3 week old baby growth spurt

Managing Growth Spurts | Medela

All babies grow and develop at different paces but you can identify when there are trends of growth happening. We can predict when these are likely to occur but as each mum and baby partnership are unique not all babies have read the instruction book and sometimes babies will have a spurt that is unexplainable. Here are a few that we know about to help you along the way.

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What is known

Babies lose weight after birth – part of this is extra fluid from mum’s circulation that was transferred during delivery and placenta. From your baby’s point they are adapting to life outside the womb, start to use up calories and fat stores to keep warm, breathe, metabolise milk to meet the brain and body energy demands. For the first time their body and organs need to function independently of mum.

In the first few days the milk that baby receives is colostrum which is high in immunological factors dense in energy and babies have to fall back and use their fat stores laid down during pregnancy until mums milk comes to volume. This is all that is needed for the healthy term breastfeeding baby.

Day 3 growth spurt

Coming to volume occurs around 3 – 5 days after birth and around the 3rd day this is often the first growth spurt when babies start to feed and receive greater quantities of milk. They may cluster feed and it is normal to feed for up to an hour and frequently every couple of hours. It’s an opportunity to gets lots of breastfeeding practice so if you are not sure then chat to your midwife, to reassure you that you have baby latched on well, feeding is comfortable and that the signs of lots of milk are monitored in the baby’s nappy, with the amount and wetness of urine and how the stool changes from meconium to changing stool to a soft mustard coloured breastfeeding stool.

Baby’s weight loss in first two weeks

It is normal for babies to lose less than 10% of their birth weight but occasionally they lose more. Your midwife will have done a feeding assessment around 3- 5 days of age and weigh your baby, she may call again and repeat a few days later. At the later feeding assessment your baby will have started to gain weight – if they are not feeding well, jaundiced this may change this pace and your midwife will advise you, giving you tips to feed more frequently, what to check for in the nappies and how to support you nursing.

3 week growth spurt

The second more substantial growth spurt occurs around your bay’s 3rd week post birth. Your milk supply is establishing and you have a copious amount as it is still adapting on a supply and demand in accordance with your baby’s needs.

You may find that you feel positive with nursing, your baby had established frequent but regular feeds, you felt more confident with the positioning and latching on and the tender nipples resolving and all of a sudden your baby just wants to feed and is rooting all the time and feeding from both breasts.

This doesn’t mean that your milk supply has dipped or that you cannot satisfy your baby it’s just a huge developmental growth spurt.

It may last a few days, a week or two so just go with the flow.

The other main growth phases occur around 3 months of age and this is when they go through a brain development surge as well as physical growth.

This growth spurt at 3 months is the one that many mums feel insecure with. The breasts have adapted to produce milk in response to their baby’s needs, and the fullness associated with the early few weeks has now resolved with the breasts softer and only feeling full if mum has had extended times between feeds, or missed a feed. From 5-6 weeks after birth the breasts soften but still produce the same milk volume, this is individual to each mum but your milk cells work now by hormone regulation alongside supply and demand.

It is normal for babies to appear hungry and want feeding more frequently and it is not a sign that you don’t have enough milk for your baby or that you should start looking at introducing solids. This should be only after 6 months of age – until then all your baby needs is breastmilk.

It may also coincide with your baby’s 2nd immunisations. Whilst your baby will not have symptoms of the vaccines some babies are just out of sorts, have a mild fever or tenderness at the vaccine site, they will want to nurse more frequently and maybe for shorter burst. This is because breastfeeding is so much more than food – it’s a time of reassurance, being close to mum, feeling safe and secure, taking the pain and soreness away.

It may also be the tooth buds moving under the gums – leading to teething and gum and ear tenderness.

How to manage the growth spurts.

• Be prepared – especially after you are discharged from hospital, you both need time to get to know each other, so ask family to help out with taking siblings for a few hours, with the ironing, prepare a few easy meals for the freezer
• Be realistic – don’t plan a vacation, family gathering , christening, spring clean etc.
  • All you are going to do is nurse and be available 24 x7 for a few days
  • It is tough and tiring, but it does get better.
  • Rest and put your feet up where you can – look at taking a feeding moon – cat napping when your baby rest and sleep
  • It is only for a few days and then it settles down again.
  • You will have enough milk for your baby – the more you nurse the more milk you make
  • Get the family to support you, and be positive, explain to family members what is happening so that they know what to expect so that they don’t give you conflicting advice, things have changed and there are great resources around weaning for the extended family.

If you are not to sure you can always call upon your health visitor, peer support or national breastfeeding helplines to chat about any concerns or questions you may have. Do also remember we are here to answer your breastfeeding questions at our weekly drop-in-clinic on Facebook.

