Newborn Growth Spurts
Early childhood is an amazing, unpredictable rollercoaster! It seems each week there is always another thing happening, whether it be exciting or emotional. One of those emotional bumps is when bub starts their Growth Spurts. Growth spurts are hard to recognise and can be difficult to deal with, especially because these aren't immediately obvious changes.
The best way to deal with growth spurts in babies is to know what to expect and when to expect it. At Mizzie, we love the 3-6-9 rule!
Babies will generally go through a spurt at 3 weeks, 6 weeks and 9 weeks. And grow again at 3 months, 6 months and 9 months. Of course, your little one isย always growing, butย these milestones are when your little one's body is usually working extra hard to make some changes!
Growth spurts usually only last for a few days and during this time you should expect the following:
- A SUPER HUNGRY BUB!ย You'll know when your bub is growing, because you may feel like a milk machine! If breast feeding, you may find that your newborn feeds almost hourly (also known as cluster feeding). You mayย consider switching to bottles at this point, which is totally okay! But remember thatย this change is only going to last for a few days and it's a great opportunity to embrace the extra time cuddling bub all day.
- A Little Less Sleep! Restless nights with bubs waking for feeds more often will then cause bub (and mum and dad) to become overtired. This is the time to really enlist the help from your support network! For bottle fed babies, consider alternating who sleep and who feeds bub. Or for breast feeding mothers, try and get someone to watch bubs during their waking hours so you can catch up on some sleep. You may find at this time bubs day naps are a little shorter too. Again, this should only last a few days and a good nightโs sleep is just over the horizon!
- Mood Swings! Both of these changes are going to leave bubs feeling extremely cranky.ย Unfortunately, there isnโt a lot you can do to alleviate their irritability except for comfort them and distract them! At Mizzie, we find that babies respond best when distracted with stimulation! Keeping their mind active with sensory stimulation, like bright colours and fun textures are great for keeping bub happier for longer! Toys like our Mizzie The Kangaroo and Mizzie Books, with interactiveย elements on each page, are perfect for this!
Once you are prepared for the sudden change, the whole concept of growth spurts isnโt as daunting as it seems and can become an opportunity for bonding between yourself, your support network and baby with all the extra snuggles on offer.
Good luck!
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