Baby Growth Spurts

Babies go through several growth spurts the first year of their lives, which accounts for the dramatic changes in weight and height between a newborn baby and a 1 year old. Here are the typical ages, signs and lengths of a growth spurt.

Typical Growth Spurt Ages

Although babies do not have an internal calendar to tell them when it is time to have a growth spurt, there are typical ages to watch for them. These ages are approximate and a growth spurt at anytime should be considered normal.

The first growth spurt occurs between 7 and 10 days old. Babies come home from the hospital weighing up to 10% less than their birth weight. When mom’s milk comes in, baby gains back the lost weight.

Three weeks is the next typical age for a growth spurt, followed by 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 9 months. These ages, once again, are all approximate, and babies may have a growth spurt at other times as well. As long as baby is growing appropriately and is healthy, a growth spurt at any age should not be cause for concern.

Signs of a Growth Spurt

How do you know if your baby is going through a growth spurt? If you are noticing signs that have you wondering if your baby is going through a growth spurt, then the odds are she is. Some of those signs include the following.

Baby is feeding more often. If baby was eating on a regular 3 hour schedule, and suddenly wants to eat more frequently, your baby is most likely going through a growth spurt and needs more food.

Waking to eat during the night when previously able to sleep through. Your baby may have finally started sleeping through the night, only to start waking again seemingly ravenous for food. Or if your baby had only been waking to eat once in the night, she may start waking 2 or 3 times to eat.

Waking early from naps. Your baby previously napped 1-2 hours or longer at a stretch and is suddenly waking up after only 30-45 minutes and seems hungry.

Fussing at the breast. If you breast feed your baby and she pauses or unlatches to fuss or whimper and then latches back on to continue feeding, she may be not getting her milk as fast as she wants it to come. This is often a sign of a growth spurt.

Other changes in sleep habits. Baby may nap better or worse than usual. Baby may seem more fussy than usual as well, thanks to the need for more sleep and broken sleep patterns due to growing pains or an empty stomach.

Length of a Typical Growth Spurt

Growth spurts typically last only 2-3 days, but can sometimes last for a week or longer. If the growth spurt lasts a week or longer, mom needs to make sure she is drinking enough and consuming enough calories to compensate for the additional feedings. This may not be hard to do, as mom may feel hungrier than usual during the growth spurt.

When your baby goes through a growth spurt, take heart that it will only last for a few days, and adjust your schedule accordingly. Feed baby whenever she seems hungry. This will increase mom’s milk supply and provide baby with the extra nutrition she needs. If sleeping patterns (naptime and nighttime sleep) were disrupted during the growth spurt, they will likely return to normal after just a few days.

Signs and Ages of Typical Growth Spurts

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