Ever wondered why your baby behaves in unexpected ways all of a sudden? You might automatically deduce that he is hungry, sick or sleepy but what about the less obvious choice of a growth spurt? The first year of life babies grow 5 times faster in terms of height than school aged children, and these bursts of growth may happen each month or every few weeks but babies aren’t by the book and the best way to understand what they are going through is to watch them closely.
Here are the telltale signs your baby is going through a growth spurt:
Hunger
Feeding schedules help parents prepare and expect their babies’ needs and allows the baby to settle into a routine, but if you find your baby is breastfeeding around the clock, needing another bottle or constantly hungry for food then this is a clear sign of growth. Metabolism is revved up and whatever they eat builds reserves of fat cells, muscles and bone structure so during these phases more calorie intake is needed.
Irregular Sleep
Sleep is essential for growth so you may find your baby sleeping for longer stretches of time. Sometimes just when you figured a nighttime routine and your baby has started sleeping through the night you might experience a sudden lack of sleep which indicated restlessness for mastering new skills (refer to last sign).
Fussy Baby
Babies physically experience their growth internally meaning the tendons and muscles that are being stretched are cause for pain which translates to the baby being fussier than usual.
Newfound Skills
By the age of 1 the baby’s soft spot at the top of the head closes because the brain grows which means the skull grows. That’s why babies suddenly can grasp an object, crawl, and do the many things that must be learned.
Maria Najem
photo: babycentre.co.uk
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