Babies born prematurely or with any pathologies grow more slowly and gain weight. To help the child gain weight, the mother must find out the reasons for the underweight.
It is not necessary that only premature babies lose weight. Sometimes slow weight gain in babies is not associated with health, but with improper feeding.
What to look for first
Newborns are fed on demand, not on schedule. Only half a year can we talk about any regime. Otherwise, lactation may decrease and the baby will begin to lose weight.
If the baby is born weakened, his ability to suck is reduced. Mom needs to make sure that he does not just sleep with a nipple in his mouth, but that he sucks on the breast. Otherwise, he will be constantly malnourished.
In addition, weakened children are fed longer than healthy children. Premature babies need more time to reach the high-calorie hindmilk.
It is also worth checking if the baby is latching on correctly. Some mothers cannot understand for a long time why the baby cries and clings to the breast. And only by learning how to apply it correctly, they can solve the feeding problem.
Frequent urination is an indicator of infant satiety. If the baby pees 10-15 times a day, then everything is fine. In addition, you need to pay attention to the color of the urine - if it is transparent and odorless, then the child is healthy. But if urination has decreased, and the urine itself has acquired a dark shade and a pungent odor, you should consult a doctor.
How to help your child gain weight
If the underweight is associated with any disease, you must follow all the doctor's recommendations. But if the child is healthy, but still not gaining weight, the mother needs to seriously take up his regimen.
Firstly, until 6 months, do not give the baby anything except the breast. Bottle feeding can cause your baby to forget how to breastfeed. For the same reason, you should not give him pacifiers. If you need to drink breast milk for your baby, you need to do it with a teaspoon.
Secondly, to help a child gain weight after six months, you need to wait with the introduction of solid foods into his diet. It is less high in calories than breast milk, and is less absorbed by the child's body.
In addition, in order to establish weight gain in the baby, the mother should contact him as often as possible. This means sleeping with the child, carrying it in your arms during the day, regularly giving the baby a massage, singing lullabies to him, talking to him. According to experts, all these activities help to improve lactation and help to establish feeding.
But most of all attention should be paid to the feeding itself. This means not taking the breast away from the baby until he releases it himself. Not changing breasts too often - this prevents the baby from reaching the fatty hind milk. It is also necessary to offer the baby a second breast, and if he refuses, then he is really full.
