Do babies feed more when they have a growth spurt

Baby growth spurts - BabyCentre UK

What happens during a growth spurt?
When do growth spurts happen, and how long do they last?
Are growth spurts the same as feeding spurts?
Apart from feeding more, what are the other signs of a growth spurt?
What should I do during a growth spurt?
Is it a growth spurt, or is something wrong?
Visit our community

What happens during a growth spurt?

During a growth spurt your baby will put on weight, length and head circumference more quickly than usual. She may also hit a developmental milestone, or master a skill she’s been working on for a while.

Many mums find that the most noticeable sign of a growth spurt is their baby feeding more, so look out for times when your little one seems particularly hungry (ABM 2010, Gartner et al 2005, LLLI 2006, PSBC 2013, Wagner 2012).

If your baby is breastfed, feeds may take longer than usual. If she’s formula-fed, she may seem as if she’s still hungry at the end of a feed.

Some babies sail through growth spurts without showing any obvious signs. You may take your baby to be weighed and see that her weight’s jumped to a higher percentile, or notice that her new onesie is suddenly tight at the toes!

When your baby’s having a growth spurt, she may need more or less sleep than usual (Lampl and Johnson 2011). There's some research to show that babies going through growth spurts become clingy, fussy and unsettled (van de Rijt and Plooij 2010), and this can disrupt naptimes and night-times.

When do growth spurts happen, and how long do they last?

Growth spurts can happen at any time. In young babies, they usually last for one day or two days (Hermanussen 1998). In older babies, they can last up to a week (Wagner 2012).

Some experts believe that growth spurts are more likely at certain points in your baby’s first year. These are:

at two weeks (Block 2013)
at three weeks (IHS nd, LLLI 2006)
at six weeks (Block 2013, IHS nd, LLLI 2006)
at three months (Block 2013, IHS nd, LLLI 2006)
at six months (IHS nd, LLLI 2006)

Each baby’s growth pattern is different, so try not to worry if your baby doesn’t seem to be having growth spurts at these times. She may have more spurts than this, or fewer, and you might not even notice any particular spurts at all. It's all normal.

Is my baby growing well?

Is your baby feeding enough? Take a look at our video to learn the signs your baby is growing at a healthy rate.More baby videos

Are growth spurts the same as feeding spurts?

No, but they are related. Feeding spurts are times when your baby seems hungrier than usual. They may or may not be linked to a growth spurt.

During a feeding spurt, your baby may feed for longer. If she’s breastfed, she may be fussy at the breast, and if she’s formula-fed, she may seem hungry after feeds (LLLI 2006, Wagner 2012).

You may also hear or read about “frequency days”, which are days when breastfed babies feed more often, up to 18 times in 24 hours (Block 2013).

Surprisingly, there isn’t a lot of research linking feeding spurts to increased growth. But it makes sense that when your baby’s taking in more calories, she’ll grow more quickly (NCT nd, Piwoz et al 2012).

Because of this, some people use the terms “growth spurt” and “feeding spurt” to mean the same thing (LLLI 2006).

Apart from feeding more, what are the other signs of a growth spurt?

Sleep

Just before and during a growth spurt, your baby may seem sleepier than usual. Waking up less at night, having a lie-in, or taking more naps may be signs that she’s channelling her energy into growing. One small study suggested that during a growth spurt, babies may sleep up to four and half hours more than usual over one or two days (Lampl and Johnson 2011).

It’s not clear exactly why this happens, but a protein called human growth hormone (HGH) is produced in the brain during sleep. HGH is crucial for growth, so sleep may provide the fuel that your baby needs to grow (Lampl and Johnson 2011).

Some babies seem to need less sleep during growth spurts, so you may also notice your baby waking up more frequently at night, or taking shorter naps.

You may find these changes in your baby’s routine tiring or confusing. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, remind yourself that a growth spurt only lasts for a few days. Before too long, your baby’s routine will be back to normal.

Behaviour

During a growth spurt, your baby may be more restless and clingy than usual.

You may find that she wants to be held all the time, and cries when you try to put her down. Or you may notice that she’s unsettled and weepy at times when she’s usually laid-back and calm.

It’s not known exactly what causes these changes in behaviour. They may be down to your baby feeling tired or overwhelmed as she devotes her energy to feeding and growing.

There's also a theory that behavioural changes may be a sign that a developmental leap is coming (van de Rijt and Plooij 2010). This may happen alongside a growth spurt, or at a different time. So if your baby seems fussy or cranky, she may be getting ready to unveil a new skill, such as rolling over or crawling!

