What a joy to watch your child grow and learn new things every day. But do you ever ask yourself if your baby is growing at a standard rate, and ever question if his weight is what it should be. I don’t know of a new dad or mom that hasn’t asked these same questions. Below you can find some info about baby’s development that ought to help take away some of the mystery.

Were you aware that a baby will sometimes lose 10% of his body weight in the first week after his birth? They gain it back, so do not be worried. Following the first week babies can average a weight gain of 4 to 7 ounces per week for a few weeks. Then they begin gaining 1 to 2 pounds monthly. Infants may double their weight by their four-month check-up and triple their weight by their first birthday.

A baby’s weight and growth is assessed by what percentile he is in. Many parents get all caught up in these statistics. But they are only a guideline. Each and every baby grows differently and genetic makeup additionally play a part where your baby will fall in the percentiles. Your doctor sees a lot of the newborn the first year and he will let you know if there is anything to worry about.

Bottom line is not to get so swept up in where the baby is compared to other babies. As long as he's trending up and receiving enough nutrition, then all is good. Listen to your doctor, he will let you know when things seem good and when to be alarmed.

Discovering a pediatrician is a leading priority for the first time parent. The first year of your baby’s life could see you going to the doctor nine times, because of this you should be able to communicate well this person. There must also be a level of trust. You need to trust that what he is telling you is the best for you and the baby. So make sure you do your homework when searching for a pediatrician.

Interview your likely pediatrician, call his office and schedule a meeting. You ought to have questions written down and ready to go for the interview. The list needs to be short, you are not there to grill the doctor on every in potential issue baby may or may not have. But you are there to find out if you are like-minded. You ought to be able to understand and get along with this person for quite some time to come. Additionally, you will want to keep the interview brief. Among the best steps you can take is to monitor the office and waiting room. You can learn a lot from just observing other fathers and mothers interact with the doctor's staff