What to do if the newborn baby does not gain weight?

Many parents may have had this experience when taking care of their babies, that is, they find that the baby's weight has not increased much for a long period of time. In fact, there are many reasons for this phenomenon. The baby's lack of weight needs to be based on the actual situation. If the child does not gain weight at all, it is very likely that breast milk or milk powder is not nourishing. At this time, you can change the milk powder for the child or the mother can try to eat more nutritious food.

Why is the baby's weight gain slow?

1. Feeding is not frequent enough

Some mothers are told that it is enough to breastfeed once every three or four hours; some mothers mistakenly believe that babies should be fed on time and artificially set the baby's feeding time; and a very small number of babies are naturally quiet and sleepy, and are not very active in breastfeeding. Newborns should nurse an average of 10 to 12 times every 24 hours. Some babies don't need to feed so frequently, while others may need more frequent feedings to grow. If the baby feeds less than 10 times a day and gains weight slowly, the mother should take measures to increase the frequency of feedings to increase the baby's nutrient intake and increase milk secretion.

2. Insufficient calorie intake

Although some mothers have plenty of milk, their babies do not suckle long enough and do not get the high-fat, high-calorie hindmilk. Even if their urination volume is normal and their development is good, their weight gain will still be slow. Sometimes it is because the mother mistakenly believes that the baby should artificially limit the sucking time on each breast; sometimes it is because the baby falls asleep while feeding. In the former case, the mother should try to let the baby suck for a long time, let the baby decide when he has had enough, and then switch to the other side after finishing one side. For the latter situation, the mother can take some measures to wake the baby up and continue feeding.

3. Incorrect breastfeeding posture, low sucking efficiency

At each feeding, the baby's initial sucking stimulates the mother's milk to come out. After the mother's milk comes down, every sucking of the baby should be accompanied by swallowing. After the initial hunger is satisfied, the baby's sucking will slow down. If the mother cannot hear the baby swallowing, the baby may not be latching on to the nipple correctly or may not be sucking effectively. It is best to disconnect it at this time and let the baby hold it again.

4. Other additives interfere with the baby's absorption of breast milk

Breastfed babies do not need water or juice. Breast milk contains all the fluids and nutrients your growing baby needs. Incorrectly adding water or juice will only dilute the calories in breast milk and lead to slower weight gain. Adding milk powder will also reduce the baby's sucking of breast milk, causing a decrease in breast milk secretion. Because milk powder is not easy to digest, the baby's milk intake and frequency of breastfeeding are reduced. Adding low-calorie complementary foods too early will also reduce the quality of nutrition your baby consumes.

Breast milk is the best food for babies. Generally speaking, mothers in modern society have sufficient breast milk, which can be used to feed the baby well and provide the baby with adequate nutrition. There should be no problem with the baby's growth and development. However, incorrect breastfeeding methods will also affect the baby's growth. Mothers can use this article to determine where the problem lies in their breastfeeding efforts.