What should I do during a growth spurt?

Respond to your baby’s cues and try to give her what she needs, whether it’s extra feeds, a morning nap, or quiet time and cuddles.

Breastfed babies can seem as if they’re not getting enough milk during a growth spurt. Don’t worry, your breasts will produce plenty of milk for your baby’s needs.

However, if she is hungrier than usual, it may take a day or two for your body to catch up, so a growth spurt can feel a little overwhelming at first (LLLI 2006, NHS Choices 2014).

Help your milk production along by letting your baby feed as often and for as long as she wants, which is easier said than done (LLLI 2006, NHS Choices 2014)! Take care of yourself by eating regular meals, drinking lots of fluids, and letting family and friends help out with chores.

If your baby is formula-fed, she may seem hungry after a feed. It’s fine to give her an extra bottle if she wants one. There’s usually no need to switch to “hungry” milk (BHNT nd), but if you’re considering it, talk to your health visitor first.

Is it a growth spurt, or is something wrong?

Growth spurts can make babies sleepy and out-of-sorts, but they don’t cause fevers, extreme irritability, or listlessness. These can be signs that your baby is unwell. Contact your GP if your baby shows any of these symptoms.

If you breastfeed and you’re worried that your baby is not getting enough milk, ask your doctor or health visitor for advice and extra support.

Growth spurts aren’t the only explanation for a cranky, hungry baby. Holidays, teething, changes in routine and minor illnesses can also affect your baby’s feeding, sleep and behaviour.

If your baby’s routine has changed and she's feeling unsettled, she may find feeding comforting. So if she seems more hungry than usual, she may just want the reassurance of contact with you (Gartner et al 2005, NCT nd, NICE 2011).

If your baby’s behaviour, feeding, or sleeping habits change suddenly and you‘re concerned, ask your GP or health visitor for advice.

Visit our community

Being a parent is hard work! Share the highs and the lows with others who know what you're going through in .

References

ABM. 2010. Breastfeeding twins. Association of Breastfeeding Mothers. Bridgwater, UK

BHNT. nd. Formula feeding: 6 weeks to a year. Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, UK

Block SL. 2013. Delayed Introduction of Solid Foods to Infants: Not so Fast! Pediatric Annals 42(4):143-147

Gartner LM, Morton J, Lawrence RA. et al. 2005. Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatrics 115(2),496-506

Hermanussen M. 1998. The analysis of short-term growth. Review. Horm Res 49:53-64

IHS. nd. Breastfeeding - growth and development. Provider information. Indian Health Service

Lampl M, Johnson ML. 2011. Infant growth in length follows prolonged sleep and increased naps. SLEEP 34(5):641-650

LLLI. 2006. Why does my baby suddenly want to nurse constantly? La Leche League International

NCT. nd. Breastfeeding: my baby's feeding pattern has changed. National Childbirth Trust. www.nct.org.uk [Accessed December 2014]

NHS Choices. 2014. Breastfeeding: the first few days. NHS Choices, Health A-Z. www.nhs.uk [Accessed December 2014]

NICE. 2011. Breastfeeding problems. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Clinical Knowledge Summaries. cks.nice.org.uk [Accessed December 2014]

Perinatal Services BC. 2013. Newborn Guideline 13. Newborn Nursing Care Pathway. Vancouver, Canada

Piwoz E, Sundberg S, Rooke J. 2012. Promoting healthy growth: what are the priorities for research and action? American Society for Nutrition. Adv Nutr 3:234-241

van de Rijt H, Plooij F, 2010. The Wonder Weeks. Kiddy World Promotions BV. Arnheim, the Netherlands

Wagner CL. 2012. Counseling the Breastfeeding Mother. Medscape Reference

Show references Hide references

All About Baby Growth Spurts

Your newborn baby will grow rapidly in the first couple of months, and sometimes you'll suspect that your baby has grown overnight! Read on to learn all about baby growth spurts: what they are, what signs to look out for, and how to deal with them.

What Are Growth Spurts?

A growth spurt refers to a period of intense, rapid growth in a short period of time. You may notice that your infant or toddler seems to have grown overnight when this happens. Length (height) and weight are the two most obvious measures of growth in a baby. During the first year, babies on average add about 10 inches (25 centimeters) in length and triple their birth weight. Babies' heads also grow a lot, especially during the first four months. It's likely that your baby will grow at a fairly steady rate, but it’s also possible your infant will have what are called growth spurts.

related baby tool

Keep an eye on your baby’s average growth by tracking height, weight, and head circumference with our simple tool.

