Services To Support You & Your Family

Weighing Your Baby Naked

Step by step guide:

• Before placing your baby on the changing mat, please make sure there is clean blue/white roll on the mat and the scales
• Undress your baby. Press the start button making sure there is blue/white roll on the scale. Wait for 0.000 to appear on the display. The scale is then automatically set to zero and ready to use
• Place your baby on the tray, ensuring that they lie as still as possible. If your baby can sit unaided, you can sit them on the scales. If not, please lay your baby on their back on the scales and ensure your baby is not holding onto anything which may affect the weight
• Take a note of the weight. Take your baby off the scales and redress them. Turn to page 51 of your Red Book to record the date, your baby’s age and weight. Clean the mat and the scales with the antibacterial wipes or spray provided and put the rubbish in the bin.

Every library will have a poster on display to guide you through weighing your baby. You can also watch the video guide below.

If you do not wish to weigh your baby naked you can weigh them in a dry nappy or wrapped in a blanket. Babies feel more secure, comfortable and warm when wrapped in a blanket to be weighed. To find out how to do this accurately take a look at 'How to weigh your baby using a blanket'.

How Often To Weigh Your Baby

It is normal for a baby to lose some weight in the first few days after birth. Your baby should be weighed in the first week as part of their assessment of feeding – this is often completed as part of your midwife contact.

Most babies get back to their birth weight by 2 weeks of age. This is a sign that feeding is going well and that your baby is healthy.

If you baby's weight has increased or dropped crossing 2 centile lines (the blue or pink curved lines on the weight chart), please contact Just One Number and they can review your this with you.

Weighing your baby too often may cause unnecessary concern; the list below shows how often, as a maximum, babies should be weighed to monitor their growth. However, most children will not need to be weighed as often as this.

Knowing They Are Growing

After your baby has returned to their birth weight and is feeding well, they do not need to be weighed as often. This is usually by the time they are 2 weeks old, but your health visitor will advise you.

Unless there is a medical reason and you have been advised to have more regular growth checks it is not always a good idea. It can cause unnecessary worry as weighing a lot can make it seem like your baby’s weight is going up and down. Weighing less often means you see a clearer longer term picture.

Weighing less often doesn’t mean you can’t be confident that your baby is thriving. There are other ways to know that your baby is getting the nutrition they need. You can be reassured when:

• They wake up and ‘ask’ for a feed.
• They are having plenty of wet and dirty nappies.
• They have times when they are content and alert (awake and looking around).
• Their skin is a normal colour for them.
• You can ‘feel’ them getting heavier and friends and family comment on them getting bigger.
• They are growing out of nappy sizes and need bigger baby clothes!
• They are reaching milestones and interested in the world around them.

If you do feel worried that your baby is not gaining enough weight or might be gaining too much weight, you can call Just One Number to talk it through with a health professional.