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In the first months of life, the best food for a baby, which provides everything a young body needs, is mother’s milk. During this time, the parents happily watch their child grow every day. One of the ways to assess a toddler’s development is to monitor his weight gain. But what to do when a baby being fed with mother’s milk is not gaining enough weight? Find out the answer to this question and find out how you can control your baby’s weight.
The tool that determines the norms of development, including the weight and length of a child’s body, are percentile grids. It should be remembered that, despite the standards established by experts, the pace of development and growth of each infant is an individual matter and depends on many factors.
How can I control if my baby is gaining weight properly?
In order to monitor whether the baby is gaining weight and growing properly, it is essential to systematically weigh and measure the baby, and regularly record the values obtained and plot them on the percentile grids. Experts recommend that weighing and measuring should take place no more than once a week. Thanks to the percentile grids, the pediatrician can monitor that the baby is developing properly. Marking subsequent measurements of body weight and length on special grids allows you to check the course of growth over time, as well as does the child fit in the so-called standards (which were based on the average body weight and height of children in the selected age group), i.e. between the 3rd and 97th percentile1.
Mom, Dad – remember:
- Regularly check your baby’s weight gain. Keep in mind that each child develops at its own pace, and this depends on many factors, including environmental conditions, feeding method and genetics.
- It is best if weighing is done with the same scale – both in the clinic and at home. It is also important that the scale is placed on a firm surface, otherwise it may distort the result.
- The baby’s weight should be measured before a meal, and preferably the baby should be without clothes and nappies (a full nappy can weigh a lot!).
- Your baby’s poor weight gain or noticeable weight loss should be consulted with your doctor as soon as possible.
- Temporary weight loss in a child may be associated with a lack of appetite, such as during teething or a temporary infection.
How to ensure proper nourishment of a child, i.e. breast milk, above all else
Adequate nutrition of a child is a very important element supporting the proper development of a young organism. Exclusive breastfeeding by The first 6 months of the baby’s life and the continuation of this way of feeding the baby while expanding his diet are recommended by key organizations, incl. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). This is understandable because breast milk is the best source of the nutrients necessary for development and growth. Maternal food is also perfectly suited to the needs of the baby. Interestingly, the composition of breast milk is not constant – it changes depending on the phase of lactation or the length of feeding.
How can I check if my child is high?
Breastfeeding mothers often wonder if the baby is getting the right amount of milk from the breast. There are several ways you can tell if your baby is eating as much as he needs. Full child:
- wets 5-6 diapers a day,
- properly grasps the nipple, sucks and swallows steadily,
- is placed on the breast 8-12 times a day, including at night2.
Mixed feeding, i.e. feeding with mother’s food and modified milk
Although every mother wants to give her baby the best, sometimes it turns out that she is not able to feed only with her own food. Lactation complications or health problems make about 40%3 I have a mixed feed in the early stages of an infant’s life, and later this figure rises to as much as 70 percent.4. One of the main reasons for introducing infant formula into an infant’s diet is low weight gain5.
– It is worth remembering that every mother is the most important person for her child, and mixed feeding is just a different method of nutrition, thanks to which a woman can take care of her baby with the same commitment. Regardless of the reason why a mother cannot feed only her own food, in order to gain weight and support the overall development of the baby’s body, she should – in consultation with the pediatrician – choose the appropriate next milk. The latest research results allow the development of formulas whose recipes are inspired by the properties of breast milk, and thus provide infants not exclusively breastfed with key nutrients. Additionally, it is worth paying attention to the fact that the formula should contain a unique one a GOS / FOS oligosaccharide composition, which reflects the composition of short- and long-chain oligosaccharides of mother’s milk, and also in the composition had unique fatty acid profile – explains Halina Dudek, nutrition expert at BebiProgram.pl.
Breastfeeding is the most appropriate and cheapest way of feeding infants and is recommended for young children along with a varied diet. Mother’s milk contains the nutrients necessary for the proper development of the baby and protects it against diseases and infections. Breastfeeding gives the best results when the mother is properly nourished during pregnancy and lactation, and when there is no unjustified feeding of the baby. Before deciding to change the feeding method, the mother should consult her doctor.
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