Fill out your baby's details*:

What is your child*

Boy Girl

This is a mandatory field.

Age (between 0 and 24 months)

This is a mandatory field.

Weight (lbs.)

This is a mandatory field.

Height (in.)

This is a mandatory field.

Head circumference (in.)

This is a mandatory field.

*Input details of your baby’s last measurements. **Source: World Health Organization

When Do Babies Have Growth Spurts?

Most babies lose around one-tenth of their birth weight in the first five days after birth; then, they tend to regain it in the next five days. After your newborn has returned to her birth weight, you may observe that she grows rapidly and goes through another growth spurt between 3 to 6 weeks. However, different babies may have growth spurts at different times. Check with your baby's healthcare provider if you have any questions or concerns about your little one's growth or development. Growth spurts in toddlers are less common. After age 1, growth tends to slow down, and by age 2, children start to grow at a more steady rate until just before puberty. A major growth spurt is common between the ages of 8 and 13 for girls, and between 10 and 15 for boys. You may want to track your baby’s growth spurts in our Baby Growth Chart Calculator to see how quickly your little one is growing.

What Are the Signs of Baby Growth Spurts?

You may be wondering if there are any signs of a growth spurt to look out for. Here are a few things you may observe just before your little one shoots up a size:

Your baby is hungry more often. Around the time your baby goes through a growth spurt, you may notice he’s hungrier than usual. Your baby may show signs of increased hunger by crying a lot, appearing restless, or sticking out his tongue or sucking on his hands and lips.
Your baby may show more fussiness. Your baby may appear cranky or even cry a lot just before a growth spurt. However, symptoms of fussiness or crankiness can occur because of other conditions, such as colic, especially if the crying happens around the same time of day every day.

How to Deal With Infant Growth Spurts

If you notice your baby is showing the above signs and it looks like she’s about to have a growth spurt, there are a few things you can do to help:

Feed your baby more if she seems hungry. Make sure your baby gets the nourishment she needs for her upcoming growth spurt and her overall development. If she’s breastfed, you can nurse her more often, as this will help stimulate more milk production. If she’s formula-fed, you can give her a little more at each feeding or you can feed her more often.
Help your baby sleep. Create a good sleeping environment by keeping the lights low and try to create a routine before bedtime, which can help your little one sleep better. If your baby likes to nap more during the day, like three or four hours, and you’re worried she won’t get enough sleep at night, you can wake her up and play with her.
Help soothe your fussy or cranky baby. If you’ve ruled out other causes for your baby being fussy or cranky, then try to soothe your baby by rocking or cuddling her, or even talking to her or doing things that you find calm her.

The Bottom Line

All parents expect to see their baby grow and develop, but don’t be surprised if your little one seems to have grown overnight when she goes through a growth spurt! You may spot some of the signs a baby’s growth spurt is coming before it happens, like being hungrier or being a little fussier than normal. Or, you’ll simply notice your baby has gone up a size all of a sudden without showing any of the baby growth spurt symptoms. Growth spurts are normal and natural in the first few months of a baby's life. They’re nothing to worry about, but if you do notice your little one is hungrier than normal or even a little cranky, then it’s possible you’ll wake up to a bigger baby.

Growth spurts in children: what is important to know

02/06/2020

Growing up a child

In the first 1.5 years of life, children experience rapid growth and rapid development: physical, mental and emotional. This process takes place in waves and is characterized by the emergence of new skills in the child.

Each new skill overlaps the previous skill. For example, the baby learns to roll over first, then crawl and sit, pull up and stand at the support, and finally walk. A growth spurt is also a leap in the development of the nervous system and brain. Rapid changes, the emergence of new abilities sometimes scare the child. During such periods, he needs special attention and help from his parents.

It is possible to distinguish the same patterns and the order of their development in all children, despite the fact that each child is unique. In total, there are 10 periods of growth spurts in children under 2 years of age: 8 of them occur before 12 months, the last 2 - before 18 months.

Growth spurts

Signs

Sometimes a growth crisis goes unnoticed, but sometimes it lasts longer and quite clearly.

What signs will help you identify a growth spurt:

1. Changes in nutrition

It is more difficult to feed the baby, sometimes it is not clear to the mother whether he is really hungry - the baby may refuse breast and bottle, but show signs of hunger. The child wants to eat more often, but eats less during feeding. This behavior is typical when he tries to calm down at the expense of food.

