Is my baby the right weight?

The first thing you'll ask once you know the sex of your baby is how much does she weigh?

"Mums are fixated with baby weight. The first thing most new parents ask after whether it’s a boy or a girl, is how much the baby weighs,” says Gail Johnson, education and professional development advisor with the Royal College of Midwives. And the questions and fretting about weight don’t stop there.

Who weighs my baby?

Your health visitor will plot your baby's weight gain for the first few weeks (then less regularly as he grows up) in his health record on a growth chart, also known as a centile chart. Vicki Scott, Philips Avent baby feeding and wellbeing adviser, says, "Especially with your first baby, keeping a chart gives you a confidence boost that you're doing things right. Making sure your baby is getting the right amount of food is important for brain development, future healthy growth and for settling the foundations for a healthy diet through her life. Plotting weight on a chart keeps a record for everyone's peace of mind, and means that if a baby is gaining too much or too little weight then extra support and advice can be given if necessary."

Expert Tip

When a baby’s had enough, generally he’ll stop sucking. He’ll seem contented, too. You might find he wants more after burping. Your health visitor will look at the numbers of wet and dry nappies and his sleep patterns to check he’s getting the food he needs.

Gail Johnson

How do growth charts work?

The charts plot babies' weight against height on lines called centiles. These are numbered points out of 100 - think percentages. If your child's on the 25th centile, that means in a group of 100 children, 24 would be lighter and 75 heavier.

The lines represent a zone within which your baby is expected to grow normally. If she's on the top line, or centile, it doesn't mean she's overweight. Equally, she's not underweight if she's on the lower line. Either way, she's still within what's considered the normal range.

How much weight should my baby gain?

In the early weeks an average-size baby should gain an average of six to eight ounces a week. And by six months should have doubled her weight. She'll also have spurts and slower periods of growth, so don't panic if you find she's put on more weight one week and less the next. "A baby's weight may dip after birth but from two weeks you ideally want her weight back to where she started from," says Gail. "There'll be blips - like when she's teething or moving on to solids." Your health visitor will advise you if she thinks you should move on in your feeding regime.