Weight Gain in NICU

mamathompson7 · May 2013

My daughter is not quite a preemie, she was born at 36 weeks 5 days, but had IUGR so she was only 3 lbs 10 oz.

She has been on IV TBN and lipids for 3 days and her feeds started at 12 hours old starting at 4 mL, then 24 hours later 8 mL, and has had 3 feedings at 13 mL.

The morning after she was born her weight went down at 3 lbs 9.5 oz, but was back up the half ounce the next day.

I know it has only been 3 days, but it has still stayed the same. When did your baby start gaining weight and how quickly did it come on?

Lovehavinggirls · May 2013

My dd was 3lbs 11 oz and born at 35 weeks. She left the nice after 8 days at 3lbs 12 oz.

MinaE01 · May 2013

DS was born at 32w3d due to PTL and was 4 lbs. 6 oz. He lost weight for 5 straight days and got all the way down to 4 lbs. before he started to gain again. NICU nurses assured me the weight loss was perfectly normal.

Mrs. Alice · May 2013

BostonKisses2:
My daughter was IUGR, and she lost a little more than 10% of her weight after birth. Her weight gain has always been slow, and it wasn't until the beginning of this year that she was finally hitting the charts above 3% for weight. It varies a lot by baby, and some take off while in the NICU, others are a little slower. Weight gain can be a frustrating thing, but try not to worry too much since it's only been 3 days. Once LO starts taking larger volumes, you may see the weight add up faster.

Exactly. I honestly do not remember as that was all kind of a haze at the time. But I would guess that it took at least a week for them to regain the lost weight (which is completely normal and expected) and start gaining. Once they were getting full NG tube feeds the weight started coming on faster. It took a while to get up to full feeds since they start very slowly due to gestational age. I would think since your DD is nearly term, they can increase her faster. They were on 26 cal BM with HMF (human milk fortifier). They both came home weighing over 5 lbs at 38w4d gestational age.

jcsntms06 · May 2013

It wasn't until my DD was almost 7 days old did she learn how to eat and start to gain weight. I give her some time. Praying for you and your LO.

jbranden12 · May 2013

Once Anna got up to full feeds, I believe they wanted to see an average of an ounce a day at least. But she would go up and down so they looked at it week by week, not day by day.

PhillyGal34 · May 2013

I have no experience with IUGR but one thing the nurses told us in the NICU was to remember that the baby has to expend more energy on the outside doing the things it needs to do to live (heat, breathe, digest, etc) that burn calories than they would have otherwise so it may take some time to become efficient at that. We lost weight for a few days and then started to gain so the fact that you've reached birth weight already is fabulous!!!

zoeyandsummersmom · May 2013

My DD, didn't have IUGR, but she did have/has issues with eating. A lot of late term premies do. As much as you want your LO home, don't rush it. Normal infant car seats are made to support babies starting at 4lbs, you want her to be at least this amount to take her home safely and without the use of a carbed or any special equipment.

My DD was on TPN for a few days and then eventually we started oral feeding and supplemented with a NG (nasal-gastric tube) to supplement. She'll get there. My daughter was 4lbs 14oz at birth and 33 days later she came home at 5lbs 13oz.

Truth be told, she probably should have stayed in the NICU a bit longer or come home when her feeding had stabilized.

brachysira · May 2013

We were in the NICU 10 days and she never returned to her birthweight or really gained. She took a few bottles pretty well and I think they needed the space, so the doctors sent her home even though the nurses thought she wasn't ready. But once home, she felt a lot better I guess, because she ate very well and gained like crazy.

alphaphi98 · May 2013

My DD was born at 32 weeks due to unkown PTL and only weighed 3 lbs 9 oz. She spent 3 weeks in the NICU and had not problems; basically a grower & feeder. She didn't lose much weight. She gained weight steadily and drs were happy with her growth. I'd say she gained almost 1 ounce a day. After three weeks, she left the NICU weighing 4 lbs 11 oz. She is now 8 months old and weighs 15 lbs 1 oz. Good luck to you!

thishappyhouse · May 2013

Is she on any respiratory support? Some babies need quite a while to get back to their birthweight and start gaining weight. It took over 3 weeks for my DD. She was a micropreemie so this was somewhat expected given the stress and work of the ventilator. TPN definitely contributed to the slow start to weight gain. She was on TPN for over 2 weeks.

vsalt31 · May 2013

DS didn't start gaining weight until maybe day 4 or 5? He was in the NiCU for 44 days left weighing almost 7lbs. He was born at 31 w weighing 3lb 11oz
Good luck!

DrRx · May 2013

My daughter was a micropreemie, and although she did lose weight when she was first born, she did regain it back after about a week. She was born at 1 pound 12 ounces, but she was only on TPN for a couple of days. I'm sure htat once your LO starts taking all their feeds through the NG tube she will gain weight more quickly.

GL!

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