It is very usual for babies to undergo growth spurts in the first year of their lives. Such a phase also becomes more prominent during early years of teenage. But, it is more noticeable among infants, who undertake very distinct behavioral changes.
Novice moms must know when their newborn would have his growth spurt and resulting responses.
When Do Babies Have Growth Spurts?
Babies encounter many phases of growth spurts during the first year of their life. The duration of such spurts can range from seven to ten days. Further, there are certain months, during which a growth spurt becomes prominent. Usually, moms can witness the signs in their babies, around 2-3 weeks, three months, six months, nine months and twelve months.
Impact on Baby
Growth spurts are very healthy for a baby’s development. They increase the weight, height, and size of a baby. The more active phases during the first week can even result in nine mm increase in the body size during one day. Moms, who are keen on keeping track of how their baby is growing can visit doctors to take the approximate measurements of baby’s physique. Such a record also gives an idea of the baby’s health and his response to the growth spurts.
Nourishment Needs of Infants during Growth Spurts
Moms notice that babies become hungrier during growth spurts. Very often they need to feed every hour. They also feel hungry after the long stretches of sleep. Moms, who breastfeed their babies, might become delusional about the supply of milk to meet the needs of their babies. Well, there is no need to be worried, as it is natural for the body to keep pace with the demand and produce more milk according to baby’s needs. Moms who breastfeed their babies shouldn’t try formula milk, during growth spurts, unless highly necessary.
Sleep Patterns of Babies
A significant behavioral change that babies can undergo during these phases is related to their sleep patterns. In such cases, they tend to go to extremes. Either they undertake long stretches of sleep, or they stay awake for all the nights. Moms should make sure that they don’t confuse these changes with those that babies face during the sleep regressions. The motive behind the irregular pattern of sleep is different during the growth spurts.
Dealing with Babies during a Growth Spurt
Apart from disturbed sleep cycles and increased need for nourishment, babies also become a fuss for moms. They become difficult to deal, particularly for their inability to sleep. Well, moms can even try different methods like 10 dummy trick. In this way, it becomes easy for babies to sleep earlier. Further, mothers must also learn to cope with the situation as it doesn’t last long. As mentioned more previously at maximum, a growth spurt takes place for 10 days only. If it exceeds the reasonable period, then moms should consult the doctors to know if the motive of anomalous behavior is not something else. But in typical cases, the duration doesn’t increase beyond a limited period.
