Infants change from day to day, both in weight, height, cognition and motor ability. How much weight babies gain in 1 month is a matter of not only mothers but also families as weight is one of the measures of a baby's development in early life. What causes slow weight gain for children? What should mom do in this moment? Invite moms to learn through the article below.
Newborns and early changes
In addition to changes in weight and length, infants also begin to experience changes in perception and action such as:
I learned to cling and find the way to the mother's breasts to suck the milk.
The baby's grip ability is also formed more clearly, the baby's fingers can be grasped when given something.
Children also show some signs of startling when there is a loud noise or someone touches, opens or stretches their arms.
The sea is comfortable and happy to be cuddled with or when someone talks.
However, at first, your baby will spend most of his time sleeping, 15-16 hours a day, and only waking up when hungry or going to the toilet. So mother also does not need to worry if the baby does not show these signs, but instead communicate and talk to the baby when the baby is awake.
How much weight do babies gain in 1 month?
According to WHO evaluation standards, the infant's weight is 3 - 3.5kg. A full-term baby, healthy, developing normally, when eating enough demand will gain weight monthly. On average, in the first 3 months, babies gain weight very quickly (1,000 - 1,200g / month), in the next 3 months, they gain weight from 500 - 600g / month, and in the next 6 months, they only gain weight from 300-400g / month. The phenomenon of children 6 months without gaining weight is quite rare.
By the time your baby is 6 months old, he or she will double the weight before birth. In case the baby increases less than this standard, the baby may fall into a state of underweight and malnutrition. In addition, gender should also be considered when assessing the weight of 1-month-old infants. Research shows that babies who are boys will have a slightly higher weight than girls.
In case the child's weight is higher or lower than the average, the mother should send the child to a nutrition check so that the doctor can find out the cause. Some causes of the mother can be completely overcome such as: the baby is not breastfed enough, not properly, the digestive system is poor ... for better nutrient absorption of the baby.
The reason why babies slow to gain weight
There are many reasons that babies are slow to gain weight, mothers need to find out the right reasons to make changes to help babies gain weight properly:
Premature babies
Infants born preterm , preterm often will gain weight more slowly than full-term infants born full day. In addition, the child's resistance is also worse, the child is susceptible to diseases and problems related to health.
The baby is not feeding properly
The baby breastfeeds properly when the baby is feeding evenly, both the mother and the baby are comfortable, the mother does not get pain and fatigue, the baby's lips are not sucked in, but placed on the mother's areola. Correct latching will help the baby get breastmilk out of the breast without feeling tired and frustrated.
In addition, breastmilk contains colostrum and posterior milk. Pre-existing colostrum is formed when a baby stops feeding and after milk is produced right after the baby has finished feeding the colostrum. Milk is proven to have many fats and nutrients to help children gain weight. It is possible that after finishing the first layer of milk, it is boring to miss the better nutrient absorption in the posterior layer.
However, mothers should not be too worried if the baby's nursing time is shorter than usual. Each mother will make a different amount of milk and the baby can get all the nutrients in just a few minutes of feeding. You should ensure that your baby is breastfed properly and properly so that the baby can get the best nutrition.
Inappropriate breastfeeding
According to research, in the first 6-8 weeks after birth, babies should be breastfed 2-3 hours / 1 meal. However, if the baby shows the need to breastfeed more often, the mother should satisfy this need of the baby, avoid crying and discouraging the baby from eating.
However, there are cases where the baby is slow to gain weight because of a lack of feeding or refusing to suckle. Sometimes the baby will ask to breastfeed when hungry, but quickly fall asleep, so breastfeeding is interrupted, so the amount of milk is very little.
Children with health problems
If your baby unfortunately has health problems such as blood, nerve, genetic syndromes or allergies to lactose in milk ... he may be less likely to feed, leading to delayed weight gain. . Children with disorders affecting their ability to absorb also lose weight less. In this case, if the child is severely underweight, the mother should send the child to the checkup promptly.
Breast milk that is not abundant enough and does not meet the needs of the baby can cause the baby to become hungry, leading to delayed weight gain. This situation can be improved if the mother knows how to use the methods of stimulating milk, increasing the amount of milk. If necessary, supplement formula for babies.
What are signs of getting enough milk?
At birth, a newborn's stomach is very small, the size of a cherry, and babies only need about 7ml of milk per breastfeed. The baby's stomach size will increase gradually each day, by the third day after birth, the baby's stomach is about the size of a walnut and can hold about 22 to 27 ml per feed. By the end of the first week, the baby's stomach will be as large as a peach, which can hold about 45-60ml of milk.
After the first 2 weeks, babies can suckle from 60ml - 100ml / meal on average. At the end of the first month, the amount of milk per feed is from 90-150 ml and will be maintained until the following months.
For mothers who give birth for the first time, it is not easy to know whether their baby has breastfed enough or not yet full . However, mothers just need to take the trouble to observe a few signs below to know immediately whether their baby is getting enough breast milk or not:
After each feeding, the mother's breasts become softer.
Children go outside with yellow, not hard stools.
Urinate regularly, at least 6 times / day, urine colorless or light yellow color, no bad smell.
Baby shows happiness and comfort after each feeding.
The child's weight will increase steadily after about the first 2 weeks.
Recipes for mothers when monitoring newborn weight
The baby's development also depends on many factors such as the environment and the baby's location. So the information about the child's weight or height is for reference only, mothers should not be too pressured about the weight to "force" the baby to meet the standard as long as the baby's weight is within the allowable range. In addition to considering how much weight babies gain a month, mothers should pay attention to the following:
Go for a nutrition check and check for intestinal problems if the baby's weight gain is too little or not increasing and is often fussy and irritable.
Putting your baby to sleep at the right time and enough sleep will help him grow steadily and develop healthy. Mother remember that sleeping for babies is very important.
Breast milk is the best food for babies and babies. Therefore, doctors recommend breastfeeding exclusively with breast milk for babies to develop healthy, increase resistance. However, if the baby is breastfed and the 1-month-old infant's weight still increases slowly, should the quality of milk be considered good? Low and thin breast milk also has a big effect on the baby's weight.
Tracking the weight is not enough, mothers do not forget to give their children a full vaccination to prevent diseases for the baby.
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Weight table of infants from 0 - 6 months old and the secret to gaining weight for babies
The standard weight of the fetus - What should the mother do to meet the standards?
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