Ah, babies. They're cute. They're cuddly. And they grow like weeds! Parents love watching their little ones hit growth milestone after growth milestone. But when does a baby double its birth size? And why do parents constantly find themselves asking this question even though Google exists?!
The First Year of Life
First things first, let's talk about the basics here. During the first year of life, your baby will experience some pretty impressive growth spurts.
Birthweight
At birth, most full-term babies weigh somewhere between 6 and 9 pounds (or roughly 2-4 kilograms for those who don't speak pounds). Side note: In case you were wondering, that’s about the same as a large bottlenose dolphin or an average car tire.
One Month Old
By one month old, your bundle of joy should have regained any weight lost in the hospital and added a few extra ounces on top - likely hitting around 1 to 2 pounds heavier than at birth.
Three Months Old
At three months old is where things start getting interesting because it's around this time that healthy term infants typically begin doubling their birth weight^1. This means that if your child weighed eight pounds at birth (bless their giant head), they'll usually be tipping the scales at around sixteen pounds by three months old!
Think about that for a second - babies are essentially creating entire new human beings worth of mass out of thin air within just three short months! Scientists still can’t explain how tiny lungs manage to incorporate enough nitrogen into cells complex molecules so quickly... but enough science! Let’s get back to more important topics for now 😉
Six Months Old
Fast forward another three months and we've got ourselves another doubling point! By six months old most healthy-term infants will have doubled their birth weight; that eight-pound baby is now a whopping sixteen pounds heavier!
Nine Months Old
As your little one's first year of life starts winding down (where did the time go?!) they'll have likely experienced yet another doubling moment, bringing their weight to four times what it was at birth^1! So if your newborn weighed six pounds, by nine months old he or she should be tipping the scales at around 24 pounds!
And yes, I hear you - this means parents are essentially dragging around a two-year-old's worth of extra mass on them by the end of those magical first twelve months. Which may help explain why we’re all so darn tired…
Growth Patterns Beyond Year One
Okay okay so what happens after that incredible first year?
Good news - while growth rates certainly slow down over time, most children continue to grow well into adolescence.
Average Annual Increase in Height and Weight
In general, between the ages of one and five years old children gain about 4-6 (you guessed it) more pounds per year^2. And as for height? An average increase each year would be roughly 2 inches from age one through puberty according to some sources
A quick note here: There is significant variation among individual babies which often leads families straight back to Google telling us our seven month old has barely gained anything lately when really they’re just doing totally fine.
Factors Affecting Growth
It’s important to remember there isn’t any “one size fits all” answer when it comes to infant growth patterns as many factors come into play:
Nutrition
Adequate nutrition plays an enormous role in how successfully typical healthy-term infants grow^3 . If mom or dad themselves were low-birthweight babies or did not receive proper nutrients during infancy then their child is statistically more likely ( but still definitely not guaranteed)to experience suboptimal growth patterns themselves.
Genetics
While ‘baby looks just like Dad’ is certainly a common refrain heard during the early days of parenting, genetics can also dictate growth patterns as well. If mom or dad were particularly petite throughout their lives it's likely that their baby will be too , whilst babies born into;what researchers call built environments may experience consistently large gains across age period.
Illnesses
Normal weight and height gains can take a hit with an infant that is dealing with illness or chronic medical conditions such as obesity or endocrine disorders. Taking note of changes in your baby’s growth could indicate it’s time to check in with your pediatrician if you have any suspicions something isn’t quite right.
When To Worry
Keep in mind there are several situations that should lead to heightened concern:
Weight Loss
Sudden decreases In weightsuggest possible problems-whether related to diet, digestive concerns or illness-that need Attention especially when accompanied by ztiguejnespapritfivr
underlining simply means writers notes
Known for adding humor and puns to her writings,nanny writer hails from Cape Cod where she resides with her three rescue dogs. She loves all things nature-related but draws inspiration mostly from the ocean - yes folks, we've got ourselves our very own saltwater hippie here!