Many new mothers are very concerned about the baby's weight gain, because in some traditional concepts, the baby's weight gain is the standard to measure whether a mother is competent or not. Breast-fed mothers are under greater pressure in this respect than mothers who feed milk powder. Breastfeeding doesn't have some "universal" rules like milk powder feeding. Every breastfeeding mother should establish a harmonious feeding/supply-demand relationship according to the uniqueness of her baby. Every mother and baby have their own special "melody", so when there is a problem, the root cause is not clear at a glance. However, once the baby's weight is not up to standard, people should first blame the mother for not feeding the child well. If you give up breastfeeding and switch to milk powder, your mother will feel like a failed mother.
Generally speaking, the standard to measure the baby's weight gain is the "growth table" provided in some books. These forms may be convenient for busy health care doctors, but they have many disadvantages. For example, they don't consider regional, genetic and racial differences at all. And the biggest drawback is that all the data are based on infants fed with milk powder. Because milk powder contains two to three times as much fat as breast milk, and because infants fed with milk powder generally add complementary food earlier, infants fed with pure milk powder are "slimmer" than infants fed with milk powder at the same growth rate. Babies fed with milk powder often worry about being overweight. Excessive fat intake will lead to a series of health problems in the future.
The "baby weight gain table" is based on the "average" of the weight gain of thousands of babies. This "average" is not equal to "normal" but "universal". According to the growth chart, the baby's weight has dropped to a certain percentage. Although most babies weigh around 50%, it doesn't mean that people with a height of 95% are "better" and those with a height of less than 5% are "bad". The baby's development should be comprehensively evaluated according to various observations; Instead of sticking to a form and unilaterally judging whether he is "unqualified". A baby who loves to laugh, is alert, has moist and bright skin, tight muscles and developed emotional intelligence is normal.
What is normal weight gain? First of all, in the first three or four days after birth, the newborn will lose some weight, which is about 5% to 8% of the birth weight, and will recover in two to three weeks. Therefore, the calculation of baby's weight gain should start from his lightest time. Newborns gain the fastest weight from birth to three or four months, about 1 13 to 227 grams per week, and reach twice the birth weight in five or six months. From the beginning of four months, the weight gain rate slowed down. Between four and six months, breast-fed babies gain about 85 to 142 grams per week; Between six and twelve months, 42 to 85 grams per week. At the age of one, the weight of breast-fed babies is generally 2.5 times the birth weight, the body length increases by 50%, and the head circumference increases by 33%.
However, some babies do have the problem of slow weight gain. The following two points can help us judge whether the baby belongs to this situation:
* The baby has not recovered to its birth weight within two or three weeks, or
* The baby's weight gain in the first four months is less than 450g per month.
Under the premise of excluding disease factors, it is necessary to carefully observe the baby's breastfeeding mode and other living habits to determine what causes the slow weight gain. Experts from the International Breastfeeding Association believe that the most common reasons for slow weight gain are improper breastfeeding methods and babies not taking enough milk. Among them, the common phenomena are:
* Feeding frequency is not frequent enough: some mothers are told that feeding once every three or four hours is enough; There are also some mothers who mistakenly think that babies should breastfeed on time and artificially set the time for their babies to breastfeed; However, very few babies are naturally quiet and sleepy, and they are not very active in breastfeeding. Newborns need to breastfeed 10 ~ 12 times every 24 hours on average. Some babies don't need to eat so often, while others need to breastfeed more often to grow up. If the baby breast-feeds less than 10 times a day and the weight gain is slow, the mother should take measures to increase the number of breast-feeding to increase the baby's intake of nutrients and increase milk secretion.
* Insufficient calorie intake: Although some mothers have enough milk, their babies can't get high-fat and high-calorie "post-milk" because they don't suck for a long time. Even if the urine volume is normal and well developed, they will gradually gain weight. Sometimes it is because the mother mistakenly thinks that the baby should artificially limit the sucking time of each breast; Sometimes it's because the baby fell asleep while nursing. In the former case, the mother should try to let the baby suck for a long time, and let the baby decide when to eat, and then change to the other side when it is empty. In the latter case, the mother can take some measures to wake up the baby to continue breastfeeding. For example, let the baby suck as much as he likes, and change to the other side when he is sleepy; You can also change diapers when the baby is about to fall asleep, which can wake up the child. Some babies need only one breast to be full, while others need two breasts to meet their growing needs.
* The breastfeeding posture is incorrect, and the baby's sucking efficiency is not high: every time breastfeeding, the baby's initial sucking stimulates the mother's milk to "come down". After the mother's milk "comes down", every sucking of the baby is accompanied by swallowing. After the initial hunger is satisfied, the baby's sucking will slow down. If the mother can't hear the baby swallowing, the baby may not hold the nipple correctly or suck it effectively. At this time, it is best to disconnect and let the baby hug again.
* Other additives interfere with the absorption of breast milk by infants: breastfed infants do not need to drink water or juice. Breast milk contains all the liquids and nutrients your baby needs for growth. Incorrect addition of water or fruit juice will only dilute the calories of breast milk and lead to slow weight gain. Adding milk powder will also reduce the baby's sucking on breast milk, resulting in a decrease in breast milk secretion. Because milk powder is not easy to digest, the baby reduces the amount of milk and the frequency of breastfeeding. Premature addition of low-calorie complementary food will also reduce the nutritional quality of baby intake.
* Other factors: restless babies, premature babies, etc. It is prone to breastfeeding weakness and even refusal to breastfeed; Whether the delivery process is smooth, whether it is caesarean section, etc. Sometimes it will affect the initial breastfeeding; The baby's health status, whether there is jaundice and hypoglycemia, and whether it is necessary to supplement vitamins; Mother's health and psychological state, whether she is sick, taking medicine, pregnant, using oral contraceptives, having a history of hormonal problems, smoking and drinking frequently, dieting to restore her body shape, whether she has had surgery on her breasts, and whether she is nervous and anxious (even if there is enough milk, nervous emotions will hinder the secretion of milk) will all affect breastfeeding.
Another thing to observe is the baby's urine and urine. During the first six weeks, newborns should wet at least 6 to 8 diapers and defecate 2 to 5 times or more every day. After two months, the frequency of urination and defecation will be reduced, but the amount will be maintained. If the baby's defecation is obviously rare, and there are symptoms of dehydration and illness such as dry and loose skin, dry hair, listlessness, and fontanel subsidence, you need to contact a doctor.
To solve the problem of slow weight gain, we need not only breast-feeding efforts, but also close skin contact between mother and baby. American parenting experts suggest hanging your baby on your mother's body for several hours every day, or even the whole day, and holding it in her arms. On the one hand, it can improve the baby's breastfeeding frequency, on the other hand, it can help the mother to better master and meet the baby's needs. The most important thing is to stimulate the growth hormone in the baby and promote the baby's growth. Practice has proved that this method has a "magic" effect on baby's weight gain.
Finally, I would like to emphasize Dr. Sears' point in the relevant chapter of the Baby Care Manual: "Let your baby set standards, not any growth table. If the baby's weight gain is sustained and reasonable, and he is healthy and satisfied, then he is quite good. "
Miriam stopa, a famous British author of parenting books, stressed before listing the weight gain table that "the most important criterion to measure the growth of babies is happiness and overall good development. When these are obvious, you don't need to worry about his measurement data. ... I believe that a well-developed child does not need to be measured. "