A Complete Chart on Average Weight Gain for Breastfed Babies

As you learn to care for your dear little one, you need to know all about normal weight gain in breastfed babies as they grow. As always, we’ve got you covered! As new parents, it is natural to feel concerned about the smallest of things regarding your baby. It isn’t surprising then, that we feel uncertain about the weight gain of our newborn baby as well. After all, it’s important and reassuring to know that these little wonders are growing at a healthy rate.

The weight of your newborn is considered one of the most important parameters of his general health. Breastfeeding is known as the recommended standard for baby feeding. So, what is the ideal weight of a newborn baby? How can you be sure that he is gaining enough weight over time?

Breastfed Baby’s Weight Gain Chart

Here, we offer you a complete chart on the average weight gain for breastfed babies and related important information. This breastfeeding weight gain chart will help you ascertain that your baby is growing well and as per the normal standards of development.

General Guidelines About Weight Gain Pattern in Breastfed Babies

• During the first few days after birth, babies tend to lose some weight. The average weight loss in the initial few days soon after birth is about 5-7% or 7-8 ounces (200-220 gm). Your baby’s dropped weight is considered as the baseline, rather than baby’s birth weight when calculating your little one’s weight gain.

• Your baby starts to gain weight by the fifth day after his birth. Your infant’s milk intake will typically increase significantly in the initial few weeks. This upward trend continues to stay so till around 6-months of age.

• In the first six months, your little one consumes about 25 ounces of breast milk in 24 hours.

• Your baby tends to have doubled his birth weight by the time he turns 4 to 5 months old. On average, your baby should gain about four to five ounces weight per week.

• As per the average baby weight chart, the weight gain of your baby during 6-12 months drops to two to four ounces or 57 to 113 grams per week.

• By the time your baby turns one-year-old, he tends to weight about 2 1/2 – 3 times his birth weight.

• Your breastfed baby tends to grow at a faster rate than a formula-fed infant in the initial few months, and then your breastfed baby may slim down in comparison with formula-fed infants in the second six months. You need not worry about your baby slimming down a bit since the weight gain patterns of the breastfed and formula-fed babies differ significantly.

Some Common Tips While Measuring the Weight of Your Baby

• Be Consistent: To get an accurate reading about your baby’s weight gain, it is important that there is great consistency in the whole activity. Make sure you use a doctor-approved baby weight growth chart and stick to it.
• Use the Same Weighing Scale: Weigh your baby on the same weighing scale each time. Each weighing scale has an inherent margin of error. Different weighing scales can show different weights. (If you are unconvinced of this, try to weigh your baby on different weighing scales, one after the other, on the same day. You will see that the reading you get is not uniform!)
• Weigh Your Baby Naked: Make sure your baby is wearing the same clothes each time it is weighed. In adults, this may not be a big factor, but for babies, who already don’t weigh much, clothes (and even diapers) can add up to 20 gm or more! The best solution to this problem is to weigh your baby naked.
• Zero the Scale First: Make sure the scale is zeroed before placing the baby on it. Place your baby in the centre of the scale, as far as possible.
• Use an Average of Three Readings: If you have a very active baby who constantly keeps moving, you can weigh your baby two, or three times, and then take a mean of the readings you get. Analyse these readings by comparing them with the recommendation on the breastfed baby weight gain chart.
• Be Mindful of Growth Spurts: Most importantly, remember that – babies do not grow steadily, at a constant rate every single day. There will be weeks when the weight gain is less, and weeks when it is more. Growth spurts (when they begin, how long they last, etc.) can greatly affect your baby’s weight gain. As a thumb-rule, do not weigh your baby more than once a week.

As a mother, your foremost concern should be ensuring proper health and nutrition of your baby. If you feed your little one well and ensure that her diet is well-rounded, her weight is bound to increase at a regular and healthy pace!