👶 Parenting Guide · Practical How-To
How to Weigh Your Baby at Home
Can't get to the clinic? You can weigh your baby at home with ordinary bathroom or kitchen scales, if you use the right technique. Here is the method NHS trusts recommend, plus accuracy tips and when to leave it to the professionals.
When Home Weighing Makes Sense (and When It Doesn't)
Home weighing is useful for a general check between appointments, for example if you are curious how your baby is doing or your health visitor asked you to keep an eye on things. It is not a substitute for professional weighing, because clinic scales are calibrated, more precise, and the result is plotted on your baby's growth chart by someone trained to read it.
Skip home weighing and contact your health visitor or GP directly if your baby is feeding poorly, seems unusually sleepy or irritable, has persistent vomiting or diarrhoea, or you have any real worry about their growth. In those situations you want a professional measurement, not a home estimate.
Safety first: never leave your baby unattended on scales or a raised surface, even for a second. Keep one hand near your baby at all times, and stop if they are wriggling too much to weigh safely.
Method 1: Bathroom Scales (Weigh, Hold, Subtract)
This is the method recommended in NHS trust guidance for weighing children at home. All you need is a digital bathroom scale, a pen, and paper. It helps to have another adult present.
- Place the scales on a hard, flat floor (not carpet) and switch them on until they read zero.
- Take off your shoes, stand on the scales alone, and write down the number (Weight 1).
- Step off, pick up your baby, stand on the scales together, and write down the number (Weight 2).
- Subtract Weight 1 from Weight 2. That is your baby's estimated weight.
- Repeat the whole process two more times and average the three results.
Example: you weigh 65.2 kg alone and 69.1 kg holding your baby. The difference is 3.9 kg, which is about 8 lb 10 oz. Record it in your red book with the date. For more on what the numbers mean, see our baby weight chart in stone.
Method 2: Kitchen Scales for Newborns
For small babies, kitchen scales are more precise than bathroom scales, which can be out by a few hundred grams. A newborn typically gains around 150 to 200 grams a week, so precision matters.
- Place the kitchen scale on a flat, stable surface at floor level.
- Put a large bowl with a soft towel in it on the scale.
- Press tare (zero) so the scale reads 0 with the bowl and towel on it.
- Undress your baby (nappy off or dry nappy only), place them in the bowl, and keep a hand close by.
- Wait for the reading to settle and write it down.
Dedicated baby scales work the same way with a built-in tray and a hold function that freezes the reading while you lift your baby off. They are affordable and more accurate than bathroom scales, but not essential if you already own kitchen scales.
Accuracy Tips That Make a Real Difference
- Same scales, same spot, same time of day: consistency matters more than the exact device. Babies weigh slightly more after a feed, so pick a routine and stick to it.
- Minimal clothing: weigh naked or in a dry nappy. A wet nappy or sleepsuit can add a deceptive few ounces.
- Hard floor only: carpet can throw digital scales off by a lot.
- Check the batteries: low batteries are a common cause of drifting readings.
- Don't chase tiny changes: a difference of an ounce or two between days is usually feed timing, not real change. Trends over weeks are what count.
Resist daily weighing. It is normal for babies to lose some weight in the first few days after birth and regain it by around two to three weeks. After that, NHS guidance caps weighing at once a month (to 6 months), every two months (6 to 12 months), and every three months (over 1 year). More frequent checks mostly generate worry, not information.
Recording Weight in the Red Book
Write the date, your baby's age, and the weight in your red book each time you weigh at home, and bring it to health visitor appointments. If your health visitor plots your home readings on the centile chart, they can see whether your baby is following their line. A home reading that conflicts sharply with a clinic reading is worth mentioning rather than re-weighing repeatedly to "fix" it.
Remember that one measurement never tells the story. Health visitors look at the pattern across months, alongside feeding, development, and how your baby seems in themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I weigh my baby on normal bathroom scales?
Yes, using the two-step method: weigh yourself alone, then weigh yourself holding your baby, and subtract the first number from the second. Repeat three times and take an average. It is not as precise as clinic scales, but it is good enough for a general check between appointments.
How accurate are home scales for weighing a baby?
Bathroom scales can be out by a few hundred grams, which matters when a newborn gains only around 150 to 200 grams a week. Kitchen scales (for small babies, with a towel in a bowl, tared to zero) are more precise. Whatever you use, stick to the same scales each time so you are comparing like with like.
How often should I weigh my baby at home?
No more than once a month up to 6 months of age, once every two months from 6 to 12 months, and no more than once every three months after age 1, unless your health visitor or GP asks for more frequent checks. Daily weighing is not recommended and can cause unnecessary anxiety.
Should I weigh my baby with clothes on or off?
Naked is best, or in a dry nappy at most. Clothes, wet nappies, and blankets all add weight and make trends harder to read. If you do weigh with a nappy on, be consistent about it every time.
When should I not rely on home weighing?
See your health visitor or GP promptly instead of weighing at home if your baby is not feeding well, seems unusually sleepy or irritable, has ongoing vomiting or diarrhoea, or is not gaining weight over several weeks. Home scales are a supplement to professional checks, not a replacement.