defects and infections during pregnancy. Very low birth weight is also common among premature babies compared to full-term babies.
Ethnicity
Singapore Medical Journal published a study on the baby’s weight of newborns and maternal health. According to their findings, birth weights differed in the 3 major ethnic groups. They have identified that the Chinese infants having the highest and Indian infants the lowest mean birth weights, and with Malay infants being intermediate in size. It is pretty obvious that weight really does vary from baby to baby so it is really best to consult your doctor for your baby’s birth weight and overall health.
The average baby weight of a newborn baby born between 37 and 40 weeks is between 5 pounds, 8 ounces (2,500 grams) and 8 pounds, 13 ounces (4,000 grams).
The National University Hospital reports that an average Singaporean Chinese baby weighs 3.2kg at 40 weeks; Approximately 10% of babies weigh more than 3.6kg, and 3% weigh more than 4kg. Most healthy newborns weigh between 2.5 – 4.5 kg, according to the Health Promotion Board.
How much weight should my baby gain each month?
According to Jay L. Hoecker, M.D., there is no one size fits all when it comes to infant health. Infant growth, however, tends to follow a fairly predictable path. During the first year of an infant’s life, you can consider the following general guidelines:
-During the first 6 months of a baby’s life, he or she will grow 1/2 to 1 inch (between 1.5 and 2.5 centimetres) per month and gain 5 to 7 ounces (between 140 and 200 grams) each week. About five months after birth, your baby should double his or her birth weight.
-From ages 6 to 12 months, a baby might grow 3/8 inch (about 1 centimetre) a month and gain 3 to 5 ounces (about 85 to 140 grams) a week. Expect your baby to triple his or her birth weight by about age 1 year.
As a part of routine well-baby examinations, your baby’s doctor will likely record your baby’s growth using a standard baby’s growth chart. A baby’s growth chart illustrates the distribution of a variety of body measurements in children using a series of percentile curves. Since 1977, paediatricians, nurses, and parents in the United States have used pediatric baby growth charts to track the growth patterns of infants, children, and adolescents.
The CDC suggests that healthcare providers:
-Monitor growth patterns for babies and children between 0 and 2 years old using WHO growth standards.
-Monitor growth patterns for children aged 2 years and older using the CDC growth charts
Here’s an overview of the chart:
According to the University of Michigan Medicine, typical newborns gain weight about 0.37 ounces (20 grams) a day, or about 1 ounce (38 grams) to 2 ounces (50.8 grams) a week, in their first month of life.
Furthermore, your baby’s head will grow at the fastest rate in the first 4 months after birth, compared with any other time. Rapid brain growth is responsible for this increase. Approximately 13.5 inches is the average circumference of the head at birth. After the first month, it reaches 15 inches.
It is important to remember that many healthy babies go through brief periods when they stop gaining weight or even lose a little. Doctors probably will only worry if, from one well-baby exam to the next, the baby hasn’t gained weight. On a growth chart, your baby’s position on the curve isn’t as important as its overall trend.
Why is my baby’s weight losing?
Is your baby having trouble gaining weight? Are you worried about your baby’s weight? Are you concerned about the thing they called newborn weight loss? Well, worry no more. Just keep reading and know the normal reasons why this is happening.
One of the main reasons why there is newborn weight loss during the first few days is because they are born with extra fluid. Your baby lives inside your womb for months surrounded with liquid, and they usually flush that out after they are born. Healthy newborn baby weight is normal to lose 7% to 10% of the birth weight but should regain that weight within the first 2 weeks or so after birth.
Another reason why newborn weight loss happens because babies lose their body weight during the first week after birth is that they are using energy to stay warm and feed. The baby should start regaining weight 2 weeks after birth.
According to the University of Michigan Medicine, newborns often lose around 8 oz (226.8 g) in the first 4 to 5 days after birth but regain it by about 10 to 12 days of age.
What are some ways to help increase baby weight?
If you worry that your baby is not gaining the right amount of weight, the first step is to always consult with your paediatrician. Drinking milk is the only means where babies can get their food. And whether you have breastfed babies or formula-fed babies, it is important to know whether it is working for them or not.
Some babies have a hard time drinking milk and don’t seem to have the energy to gain weight. Consult your paediatrician if you see any sign that your baby is struggling to swallow, vomiting between feedings, acting like he has a food allergy, experiencing reflux, or having persistent diarrhoea.
If your baby suffers from these issues, they may not be able to absorb the calories they need. In the event that you and your baby’s paediatrician both decide it is necessary, you can then develop a plan that helps you achieve that coveted weight gain.
Regardless of your child’s weight gain, if you and/or your paediatrician feel comfortable with their growth spurt, then there is no need to make any changes.
The tips below are helpful ways to help your baby’s weight gain.
