Newborn Losing Weight While Breastfeeding

Weight gain is a helpful measurement for determining how well your baby is doing. This is not the only way to know your baby is thriving, but it is a valuable indicator of health in a baby. If your baby is not gaining well, it can be a sign that breastfeeding is not going well. Or it may mean that a health issue is preventing your baby from growing as expected.

There is a wide range of normal weight gain in babies. Many babies who gain weight slowly are perfectly healthy. It is important to look at all the signs of health when evaluating a baby’s growth pattern.

In 2006 the World Health Organization (WHO) released new growth charts based on the feeding patterns of thousands of exclusively breastfed babies in six different countries (Brazil, Ghana, India, Norway, Oman and USA). In 2010, Dieticians of Canada, the Canadian Pediatric Society and others developed the WHO Growth Charts for Canada. These are the growth charts commonly used by Canadian healthcare providers. These charts contain five line graphs that indicate the expected growth curves for children from the smallest normally growing children (the 3rd percentile) to the largest normally growing children (the 97th percentile). A child who is in the 3rd percentile is smaller than 97 percent of babies the same age. A baby who is in the 97th percentile is smaller than only 3 percent of babies the same age.

Newborn Breastfeeding Basics

It doesn’t matter where your baby is on the growth chart. What is important is that your baby’s growth is relatively consistent on a curve.

All babies lose weight initially after birth. This normal weight loss may help protect babies from obesity later in life. Two different studies revealed that babies who gained more than 100 g (3.5 oz) in the first week of life were significantly more likely to be overweight later in life. If you are only breastfeeding, your baby will start gaining weight by the second week. Unlike babies who are given formula, exclusively breastfed babies are less likely to gain too much weight in their first week of life.

On average, babies born by a cesarean birth lose more weight than babies born vaginally. Exclusively breastfed babies born by a vaginal birth have a median weight loss of 7.1%. Those born by a cesarean birth have a median weight loss of 8.6%. They also lose more weight for a longer period of time (more than 72 hours) than exclusively breastfed babies born vaginally (between 48 and 72 hours). This is perhaps because the medications used in labour (epidurals and narcotics) can remain in the baby’s system for up to a week. This can make your baby sleepy and nursing more difficult in the early days.

The Dangers Of Losing Weight While Breastfeeding — Registered Dietitian Columbia Sc

Several studies have found that the larger the volume of IV fluids a mother receives during labour, the more weight her baby loses in the first 24 hours. This is because the IV fluids pass to the baby’s body and increase the baby’s birth weight. In the first 24 hours after birth babies, whose mothers received IV fluids during labour, produce more wet diapers than babies, whose mothers do not receive IV fluids. The extra wet diapers result in an extra weight loss.

This weight loss is completely unrelated to how much colostrum the baby drinks in the first 24 hours. If you have received IV fluids during labour, it is recommended that you measure your baby’s weight 24 hours after birth. At this time, most of the excess water will have been peed out. This 24-hour weight can be used to measure your baby’s future weight loss more accurately than the inflated birth weight.

If you have gestational diabetes, your milk may come in a day or two later than expected. This can lead to greater weight loss in your baby in the first week. You can prepare for this possibility by expressing your colostrum during pregnancy. Bring it with you to the birth and feed it to your baby, if needed.

Newborn Breastfeeding Frequency

Most women with low-risk pregnancies can begin hand expression at 37 weeks. Consult your healthcare provider if you have any concerns. This colostrum can be stored in small syringes or small glass jars in your freezer. If your baby loses more weight than normal in the first couple of days, your stored colostrum can be given to your baby by cup or syringe after breastfeeding. The volumes of colostrum in the early days are too small to give with a bottle. See Prenatal Colostrum Expression for more information.

Weight loss of more than 10% is reason for concern. If this is the case, your baby should be examined by a doctor for signs of dehydration. Positioning, latching and breastfeeding management also need to be evaluated, ideally by an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Supplementation may be required if there is significant weight loss and/or if breastfeeding is not going well. Dehydration can lead to serious health problems.

In most situations, the reason for excessive weight loss is poor positioning and latching. This can result in your baby not getting enough milk. The second most common cause of excessive weight loss is a delay in milk production. This may be a result of poor latching or other factors. See

Will Pumping Help Me Lose Weight?

It is normal for babies to lose weight in the first few days of life. Babies will begin to gain weight after the milk increases (‘comes in’) between days 3 and 5. If your milk increases on day 3, your baby will begin to gain weight earlier than if your milk comes in on day 5. This is normal. As long as your baby has a good deep latch and is removing milk well with frequent feedings, your colostrum is all your baby needs until your more mature milk comes in.

Remember, that your baby’s lowest weight will be the day before your milk comes in. If your baby is not weighed on the day of her lowest weight, you may not see the initial weight gain that happens when your milk increases.

Once your milk supply increases, babies are expected to gain about 20-35 g/day (⅔ oz - 1 1/4 oz/day). Some exclusively breastfed babies will gain considerably more weight. This is in the range of normal.

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Many healthcare providers expect a baby to return to her birth weight by two weeks of age. However, it may take two weeks or more for your baby to regain her birthweight if:

When nursing is going well, most babies return to birth weight by 5 to 8 days of age. If you have had a difficult start to breastfeeding, your baby may not have gained well during that time. The important thing is to get the support you need to improve breastfeeding. Once your baby is gaining about 28 g/day (1 oz/day) you can rest assured that your baby’s weight is increasing normally.

On average, babies gain between 140 g - 245 g/week (5 oz to 8 ¾ oz/week) for the first three months of life. After three months, your baby’s weight gain will slow down. If your baby is on a lower curve on the WHO Growth Chart, your baby will gain at the low end of this range. If your baby is on a higher curve, your baby will gain at the high end of this range. See “Growth Charts” section above.

How To Lose Weight Safely While Breastfeeding

It is distressing to learn that your baby is not gaining well. You may have suspected this or it may come as a surprise. You may feel guilty or defeated. Contacting a La Leche League Leader for support can be helpful.

Some mothers wonder if their milk is of poor quality, particularly if their babies are not gaining well. This is very unlikely, particularly in Canada. See

If you are worried about your baby’s growth, consult your healthcare provider. You may also want to attend an meeting to talk with other parents about their babies growth patterns.

Women's Wellness: Breastfeeding And Weight Loss