When is a baby weighed after you go home?

[FoxtrotSkarloey]

I've just realised DD wasn't weighed by the community midwife during the home visit on our first day home from hospital, but I don't know if she should have been?

The next visit is supposed to be day five but they've postponed it a day due to short staffing. She's bf, so I don't know how much she's taking in, but I think she's doing ok. We're getting wet and dirty nappies. I don't have specific cause for concern.

Just can't remember from DC1 when they get weighed to see how much they've lost since birth?

[Bluebelltulip]

Day 5 is fairly standard to weigh, some areas do day 3 as well but not all.

[SunbathingDragon]

Day 10 is the important day to make sure they haven’t lost more than 10% of their weight but DC4 was weighed pretty much every time a midwife or HV saw him for the first eight weeks.

[20viona]

Day 3 for us

[Coffeeandcrumpet]

Day 3 and day 5, the blood spots are taken on day 5 too. The day 3 weight is important to calculate how much weight baby has lost.

[DeepTreacle]

During Covid related cuts? Your guess is as good as mine. My baby was weighed at 4 days and never again

[FoxtrotSkarloey]

Thanks all - sounds like it doesn't matter if it wasn't done last visit.

I just seem to recall DC1 being weighed ALL the time, but memory likely to be hazy!

[BrokenLink]

Weighing breastfed babies before day 5/ 6 does not make any sense because the milk comes in only in day 3/4. Imagine how much all that meconium weighs that they pass in the first 3 days? No wonder they lose weight initially. The best sign your baby is getting plenty of milk is 6 really wet nappies in 24 hours.

[bananamonkey]

My lockdown baby was weighed on day 5 only as that’s the only time we’ve seen the MW F2F (actually was postponed to day 7 in the end) and at 8 week GP check. Have only had HV appointments by phone and all the usual self-weigh places are closed. I’ve done a couple of crude measurements at home.

[RowboatsinDisguise]

Should be done on day 5/6. We do expect babies to lose weight in that time but it’s important to know that they haven’t lost so much that it could become dangerous and to put a plan in place to help with weight gain if necessary. The best signs that your baby is getting what they need though, are wees and poos. At least as many wet nappies as they are days old until day 5/6 and poos should be at least two, £2 coin sized, changing from black through green/brown to yellow or orangeish by about day 5.