The birth of a baby is an exciting time, and learning to breastfeed can offer strong bonding opportunities. Many questions may arise in the first few days and months of your baby's life, particularly about nutrition and how your infant is growing. It's important for new parents to know what to expect so you can avoid anxiety and simply focus on your baby.
Significance
Most newborn babies will lose a small amount of weight soon after they are born. Using their birth weight as a baseline, weight loss of 5 percent for a formula-fed baby and 7 percent for a breast-fed baby is considered normal. If your baby loses more than 7 percent in the first 72 hours, then a lactation consultant should observe breastfeeding for proper latching by the baby. A maximum of 10 percent weight loss is allowable before supplementation may need to begin.
Theories/Speculation
There are several reasons why a newborn might lose weight. If the mother is given intravenous fluids during delivery, those fluids easily pass from mother to infant causing an inflated birth weight. It is also believed that babies are born with extra fat to ease the stress of delivery and transition to life outside the womb. Mother's mature milk does not come in until day four or five, and these fat stores may also be there to aid the baby while waiting for the more fattening milk to arrive.
Considerations
Infants born prematurely may also lose weight upon birth and therefore must be closely monitored. Humidifiers are used along with an incubator to prevent fluid loss from heat lamps. Depending on how premature a baby is, he may be able to suck from a bottle or the breast. Regardless, supplementation is usually required to ensure the infant is receiving the necessary nutrients and calories.
Time Frame
A newborn should be back to his birth weight at about 10 to 14 days. If your baby was preterm, it may take up to three weeks for him to be back to birth weight. A healthy discharge weight for a preterm infant is dependent on how early the baby was born and overall health. A full-term infant will gain at least 5 ounces a week in the first month after he is born. Preterm infant weight gain varies depending the gestational age when she was born.
Misconceptions
Though breastfeeding is more commonplace now than it was a generation ago, the growth charts for newborns is still based on formula-fed babies. There are conflicting reports in "Pediatrics" and "Pediatric Research" journals as to whether breast-fed infants grow at the same rate or slower than formula-fed babies. However, it's important to note that in both reports all infants were found to be healthy and without nutritional deficiency.
