Healthy weight
Weighing your baby is one of the ways of assessing your baby’s health. Your midwife will offer to weigh your baby during their first week as part of their feeding assessment. It is normal for a baby to lose a small amount of weight in the first few days after birth. However, most babies return to their birth weight by two weeks of age. This is a sign that feeding is going well and that your baby is healthy. Your midwife or health visitor will offer you extra advice and support if there are any concerns about your baby’s weight.
After the first two weeks, your baby’s weight will only usually be measured at routine appointments, unless there is a concern. If your health visitor is concerned about your baby’s weight, they may ask to see your baby more often so they can monitor their weight.
Weighing your baby too often may cause unnecessary concern. The table below shows how often (as a maximum) babies should be weighed to monitor their growth. However, most babies will not need to be weighed as often as this.
|
Age |
How often you should weigh your baby |
|
2 weeks to 6 months |
Once a month |
|
6 to 12 months |
Every 2 months |
|
Over 12 months |
Once every 3 months |
In your baby’s Personal Child Health Record (PCHR), you will find growth charts. It is important that you familiarise yourself with this information.
On the growth chart, there are lines called ‘centiles’. These lines simply describe how your baby's weight, length and head circumference compare with other children of the same age and gender. Your health visitor will plot your baby’s weight on their growth chart each time they weigh them. A baby is expected to gain weight along one of these centiles or in the gap between two of the centile lines. A healthy baby's length and weight should be in proportion.
Babies may lose weight during an illness, but their weight will usually go back to their usual centile within two to three weeks. If your baby’s weight remains down by two or more centile spaces, they will be assessed by your health visitor and their length will be measured.
- To help prevent your baby becoming overweight or obese:
- follow your baby’s feeding cues
- breastfeed responsively
- use a paced bottle-feeding technique
- start giving your baby solid food when they are around six months old
- familiarise yourself with your baby’s growth chart in their PCHR
- speak to your health visitor if you have any concerns about your baby’s weight
For more information about checking your baby’s weight, please visit: