What weight should my baby be?
The physical development of your child, like each of its developmental steps, is very individual, but there are some guidelines that you can use as a guide. According to the World Health Organization, the average birth weight is 3480 grams. Various factors have an influence on this. On the one hand, the age and diet of the mother, the nutrient supply to your baby via the placenta and, on the other hand, whether it’s your first child or whether you already have a sibling.
The gender of your child also has an impact on their weight. Boys absorb more food in the womb than girls, which is why their weight is higher. However, as soon as your little darling is born, they will first lose weight, which is nothing to worry about. Their metabolism first has to get used to the environment outside the womb. From then on, their little body has to take care of itself, maintaining body temperature and taking in food. This change usually happens within the first week of life. After that, your baby will gain weight again, so that after two weeks it will have reached its birth weight again.
How much weight should my baby gain per week of life?
Even if your child's birth weight and weight development depend on various factors, you can remember the following rule of thumb: Your baby's weight will double within the first six months of its life. By the time their first birthday was over, it would had roughly tripled. The following data comes from the "Child Growth Standards" of the World Health Organization, which can give you and your paediatrician a rough orientation. This is your child's average weight gain over the first 12 months of life:
0 - 2 months: approx. 170 - 330 g/week
2 - 4 months: approx. 110 - 330 g/week
4 - 6 months: approx. 70 - 140 g/week
6 - 12 months: approx. 40 - 110 g/week
The paediatrician can read a healthy weight development even more precisely using the so-called percentile curves. For this purpose, weight, height and head circumference are measured during the check-up and entered in the check-up booklet.
Even if your child should be above these values, please do not let it starve under any circumstances. Baby fat is important because your baby needs the fat and calories for their brain and body to grow and develop with age. At the latest, when your sweetheart starts to crawl or walk, it will use up the calories accumulated through breast milk. If their weight stagnates, you can coordinate with your midwife or paediatrician.
Before a growth spurt, it's normal for your baby to be less hungry and not gain weight as a result. If you breastfeed your child, this will also affect their weight, as they will gain weight faster than bottle-fed babies within the first three months.
Keep in mind that every child develops individually and thus also their weight gain. Your paediatrician will pay attention to this value and other factors during the check-ups. You can also tell whether your baby is developing healthily by their reactions. If they seem happy, drinks a lot, is interested in their environment and often has a wet nappy, you don't have to worry about their physical well-being and you can enjoy your everyday life together carefree.
