The growth of the newborn

A newborn, born at term gestation, can have a weight ranging from 2,500 to 4,500 grams (males two or three ounces more than females). In the first days of life, weight can drop by 5-7%, physiological weight loss can be caused by post-partum stress and adaptation to the new life (low calorie intake, excess fluids), but it recovers within 15 days the weight lost to then grow adequately by about 150 grams per week, a purely indicative parameter as the increase always refers to the quantity of milk ingested. Breastfed babies grow more than those who have had bottle feeding.

A weight below the average may depend on the fact that the parents are smaller and thinner than the average or because the baby was born a few days before the expected date. A weight above the maximum limit may be due to hereditary factors or to the protracted birth beyond the term; Normally, a gestation beyond term causes the fetus to increase by about 30-40 grams per day, so the newborn will be bigger than normal. If the baby is not fed properly, growth may be less, and if he does not get enough milk he may show signs of dehydration (dark urine) and hard and rare stools.

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Growth of the fetus: the development of the baby month by month

During the second trimester of life, and more precisely towards the sixth month, the weight should have doubled. It should be noted that growth is not constant, so it is good not to worry if your little one stops growing for a short time. It is important that weight gain has a precise growth rate, which is genetic and cannot be changed.

In the third trimester (6-9 months) the baby grows about 400-500 grams per month. From the sixth month, weight gain is also due to its liveliness with a greater or lesser consumption of calories. During the first year the weight is about tripled and the length is about 50%.

The baby should be weighed once a week, noting the weight. Double weighing should be avoided unless requested by the pediatrician. It is important to always use the same scale and weigh the baby under the same conditions (before or after feeding). Be careful not to do it often because it can cause stress for the mother. Don't be too rigid because every baby is a case in itself and grows differently from others. The newborn must latch on about seven times within 24 hours, must have a daily increase of about 20 g, should wet at least 6 diapers and defecate at least 3 times in 24 hours. The mother can also tell from changes in breast volume after a meal if her baby has eaten.

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A newborn does not grow from a lack of breast milk or produces reduced, foul-smelling urine. The same little signs could be given: after feeding, she cries or takes long and frequent feedings or evacuates hard stools.

Only the pediatrician is able to assess the growth of the baby; he refers to growth curves and percentile tables that allow us to know, according to sex and age, what is the average value of weight, length and circumference of the skull.

See also:
The evolution of the baby in pictures: from the first weeks of the fetus up to the six months of the baby
It's bedtime. Advice and theories for making babies sleep
First year of life. The advice quarter by quarter
Baby's first days of life. How to live them serenely?
Breast milk
Artificial milk