Hey Mama, how’s your chunky baby doing? I bet they’re as cute as ever, the cheeks and those tummy rolls! If you’re worried that your little one has been enjoying the feeding and notice they’re getting chubbier each month, there’s nothing to worry about. They need to be fed the milk their system demands because that’s the only source of food they have for now. They need all the nutrients they need from breast milk.

A quick fact is that a breastfed baby is slower to take on weight than formula-fed babies since breast milk is more nutritionally dense, which means less volume of milk intake. If you’re worried if your baby is not getting enough milk, we’ve touched base on the topic as well.

According to WHO Child Growth Standards, breastfed babies double in their birth weight by 3-4 months on average. And as your baby’s first year comes, they would weigh about 2.5-3 times their birth weight.

A few days after delivery, it’s expected that newborns lose their birth weight as they lose the fluid and meconium in their gut. In the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, they mention that after 10 to 14 days, they’ll be able to regain and surpass their birth weight.

Breaking down breastfed babies average weight gain per week:

• As they age five days to four months, they gain 5-7 ounces.

• A 4 month- 6-month-old breastfed infant gains weight at an average of 4-6 ounces per week.

• As they turn six months old to 12 months old, they gain 2-4 ounces per week.

Baby’s weight will be regularly weighed with your regular checkups with the pediatrician to make sure they are normally gaining weight according to their length and age. Their weight is one important measure to determine if your baby is healthy and developing well or any underlying concerns to look out for.

In the United States, the WHO growth standards are recommended for infants and children 0 to 2 years old. The WHO standards established that a breastfed infant of at least four months up to 12 months is the standard of healthy development and growth. In addition, these standards identify change based on the optimal conditions being provided to the child in a high-quality study that’s specifically for growth charts. WHO’s growth charts “describe how healthy breastfed children should grow under the best possible environmental and health conditions.”

The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using the WHO growth charts on infants from 0 to 2 years old and the CDC growth charts for children two years old and above. The CDC’s charts usually are references to “how young children should grow.”

If your concern is if you’re baby’s getting enough milk, learn all about it here.

Should you have more concerns regarding your little one’s weight and development patterns, it’s always best to consult with your pediatrician. Just keep in mind that many factors can affect your baby’s weight, and every baby is different in terms of their development.

References:

https://www.who.int/toolkits/child-growth-standards

https://kellymom.com/bf/normal/weight-gain/

https://www.thetot.com/mama/weight-gain-patterns-for-breastfed-babies/

https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/who_charts.htm

https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/138/6/e20162625