What is the recommended action if a mother expresses concern about her baby's weight gain?

When a mother expresses concern about her baby's weight gain, it is essential to assess lactation practices and infant health as the recommended action. This approach involves evaluating how well the infant is feeding, looking for any potential issues with latch or maternal milk supply, and ensuring that the baby is healthy overall. It allows for a comprehensive understanding of the situation before taking any further steps.

Assessing lactation practices helps identify if the baby is breastfeeding effectively, while monitoring infant health ensures there are no underlying medical conditions that might be affecting weight gain. Addressing these aspects can lead to a tailored solution that supports both the mother and the baby.

The other options involve actions that may not address the root cause of the weight gain concern. Increasing the frequency of feedings might not be necessary without understanding the current feeding practices and the baby’s health status. Switching to formula feeding immediately could overlook the potential for resolving the issues through support and education, and encouraging less frequent feedings would likely exacerbate the concern about weight gain. Therefore, assessing lactation practices and infant health provides the foundational information needed to make an informed decision on how to proceed.