2. Behavior

The child becomes more restless and capricious. You will see that he does not want to leave your arms and cries when you try to put him in the crib. Or you may notice that the baby is crying and not calming down when he is usually calm and relaxed. This behavior is associated with the accumulation of overwork, since the baby spends a lot of energy during growth crises. Also, if the baby is irritated or naughty, he may be on the way to mastering a new skill.

3. Sleep

Before and during the growth spurt, children are more sleepy. Night awakenings become more frequent, and daytime sleeps become shorter. If you had a regimen before, it may deteriorate. It will seem to you that it is no longer suitable for the child and you need to change the schedule of sleep and wakefulness. But by the end of the growth spurt, you will notice that the old regimen has returned to normal.

Please note that growth spurts are sometimes confused with other problems. So, the baby is sleepy and moody due to the fact that he gets sick. And hunger is a sign of a mother's lack of milk.

4. The child learns one of the skills:

learns new sensations and gets to know his body
starts to roll over
masters the position on all fours and begins to crawl
learns to sit down and stand up from a sitting position
tries to stand holding on to a support and take his first steps
starts walking
is actively learning speech

5. Changing the size of the legs and arms

After the growth spurt, you will notice how your toddler has grown.

Calendar of developmental leaps

The first leap begins at the end of the first month of a baby's life, the peak falls on the 5th week. The baby begins to study the phenomena that occur around him. The sense organs develop, and the child perceives the world much more clearly than before.

The second growth crisis is a continuation of the first. His surge falls on the 8th week. The kid opens the world of patterns. He understands, for example, that he has two arms and two legs. And spends hours practicing the new skill of controlling their particular position. He is fascinated by the shadows from the falling light. You may notice how the child listens to himself by making various sounds. He also begins to show joy with his first smile.

The third growth spurt appears at 3 months. If before this the baby's movements were clumsy, now he has much better control over his body. There is also a further development of the senses. Now he notices the differences: he listens to the voices, watches how the light is replaced by darkness, how everything moves around. The world is becoming more organized.

The fourth developmental leap of occurs around the 19th week. The child understands that each event has a certain sequence of actions. He begins to notice smooth transitions in sounds, movements, light, smells and textures.

Fifth developmental leap around 26 weeks. You will see how the baby tries to do many new things for him. The child improves coordination, he begins to understand the connection of things around. The main discovery at this age is the space around: there is a certain distance between people and objects. The world for the baby becomes huge.

The sixth crisis of will clearly manifest itself at 37 weeks. During this period, you will notice that the baby is learning new activities, constantly experimenting. The baby is able to recognize certain objects, sensations, groups people and animals into categories. For example, he understands that a banana is different from an apple in shape, color and taste, but it is still food. Understanding the world of categories greatly affects your child's senses.

By the 46th week there will be a 7 leap in development . The baby will open the world of sequences. He will understand that in order to achieve his goal, it is necessary to act in a certain way. The child will learn how and in what sequence to put things together so that it is correct: a pyramid, cubes, etc.

The eighth leap of development will happen around the year at week 55. The kid will have a breakthrough in mental development and he will be ready to explore the world of programs. If before that the baby understood the sequence of events that follow one after another, now he understands that this does not always happen. And he also realizes that the result of an action sometimes depends on what happened now.

The ninth leap is the first growth crisis after a year, which peaks at 14-15 months. The child has grown up and now he is able to change the programs that he has mastered before. He will experiment with them:

Meet other children at the playground
imitate others
Explore your emotions
Think ahead
Become aggressive to get what you want
Throw the first tantrums
Understand the difference between "mine" and "yours"
Learning to do things together
Experiment with "yes" and "no"

The last tenth leap of development will take about 17 months. The baby develops the ability to understand "systems" and their differences: my mother is not like that boy's mother, my scooter is not like my brother's. At this stage, he realizes that he decides how to behave. The child develops a sense of compassion.

How to help your baby during a growth spurt

Create a physiological regimen to prevent overwork. Make your bedtime ritual longer. The baby needs more time to relax and fall asleep. Include more body contact in the ritual: carrying, hugging, kissing.
Provide proper rest - in a dream there is an active development and growth of a small organism.
Practice new skills while awake and praise each achievement.
Pay more attention to the baby during the day, so that at night he does not make up for it with additional rises for motion sickness and feeding. Before breastfeeding or bottle feeding, check for signs of hunger in the baby. And if he is full, use other ways to calm down: re-swaddle, turn on white noise, shush.

Like this article? Rate:

Votes: 57

5 signs your kids are having a growth spurt

March 29 2019

The typical school-age child grows about 5 cm each year. During puberty, this figure reaches 10 cm. But in the first 12 months of a child's life, a child grows at a colossal rate of about 25 cm.

