Growth spurt in children in the 6th week, but also in the 3rd month. How long does it take?

What exactly is a growth spurt, when can it be expected, how does a growth spurt manifest itself and what changes need to be introduced into the daily schedule during the growth spurt will be answered in the following paragraphs of our article.

What is a growth spurt?

A growth spurt in children is a period in which the baby suddenly grows by several centimeters in a very short period of time, usually a few days. An interesting fact that is worth mentioning is the fact that while school-aged children grow by an average of 5 centimeters over the course of one year, babies in the time interval from birth to reaching the first year of life grow by approximately 25 centimeters, which is a huge leap for muscles. bones, but also the child's nervous system itself. There are several such growth fluctuations in a person's life, while the symptoms are identical in most cases.

Growth spurt schedule - growth spurt in the 6th week and in the 3rd month

Although this is also a very individual aspect of a child's development, there are several typical periods when children experience a growth spurt. The first such stage can be called the first days after the usual departure from the hospital after the birth of the child, namely the 7th to the 10th day. Further radical growth usually occurs in the 2nd to 3rd week after the baby's birth. However, the growth spurt in the 6th week is most often talked about, while very noticeable changes in the structure of the baby's body can be observed even after the growth spurt, which occurs in the 3rd month of life.

Other such stages of a child's sudden growth can also take place in the fourth, sixth and ninth months of their life, while similar growth intervals also occur in the following stages of life after reaching the first year of life, up to adulthood.

How long does a growth spurt last?

In most cases, this hectic period subsides within a few days, two or three, although sometimes there can be growth spurts of a week or longer. This aspect of child development is also very individual, which is why it may happen that while some children barely notice any changes that would signal the onset of a growth spurt, for others this growth stage is characterized by stormy emotions.

Manifestations of growth spurt in children

If your baby is constantly unsatisfied and hungry, while his sleep pattern acquires a certain irregularity in the form of insufficient or excessive amounts of sleep, you are probably in the period of a growth spurt. The restlessness is mainly related to muscle tension during rapid growth, which requires a very patient and gentle approach on the part of the parents. Babies feel uncomfortable at this time, which is reflected in their behavior and mood.

The period of the child's growth spurt will also overturn his entire diet, to which you have gradually accustomed him. It means that children during this period need a greater supply of energy in the form of food, as the growth spurt greatly affects the speed of metabolism. However, the change also affects the sleeping regime, which is very irregular during the growth spurt. Sometimes the baby sleeps more, while other times he wakes up much more often. It is very important that you, as a parent, arm yourself with a large supply of patience, since the baby's inverted sleep pattern directly affects the parent's as well.

Practical advice for managing growth spurts in children

The most important factor in any period of a child's life is patience. Sure, it's easy to say, but you won't get far without patience. Negative feelings not only affect your health, but even your baby can sense them, who then often shows signs of restlessness and discomfort. It is advisable for mothers to include foods rich in vitamins and necessary minerals in their diet during the growth spurt of their infants. Even in this way, they provide their baby with beneficial nutrients.

At the time when there is a sudden growth of the child within a short period of time, the baby has a bigger appetite, which in some cases is more difficult for the mother's body to adapt to. During the growth spurt, it's a good idea to feed your baby whenever he starts showing signs of hunger. The breasts may not be ready for such a sudden change in breastfeeding, and therefore it is advisable to stimulate them with a breast pump between individual feedings so that they can adapt to the new breastfeeding regime more quickly. Breast milk production usually adapts to the infant's needs within two to three days.

Growth spurt and artificial milk

It often happens that mothers become nervous due to insufficient production of milk, which the child seems to be demanding non-stop. Lactation can also be supported by following a drinking regime, while it is worthwhile to include teas to support the production of breast milk in your diet. Babies, in their own way, also contribute to increasing the production of breast milk. During the growth spurt, they require more frequent breastfeeding also for the reason that this is the only way they can stimulate a higher production of their favorite, and mostly only, food, which during this several-day period helps them in supplying energy and necessary nutrients.

Some mothers have a tendency to immediately reorient themselves to artificial nutrition, with which they want to help the baby to achieve complete satiety. A growth spurt does not necessarily require artificial milk, because by supplying a different type of food, after all, you reduce the probability that the production of breast milk will increase to the required daily amount. However, if we are talking about non-breastfed children, i.e. those receiving nutrients exclusively through artificial milk, during the growth spurt it is necessary to increase the dose very carefully in order to avoid any negative effects on the baby's digestive system.

What to do during the growth spurt in children - experience

Also in connection with the growth spurt and the production of breast milk, it is possible to find several discussion forums on the well-known portal Modrý konik. Mothers ask for advice on increasing the production of breast milk or discuss the differences between individual cases of this developmental process. You can increase the production of a larger amount of breast milk by expressing milk between individual feedings, using teas and homeopathic remedies, but also by changing breasts more often during one feeding. As the disputing mothers stated, the child's growth spurt occurred at different times. In the 6th week, after the 6th month, in the 7th week and then in the 12th week. Therefore, the individuality of each case applies, so there is no need to worry if your child's growth spurt did not occur according to the tables published on the Internet or in various book publications. The discussants agreed on one important point. According to them, it is very important that mothers do not give up during the growth spurt and endure this period with patience and without unnecessary nervousness.

The most frequent questions - FAQ

Are you interested in further information about the growth spurt in children and the associated increase in breast milk production? Can you think of other questions that were not answered in the text of the article or in the question and answer section? Feel free to put them in the comments below the article. We will try to answer them as soon as possible.

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