How does a babys weight change during the first year of life?

How the baby's weight changes is an important factor in showing the baby's health. At 1 year of age, the baby will have three times the weight at birth.

Weight is an indicator that helps parents evaluate their child's physical condition. Your baby will grow up with each month. At this time, what foods will you feed your baby? Breast milk or formula milk is always a baby's main food in the first 6 months of life. To know more about your child's weight development and what foods to feed them each month, please refer to the following  Hello Basi article .

1. Newborn (1 - 4 weeks)

Michelle LaRowe , author of Mom's Ultimate Book of Lists, advises parents not to worry too much if their baby falls a few pounds after birth because most babies do. A healthy baby quickly regains its weight within 10 - 12 days.

Your baby should eat: During this stage, you can feed your baby with breast milk or formula. In addition, you should also consult your doctor if your baby has allergic reactions. If your baby is breastfed, the allergy could be caused by a baby not getting along with certain foods you eat . As for formula feeding, babies may be allergic to milk proteins.

2. Children 1 month old

From 1 - 6 months old, the child will increase 2.5cm / month and 140-200g / week. If you suckle well, your baby will gain weight steadily.

Baby should eat: During this period, you should breastfeed or formula milk. The timing of breastfeeding is variable and unpredictable. You also do not know how much milk your baby can drink with each feed. Children 1 month old should be breastfed from 8-12 times / day and every 2-3 hours should feed children once.

3. Children 2 months old

Young children need to gain weight steadily every week. If you are concerned about your child's health, you can consult your doctor or consultant to find out how to ensure that you eat well. In some cases, babies will not feed at all.

Your baby should eat: Breast milk or formula is best. You should not give solids until your baby is 4 months old and preferably 6 months old. Dr.  Joanna Dolgoff , a specialist in childhood obesity, thinks that early feeding affects the child's digestive system.

4. Children 3 months old

This month, the baby starts not gaining weight steadily as before. Weight gain is only about 900g and continues until the baby is 7 months old.

Baby should eat: Babies can drink breastmilk or formula. The number of breastfeeds will also decrease to 5-8 times per day. Babies who are breastfed will breastfeed more than formula-fed babies. The baby may wake up at night to breastfeed but not often.

5. Children 4 months old

At the end of this month, your baby can begin to eat. Some of the signs that indicate this are: the baby can hold his head steady, can sit with your support, start to care when you eat. The transition from breastfeeding to solid foods can be strange for babies. Therefore, you should not force your baby to eat if he is not ready.

Baby should eat: Breast milk or formula milk is essential for babies. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months unless the baby shows signs of no longer wanting to breastfeed. If your child shows any of these signs, promptly report it to the pediatrician for advice.

6. Children 5 months old

I will double my weight this month. Parents should ask the doctor if the child's height and weight are developing normally or not. If your baby is at risk of malnutrition, find out what you can do to help your baby grow at weight.

Baby should eat: You can feed your baby with breastmilk / formula and snack. There are no rules for what foods babies should start eating. You can give your baby a try whole cereal or rice flour and drink milk. If you feel your baby shows signs of dislike eating, wait a week and try again.

7. Children 6 months old

Starting at 6 months, your baby will grow about 1.2cm per month and increase 85 - 140g per week. You can give your baby formula milk, breast milk, and snacks. If you haven't fed your baby yet, do this with your baby.

Baby should eat: Breast milk or formula and snack foods. Introduce your child to a new food 3 days away from the old one. If your child has an allergy, it's easier to find the culprit. For example, on Monday you feed your baby eggs, and on Thursday you feed your baby fish. Diarrhea or a rash are signs that your child is sensitive to food. Young children usually come into contact with the food 10 times before deciding to taste it.

8. Child 7 months old

The child's weight can now steadily increase 900g / month. You can consult your doctor if you notice that your baby is not gaining weight steadily or the baby gains more than 2.7kg in a month.

Baby should eat: Your baby still needs to drink breastmilk, formula milk, and dishes with pureed vegetables, meat or fruit. If you are making your own baby food, don't be afraid to add a little seasoning as your baby is used to the different flavors in breast milk.

9. Children 8 months old

Children can also increase 900g / month.

Your baby should eat: You can continue to offer breastmilk / formula, powdered food or other foods your baby can pick up by hand. Try giving them scrambled eggs, pasta, vegetables, meatballs, and cheese cut into small pieces that will stimulate your baby's taste.

10. Children 9 months old

To maintain your child's weight gain during this stage, you can offer your child a snack between breakfast - lunch and one between lunch - afternoon.

Your baby should eat: You can feed your baby breastmilk / formula, powdered food, foods that your baby can pick up by hand. Allow your child to freely eat the foods he likes as long as they are not likely to cause choking.

11. Children 10 months old

Children can crawl on the kitchen floor, trying to get up and walk with the support of your chair, table or leg. This can cause calorie loss. Therefore, weight gain may slow down a bit.

Baby should eat: You will love foods that can be picked with your hands. You try to give your child more chewy fruits and vegetables such as chopped apples, small noodles. The baby will continue to breastfeed or formula during this period.

12. Children 11 - 12 months old

These two months are the biggest reward for taking care of the baby. When a baby is 1 year old, the baby's weight will increase 3 times compared to when he was born and toddlers take the first steps.

To have the most complete knowledge of the height and weight for your baby, you can refer to the article Developing height and weight for your baby comprehensively.