How do you feel about your baby’s size? Sometimes it can be hard not to compare your baby others and worry, especially if this is your first baby.
We all come in different sizes, shapes and with different personalities and appetites and babies do too.
Allow your baby to have their own rate of development and try not to worry. As long as they are reaching normal milestones for development and feeding well (with wet and dirty nappies) there is rarely cause for concern.
You can get your baby weighed with the Health Visitors once a month. There have to be some babies on the top or bottom of the scale, these measurements are still within what is considered normal.
For example 25% of healthy children will be under the 25 centile line – and this is normal for them.
If your baby drops a centile try not to worry. Sometimes a baby’s growth curve isn’t quite in line with the curve in the book, growth spurts don’t all happen for all babies at the same time. Trust your instincts about how your baby is developing.
BABY WEIGHT CHECKLIST
- Firstly, check the measurements are recorded correctly (human error can happen so ensure the right numbers are in the right bit!)
- Consider how your baby is in themselves (feeding, smiling, meeting developmental milestones, etc)
- Remember weights between the 0.4th and 99.6th centile lines are normal.
- Ask the Health Visitor for help if your baby has dropped 2 centile lines, is not feeding properly or seems unwell.
- If your baby is LOSING weight (except in first few days when up to 10% is normal) ask for your baby to be checked over.
- If weaned – consider whether food intolerance may play a part in weight gain / loss (can affect absorption). Consider energy balance of the foods.
- If breastfeeding, get your latch checked at a breastfeeding support group
- Our size at birth doesn’t always correlate to size once grown.
The main thing is to trust your instincts, if your baby seems unwell, or not themselves then check with a medical professional.

How to keep your child healthy in lockdown
It’s been challenging to stay healthy in lockdown, and we’re all find our way at the moment. As parents, how can we best support our children? Lockdown health challenges Overall increasing trend in the levels of obesity in children in the UK. A government report found: “In the last year of primary school, on average,

Eat the rainbow – How Bright Coloured Plants Improve Your Health
Eating a colourful rainbow of vegetables and fruits each day has wonderful health benefits. Read to the end for two activities for helping you meet your family’s targets. How does the recommendation to eat a rainbow help us? Plants contains chemicals known as phytonutrients which help them either ward off attackers, or attract bees and

Is Tuna Safe For My Weaning Baby To eat?
We’re told to avoid too much tuna when we’re pregnant due to high mercury levels. But can babies eat tuna? If you’re ok eating fish, it’s not a question of never eating tuna, but how much is ok to consume each week. Benefits of eating tuna fish Tuna is a high protein food, with around

Can My Baby Drink Tap Water?
Babies get their hydration from milk in the first six months, but we get a lot of questions about water as well. Here’s what you need to know about giving your baby water. When to introduce water to a weaning baby If your baby is exclusively breastfed they do not need any additional water. When

Is A Vegan Diet Healthy For Children?
Have you thought about bringing your children up on a vegan diet? Many people are considering cutting down their intake of animal products, or tried Veganuary at the start of the year to trial a different way of eating. Young people may be fired up about the environmental impact of meat production or children begin

Why You Should Cook Your Own Baby Food
I want to start by saying it’s totally fine to give your baby pouches of ready made food, especially if you’re going away for a weekend, or you’re tight on time, they can be a lifesaver! But for anyone who’s not a brilliant cook and is feeling stressed by preparing their child’s meals for the first