Why the Weight Can Wait

There is no medical reason that weighing a newborn needs to be one of the first things to happen after birth. In fact, there are good reasons to delay the process.

An undisturbed first hour is important for establishing breastfeeding and should only be interrupted for urgent medical care of mother or child. That hour should be considered a minimum period of time and parents should be supported to continue as long as they wish. Where the mother is unable to safely hold her child, her partner should be the only other person to do so for as long as possible, ideally skin-to-skin. All tests and assessments can be done while in this position.

The weight at the moment of birth is variable depending on fluid levels. Where mothers have had IV fluids during labour or surgery, the infant can have an artificially high weight at birth. This leads to higher urine volume in the first 24 hours as they naturally regulate fluid levels. These babies will lose more weight than typical, leading to concerns about the effectiveness of exclusive breastfeeding.

Delaying first weighing until 24 - 72 hours after birth has been shown to give a more accurate baseline, resulting in less intervention with formula supplementation and better breastfeeding outcomes.

Parents have the right to request weighing be delayed.

https://internationalbreastfeedingjournal.biomedcentral.com/