Even during this busy growing season, some children experience short bursts of weight gain and growth. Each child is individual, so it is impossible to say whether he will have growth spurts. But you need to keep your ears open and your nose to the wind.

photo Nurturey Blog

Frequency of growth spurts

Lee Ann O'Connor, a certified lactation consultant in private practice in New York, says she typically sees growth spurts at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months. The last rapid jump, as a rule, occurs around the 9th month of life. However, the most accurate indicator is the behavior of your children. So what do you need to pay attention to?

Up to a year, the child is rapidly gaining weight / photo Tesco Baby Club

Signs of growth spurts

1. The child is constantly hungry

It seems that you have already established a feeding schedule, and the child begins to want to eat ... around the clock. Babies can go to such a marathon for 3-4 days. And every time the mixture in the bottle runs out, the baby begins to scream furiously, demanding an additional "ration". Only feeding on demand can save you. All the calories that the child consumes during this period go to creating reserves of fat cells, building muscle mass and changing the structure of bone tissue.

2. Changing sleep patterns

Some parents report that their children sleep more during growth spurts. Others claim that children sleep much less during such periods. Be that as it may, sleep plays a vital role in the production of growth hormone. So let nature take its toll, turning a slumbering baby into someone you'll never be able to practically hold in your hands again.

3. The child becomes more moody

By the way, this may be a side effect of the two previous signs of rapid growth: a hungry or tired child, as a rule, will not be silent, but will declare it as loudly as an ambulance rushing to a call ". In addition, in the event of a significant growth spurt in children, the tendons and muscles are stretched, which can cause pain. Minor, but still pain.

4. Baby learns new skills

Of course, don't associate your baby's newfound ability to clap or grab a toy with a growth spurt. But we should not forget that the child's brain grows and develops along with the rest of the body.

5. The size of the legs and fives

Often it is the size of the legs and arms that is one of the first signs of a growth spurt. When you see that his pants have suddenly become too short, the cuffs of his shirts have begun to pull up to his elbows, and the child can no longer squeeze into his shoes, be sure that your baby is having a growth spurt. In addition, attention should be paid to too narrow joints (knees, elbows and shoulders), which make the child awkward and ridiculous. You will notice that boys have widened shoulders, while girls have widened hips. Boiling hormones can speed up hair growth, change your voice, and trigger acne and new body odor.

Another important point. Growth spurts are very easy to confuse with other problems. For example, a child who is too sleepy or cranky may simply be sick, while constant hunger may indicate that he simply does not have enough breast milk.

photo Mama Natural

Why is it so important to properly feed children during growth spurts

You realized that your child was having a growth spurt because you began to catch him more and more often doing his favorite activity during this period - "digging" in the refrigerator. In the first year of life, the child grows by 25 cm and triples its weight. Bones, muscles, tendons, joints, skin, hair and internal organs are all formed from the nutrients a child consumes. That is why it is important to feed children not only enough, but also correctly. The US Department of Health has called osteoporosis a "pediatric disease with geriatric consequences" because bone mass gained during childhood and adolescence is an important determinant of lifetime skeletal health. So everything is laid down in childhood, including diseases from which we may suffer later.

For proper nutrition, remember that protein is the basic building block of all tissues such as muscles, bones, heart, lungs, skin and hair. A teenager needs about 1 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight. Getting more protein will not necessarily increase growth, and eating too much can have negative health effects. Bones are made up of the minerals calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese and potassium, as well as vitamins D and K.

Proper nutrition is the key to health / photo Vision Smart Center

Growing children also need complex carbohydrates from vegetables and whole grains, which are a source of glycogen, which is the main source of energy for muscles. And the latter will definitely undergo overload during classes at school, at sports sections and walks. At the same time, our body is able to store a strictly defined amount of glycogen, so the kids must constantly replenish its reserves.

And how to feed a child who prefers sweets and “empty” pasta with all this usefulness?

Healthy food should be as accessible as possible. Enough so that the kids can grab it and run outside again.
Since the process of hydration, which is responsible for the accumulation of carbohydrates and glucose in cells, is vital, keep a jug of fresh water at room temperature on the table.
Nutrient sources such as sweet potato, pumpkin, brown rice, quinoa, polenta, whole wheat pasta, corn, etc. should be on your dinner table.
Follow your meal schedule. Snacking on the fly is no substitute for a full meal.
While the child is busy (doing homework), put a plate of fruits, vegetables or crackers in front of him. But such a snack should not sabotage the main meal.