Is it normal for my newborn to lose weight after birth?

Your baby will lose weight in the first few days after he’s born, as he now adjusts to life outside the mother’s womb. 

In their first week babies usually lose anywhere between five per cent to 10 percent of their birth weight in their first week.

This weight loss is normal and not a concern unless a baby loses more than 10 percent of his birth weight.

This weight loss happens because babies are born with extra fluid that gets eliminated after birth.

Remember that newborns don’t need a lot of food during their first few days of life (when mom’s breastmilk is still developing), so don’t worry if it takes that time to see this lost weight come back. On average, babies carried to full-term weigh between 6 and 9 pounds.

Babies are born with extra fluid in their bodies, and this weight loss directly results from fluid loss. 

Babies have tiny tummies and cannot initially absorb sufficient amounts of milk to compensate for this fluid loss. However, they make up for this loss as they grow by consuming ample milk.

Your newborn losing weight may seem like a big problem, when in actuality it’s quite common almost normal.