How to Calculate the Ideal Body Weight for a Baby

Monitoring a baby's weight gain is a vital part of baby care. Baby weights vary, but there are guidelines to help ensure that your baby is at a healthy weight. Various factors, such as a baby's genetics, temperament, eating habits and health history, all affect his or her weight. A baby who is healthy, happy and developing well is likely at the ideal weight.

Things You'll Need

  • Scale

Instructions

    • 1

      Know your baby's birth weight. This is the baseline for future comparisons.

    • 2

      Know your baby's weight when he leaves the hospital. Most babies lose weight, up to 10 percent, in the first three to four days after birth. If the weight loss is greater, consult your doctor.

    • 3

      Weigh your baby once a week in the beginning to ensure thath appropriate growth is occurring. A baby should regain birth weight by two weeks of age. Consult your doctor if birth weight isn't achieved.

    • 4

      Continue to monitor theh baby's weight. According to Dr. William Sears, a healthy, breast-fed baby will gain an additional one to two pounds each month for the first six months, then gain a pound a month until the first birthday. Formula-fed babies tend to gain a little more after the first six months.

    • 5

      Discuss your baby's weight at each care visit. The doctor will discuss your baby's percentiles on growth charts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Generally, as long as your baby is consistently increasing in weight and height, he or she is at an ideal weight.

    • 6

      Look at your baby. Dr. Jay Gordon recommends that parents examine a variety of factors to help decide if the baby is at an ideal weight. If your baby is feeding well, wetting and dirtying an appropriate amount of diapers, acting alert, moving well, reaching developmental milestones and has nails growing well, chances are he or she is at an appropriate weight.

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