You must have already noticed the nurse take your baby’s overall measurements right after birth, before your little one got discharged from the hospital. While it may look really cute, doctors always make a note of your baby’s height and weight right from the time of birth, and track it for the next few years, as it helps them check your baby’s overall growth and development.
Easy way to keep track of your baby’s weight in the first year
As a parent, it is natural that you are always confused and concerned about whether or not your baby is gaining the ideal weight or height. Add to this the fact that so many parents and people have a habit of pointing out how your baby is not that healthy, is too thin, or too plump, or is short for his or her age, and it is normal to start getting worried.
Instead of listening to everyone and stressing about it, take a look at the pointers below that will help you understand how much weight your baby should ideally gain in the first year. We will later share about the ideal height chart too.
Also, remember that this is based on your baby’s weight at the time of birth, and will vary from other babies.
0 to 3 months
- Your should gain between 175gm and 210gm per week based on the weight at birth
At 5 months
- By this time, your baby’s weight should be double the weight at the time of birth
Between 6 and 12 months
- During these months, your baby should ideally gain about 400gm each month
At 1 year
- Once your baby reaches the first birthday, the weight should be about 3 times that of the weight at the time of birth
On an average, a healthy baby will gain about two kg each year from 3 years to 7 years. Also, it is normal to have some variations in the numbers mentioned above.
As long as your baby is active, happy, does not seem too tired or does not seem to be suffering from any visible health issue, do not be worried. If you feel your baby is always tired, do speak about it to the doctor who can assess the weight and height again and guide you accordingly.
Also Read This one reason is contributing to your child's rapid weight gain
