Why is my Breastfed Newborn Baby Losing Weight?
After the birth of a baby, the first question most people ask is how much the baby weighed. Parents post it on social media and add it to birth announcements. Our society uses infant weight as a marker of health. When a baby loses weight, many families worry that something may be wrong. Is my baby eating enough? Do I have enough milk? Is she sick? What most new parents do not know is that weight loss in infants after birth is normal.
Regardless of if a baby is breastfed or formula-fed, she can and will lose weight after birth. After the delivery of your baby, your hospital care team will monitor your baby’s weight loss for you. Once you are discharged and home, your pediatrician will weigh your baby regularly to monitor growth. Normal weight loss for a healthy full-term (38+ weeks gestation) infant, receiving breast milk, is between 7-10% in the first week. That means if your baby weighs 9 pounds 0 ounces at birth, in the first week she could lose down to 8 pounds 1.4 ounces and still be perfectly healthy. That is nearly a pound of weight loss! Formula-fed babies tend to lose less weight, therefore a 5% initial weight loss over the first week of life is normal. By the end of the second week, most breastfed babies have gained enough weight to reach their birth weight again.
It is important to be knowledgeable about normal weight loss after birth for healthy infants. Often family members, friends, and even hospital staff are unaware of normal weight loss parameters for breastfed babies and are quick to recommend formula supplementation when it is not needed. Always speak with your baby’s pediatrician before offering supplements to your breastfed baby.
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I am a registered nurse in the State of Florida and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). The content on this blog page is for informational and educational use only. I have taken reasonable steps to ensure that the information shared is accurate, but I cannot guarantee that it is free from errors. The information shared here does not take the place of a medical provider, nor establishes any kind of client relationship with myself as a registered nurse or a lactation consultant. I am not your IBCLC or RN unless you book a consult with me directly and we establish a patient/caregiver relationship.