For breastfeeding mothers
Breastmilk or what others would consider “liquid gold” is the best way for your baby to get the nutrients they need. Some babies easily get the hang of latching properly, but others struggle with it. Breastfeeding is a journey between a mother and the child, and it is not without effort that it becomes successful. What can you do if there is a struggle? The following are a few suggestions:
Practice is the key: Nursing a baby is an art that needs mastery and constant practice. Just as you weren’t born knowing how to hold a paintbrush, you weren’t born knowing how to breastfeed either. Talk to your lactation specialist to determine whether your baby is latching on correctly or whether it has a medical condition making breastfeeding difficult. Not many may know that there are actually different techniques in breastfeeding. So consulting a professional about it will greatly help.
Increase your milk supply: If you worry about not having enough milk for your baby, put your mind at ease. This is actually a common issue for first-time mothers but good thing it is easy to resolve this. Maintaining contact with your baby, nursing every hour or two, and trying to rest are all ways to naturally increase your milk production. The more you feed the more there is to feed. It’s a basic principle of supply and demand, the more the baby demands for milk, the more milk your body will naturally supply.
Other ways to increase milk supply is to drink supplements. There are a lot of organic and natural food supplements available in the market today. Massage therapy is also a good way to help you with your milk supply.
Supplement with formula milk: If in cases that your milk supply is still not enough, you can always supplement it with formula milk until such time you can supply enough breastmilk for your baby.
For formula-fed babies
A formula-fed baby usually gains more weight faster than a breastfed baby after a few months. If a formula-fed baby is not doing well, what should you do?
Again, for anything that concerns your baby’s health and development, consulting a professional, your child’s paediatrician, is always the first thing to do. You should always ask your child’s doctor for any simple changes in your child’s routine or nutrition. But more or less, issues with bottle-fed babies need to do the following:
Change your baby’s formula: If your baby’s formula is causing sensitivity, you may have to switch brands, or you may want to get breast milk from a nurse’s clinic. When your baby exhibits symptoms of reflux, eczema, diarrhoea, or constipation, consult your paediatrician immediately.
The doctor may recommend using donor milk or a formula containing protein hydrolysate. These types of formulas are expensive, so they are only recommended for babies who have an allergy to cow or soy milk.
Mix your formula correctly: It is very important to follow the mixing instructions on your formula. For formula-fed babies, the right ratio of water to powder is essential. If your baby drinks too much water, he or she may not get sufficient calories and may become ill.
Consult with your paediatrician: You should always consult your paediatrician before adding anything to your baby’s bottles, such as more formula or a mixture of different formula milk. Your doctor can provide you with information about what is safe for your baby.
What if my baby is overweight?
Too much weight on babies that are far out of proportion to height gain constitutes being overweight. Overweight babies obviously look fat so that alone is a giveaway. They look so cute and fluffy but are not necessarily healthy ones. Typically, infants who continue to be overweight as children and adults have overweight parents, siblings, or grandparents. Infants born to obese families need special attention. So if you think that your baby is overweight, it is best to consult with your child’s paediatrician.
As a parent, you may do the following precautions to help manage your baby’s weight.
- Train your baby to learn to stop drinking/eating when he or she reaches the point of satiation when still young.
- Breastfeed if you can. Generally, breastfed babies weigh less than their formula-fed counterparts.
- You should not graze if you are breastfeeding. Nursing at frequent intervals, sometimes hourly, is grazing.
- Do not allow your child to keep a bottle as a companion during the day or at night if you are bottle-feeding. Allowing kids to carry a bottle around encourages them to eat frequently and use food to comfort themselves.
- You shouldn’t feed your baby every time she cries. Crying babies usually want attention or may just be thirsty and in need of some water.
- You should also teach your baby to use human contact to relieve stress and discomfort (instead of feeding them).
- Don’t force your baby to finish every bottle. Don’t enlarge the hole in the nipple of a baby bottle. The formula will come out of the bottle too fast.
- From 2 to 6 months of age, feedings should be every 2 hours at birth and to every 3 hours thereafter.
- Do not rush your child’s eating. The sensation of fullness takes 15 to 20 minutes to develop.
- Avoid sweets until at least 12 months of age.
Reminder
Being a first-time parent is no easy task. Taking care of your child is a great way to help him or her build a strong, healthy body. It is important to keep track of the growth spurts of your child by checking on the baby weight charts. Though doctors keep records of your baby’s development during baby’s checkups, it wouldn’t hurt if you also keep track of your baby’s personal data in terms of weight gain, weight loss, head circumference, baby’s length measurements etc.
As you take care of your little bundle of joy and love, make sure you take care of yourself as well. Most babies rely heavily on their parents and so it is important that you, as a mother(or father) are also healthy.
