Newborn Weight Loss: What to Expect
Did you know it’s normal (and expected) for babies to lose some weight after birth? Babies are born with extra fluid and lose that extra few ounces in the days following birth.
How much weight loss is normal?
The average range of weight loss is 7-10% of your baby’s birth weight. Typically babies will gain their birth weight back in the first two weeks. Your baby’s pediatrician will monitor their weight at their first appointment following hospital discharge, which typically takes place 3-5 days post-birth. The pediatrician may recommend coming in for follow up weight checks to make sure baby is gaining weight appropriately. A you continue tracking your baby’s weight, you can expect most newborns to gain about an ounce per day during the first month.
What if my baby is losing too much weight?
Talk to your pediatrician. Need help choosing a pediatrician for your new baby? Use my guide to help you search. Be sure to call right away if you think your baby is dehydrated. The pediatrician may suggest supplementing with formula if your are breastfeeding or waking baby to feed more frequently.
You can also see a lactation consultant if you are concerned about your baby’s weight gain or simply want to reinforce the success of your breastfeeding journey. Private lactation consultants and hospital provided lactation consultant services are available and often host baby weigh-ins. These weigh-ins are essentially open office hours where you feed and weigh your baby to ensure your baby is gaining a healthy amount of weight. I attended these sessions weekly for the first month with my oldest who was jaundice and lost a lot of weight after birth. I believe these had a large impact on the long-term success of our breastfeeding journey, which ended up being about 13 months.
How to ensure proper weight gain for your baby
Breastfeeding 8-10 times per day, or every 2-3 hours is one way to help your baby gain weight. If you are are feeding formula, every 3-4 hours may be more appropriate since formula keeps babies fuller for longer.
If you are unsure your baby is getting enough intake, a better way to tell is by their outtake, or wet and dirty diapers. In the first couple of days before your milk comes in, a breastfed baby will have 1-2 wet diapers per day. After your milk comes in, baby will have 2-4 wet diapers per day. By day 5, baby should have 6 or more wet diapers. I change a wet and/or dirty diaper nearly every time I breastfeed, which is currently an average of 8-10 times per day for my 3 week old daughter. For dirty diapers, expect 1-2 dark and tarry stools per day until your milk comes in. Stools will then turn yellowish after your milk comes in and occur 3-4 times per day by day 4.
Tracking feedings and diapers is super important in those early days to make sure baby is growing (and why I’ve included this information and tracking templates in the Baby Prep Toolkit). As long as your baby is having frequent wet and dirty diapers you can rest assure that he or she is likely getting enough and gaining weight at a healthy pace.
