What is the ‘right weight’ for a baby?
Just like adults, babies come in all shapes and sizes! An average newborn baby weighs between 3.2 - 3.5kg but a baby can be normal in weight within the range of 2.5 - 4.5kg.
How much your baby weighs, can be determined by genetics, your health and nutrition throughout your pregnancy. However, it is not how much your baby weighs at birth that’s most important – it’s the rate at which they gain weight afterwards.
Losing weight after birth
Every child follows a growth pattern from birth. Usually the first thing they do is lose weight! Many babies on average lose 5-7% of their weight in the first few days after birth. There are lots of theories around why babies do this initially, but by about 7- 10 days old they should have started to put it on again. From then on your baby will gain 120-200g per week.
Measuring your baby's growth
Your baby’s growth is usually measured on a centile chart. Whether big or small, they’re expected to put on weight at a steady pace, staying in the same range on the chart. At four months most babies have doubled their birth weight. However, just because your baby may be at the top or bottom end of the chart doesn’t mean they are over or underweight.
Make sure you attend your baby clinic regularly so your baby’s growth and health will be carefully monitored and your health care professional can answer any questions or concerns you may have.
How much weight should my baby gain?
The centile charts used to measure growth are just guidelines. So while your baby’s weight should normally stay in their range, don’t be worried if they have the occasional blip up or down. These may be caused by growth spurts, illness, difficulty adjusting to solids or simply burning up more calories as they start to crawl. Remember, if you ever have any concerns about your baby’s growth, speak to your health care professional.