Every baby is adorable and unique in their own way, as is their growth. That’s why you should never compare your little one with other babies, especially when it comes to their body weight. This is because every newborn loses some amount of weight over the first few days after their birth, but they also regain their weight within the next couple of months, and by the end of their first year, they grow to triple their birth weight and have chubby cheeks and rolls all over their body.
This weight gain may differ from one baby to another, but if you are still concerned and wondering how to increase your baby’s weight, you can seek guidance from your paediatrician to determine your baby’s average growth rate and if they are underweight. In addition to this, you can also influence your baby’s weight gain by making a few adjustments to their feeding schedule, and adding a few foods into their diet to boost healthy weight gain. Let’s find out what a baby’s ideal growth rate looks like and also some helpful tips to increase their weight.
What Are The Weight Gain And Feeding Expectations Of Your Baby In Their First Year?
0-3 months
Growth expectations: During this time, you can expect your baby to grow about 1.5-2.5 centimetres per month. They will also grain around 140-200 grams per week. Yep, and that’s why their onesies don’t last as long as you would expect them to.
Feeding schedule: If you are breastfeeding your baby, you should feed them every 2-3 hours, which is like 8-12 times a day. If you are formula feeding your baby, then ensure to feed them every 2-4 hours, depending on their needs.
3-7 months
Growth expectations: As your baby approaches the 3-month mark, their weight gain may slow down a little. But you will still probably notice an increase of 110 grams per week in their weight. At 5 months, or sometimes even sooner, your baby will likely have doubled their weight.
Feeding schedule: By this time, you can feed your baby according to their needs, and also introduce them to solid foods after they have reached the 6-month mark. But make sure to consult your child’s paediatrician before adding solid foods to their diet.
7-12 months
Growth expectations: By this time your baby will be gaining 85-110 grams per week, and as you celebrate their first birthday, they would have probably tripled their birth weight.
Feeding schedule: Your baby can now have proper mealtimes along with your family, and you can continue feeding them according to their needs. You should also work on establishing a meal schedule for your little one to ensure they are getting adequate calories.
How Can Your Increase Your Baby’s Weight?
In some cases, a baby may have difficulty gaining weight if they suffer from underlying conditions, such as acid reflux, or food allergy. So make sure to consult your child’s paediatrician first and cancel out the possibility of these risks, and then focus on helpful strategies to boost weight gain in your baby.
We have also listed some tweaks that you can make ion their feeding schedule to ensure proper weight gain.
If You Are Breastfeeding
Your breast milk plays a crucial role in supporting your baby’s overall growth and development, and weight. However, in some cases, low milk supply or improper latching can cause your baby to receive inadequate nutrition, resulting in low weight gain. To avoid that, you should:
- Boost your milk supply: You can add lactogenic foods into your diet to boost your breast milk supply. Some examples of lactogenic foods include barley, oatmeal, apricots, fenugreek, carrots, and fennel seeds.
- Reach out to a lactation expert: In case your baby isn’t latching properly, you should seek help from a lactation counsellor. They will teach you the right methods to breastfeed that ensure proper latch.
If You Are Formula Feeding
Generally, formula-fed babies gain weight faster than breastfed babies. But if that’s not happening, you should probably consider making the following changes:
- Changing your baby’s formula: If your baby is allergic to the feeding formula, then they may have difficulty gaining weight. Sensitivity to the feeding formula may also cause stomach issues in your child, such as acid reflux, diarrhoea, and constipation. Hence, after consulting your paediatrician, consider changing your baby’s feeding formula, and switching to a protein hydrolysate one.
- Ensure that the formula is mixed correctly: Your baby’s formula should have the right balance of water to the powder. Adding too much water may not provide them with adequate calories. Hence, ensure to mix the formula correctly and add equal parts of powder and water.
If You Are Feeding Solids
Once your baby is 6 months old, you can consider introducing them to solid foods to boost weight gain. You can incorporate single-ingredient foods into their diet, or introduce them to different flavours to add in additional calories and fats. Here are some suggestions you can follow:
- Add healthy fats: Foods like avocado and salmon are packed with healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids that provide your child with adequate nourishment and fulfill their calorie requirements per day. They also boost cognitive and brain development, and ain to healthy weight gain.
- Opt for high-calorie and protein-rich foods: Chicken and eggs are high-protein foods that provide your little one with a ton of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, and help in overall growth and development.
- Dairy products: Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt can add some additional calories to your child’s diet and also provide them with crucial nutrients to support weight gain.
Other Tips To Promote Healthy Weight Gain In Babies
Incorporate Vitamins And Supplements
After consulting your child’s doctor, you can consider adding iron supplements to your child’s diet to increase their weight. Your doctor may also recommend other supplements, or natural methods, such as incorporating iron-rich foods into your child’s diet to increase weight.
Put A Pause To Fixed Mealtime Schedules
You should feed your baby according to their needs in the first six months of their life. During this time, do not focus on strategising a mealtime schedule, as it may deprive your child of adequate nourishment. After your child reaches the 6-month mark, you can create a mealtime schedule to culminate healthy eating habits.
Experiment With Different Recipes
If your child is a picky eater, then you can try to experiment with different recipes to get the required calories in their body. This will also introduce your child to new flavours and garner their interest. But remember, introduce one new food at a time, and give your kid options to choose from.
We hope we have answered all your questions on “how to increase baby weight.” Just make sure to keep a track of your baby’s weight and if you notice that they are not gaining adequate weight, implement the tips that we’ve mentioned, and also check with a paediatrician to determine the exact cause and possible treatment methods.
Also read:
Baby brain development food: Check out this post on the best foods that help boost your baby’s brainpower.
Foods to increase breast milk supply: Low milk supply could also be one of the reasons for your baby’s inadequate weight gain. Read this post on the best lactogenic foods to boost your breast milk supply and ensure proper nourishment for your child.
Featured image: Freepik.com