Your baby: 3 weeks old

Photography by Nicole Duplantis/Clothing provided by babyGap and Joe Fresh

After two weeks of feeding, diapering and getting the little creature to sleep, you may feel like you’re both ready to get out and see the world. Cooped up for 14 days amid burp cloths and bottles? Have an urge to get out and show off your beautiful baby? Or just need witnesses to commiserate over all the crying (yours or baby’s)? By now, you’ve accepted that the slog is real, you’ve learned a few things, and your partner or other helpers may have gone back to work. Whether you need to get out or are just ready to explore, there’s a lot going on this week.

As you emerge, squinty-like, from the blurry cocoon of the first couple of weeks, your baby is becoming more alert as well, your perineum or incision has healed a bit, and new challenges await. You may be ready to try some longer outings in the car, stroller or sling. You may be keen for the camaraderie of a mommy group. Or maybe you just need to get to talk to someone who doesn’t want to suck your nipples and pee on your yoga pants. The world awaits!

Your baby has probably regained their birth weight and started to pack on some pounds, and they’ll still be feeding every two or three hours to keep their bellies full. Cluster feeding is common, and this may be the week for a growth spurt that vaults your baby out of their tiny newborn clothes and into the zero-to-three-month outfits that seemed huge just two weeks ago. Your baby may also uncurl a bit and seem a little longer, even if they haven’t actually grown that much.

You may be getting longer stretches of sleep at night, so you might start imposing a little night-time discipline this week. No, it’s far too early to sleep-train, but now that you’ve got the hang of diapering and feeding, you can try to do it in the dark to signal to your baby that night-time is quiet and boring and that you’ll be happier to play during the day. That means making sure that everything is ready for a smooth midnight feeding and changing, including dimming the lighting and communicating in whispers. Developing the daytime-night-time pattern is the first step toward restoring some sleeping sanity to you and your baby.

Your baby is becoming more alert in week three, which means that they may recognize your face by now, even if their vision is still limited to about 12 inches. (Don’t worry, they won’t know you’ve got bedhead—yet.) As your baby’s attention span starts to increase, they can follow your eyes or mouth during a close-up cuddle, which is why those feeding sessions are a great time to communicate. High-contrast images can help develop visual perception, especially in these early days.

This may also be the week to test your baby’s hearing, which should be done before they turn one month old. If your baby was born in a hospital, you may have already had the hearing screening done; if not, it’s easily accomplished and painless for your baby. The tester will just need your baby to be quiet—not fussing or feeding—and a sleeping infant is ideal. If your baby fails the hearing test, you’ll be referred for second and third tests as healthcare providers determine what your baby needs next.

If you’re not worried about your baby’s ears, you’re probably worried about their tummy from time to time. All babies can seem fussy after feeding, pulling up their legs or making faces when they cry, and gas may be the culprit. While some swear by tummy-trouble drops, belly massages and bicycling baby’s legs, others are sure that a change in formula or mama’s diet will do the trick (even if these attempts don’t help, they’re unlikely to do any harm). In many cases, time is the best cure as your baby’s digestive system develops, but it can be worth experimenting with a better latch, a nipple with a slower flow or more frequent burping.

If only better burping could prevent crying, right? By week three, you’ve probably come face to face with the awful realization that you can’t always stop the screaming or figure out what the heck is wrong with the screamer. Have you fed, changed and rocked your baby to no avail? Is your baby crankiest at the end of the day, when you just want chocolate and Candy Crush? The politically incorrect might call this the “witching hour,” and if you have a fussy baby every evening, you may be wishing that it only lasted an hour. Everyone has a trick they swear will work, so keep trying until you find yours.

Is your baby more beautiful than ever or still fairly funny-looking? Even the most flawless babies may have a run-in with cradle cap or baby acne in the weeks to come, as hormones and the natural oils in your baby’s skin battle it out. Cradle cap is typically harmless and unlikely to bother your baby, but it can be hard for parents to ignore the white and yellow scales and crust that form on your baby’s head. Massaging your baby’s scalp with baby shampoo and a washcloth or gently combing their hair after applying a bit of olive or coconut oil can help remove some of the scales, but take care not to irritate the skin. A cute hat can be the best tool in the battle against cradle cap, which will typically resolve itself without any of your help at all.

Life with a newborn is a series of ups and downs, but if your downs seem deep and dark and your ups are few and far between, you may need to talk to someone about postpartum depression, a chemical imbalance that can’t be cured by being smart and strong or trying harder. It doesn’t help that the warning signs seem designed to accompany newborn babies: insomnia, tearfulness, despair, inertia and anxiety. Some of that came with the stork, but too much can’t be handled alone, so consider it something that you should check in on, just as you would check your baby’s hearing or weight.

Just to prove that it’s about the hormones in your body, not your attitude, postpartum euphoria is a thing, too. Are you feeling high and elated? Need no sleep? Check with your doctor because the imbalance can put your baby at risk as well.

As you try to return to some semblance of a normal life, you may be celebrating 10 months of alcohol abstinence with a glass—ah, sweet nectar, come to mama! Are you wondering if your indulgence will spoil your milk for baby? Do you have to “pump and dump,” a prospect that cancels out the joy of that glass? Motherisk (motherisk.org), an organization at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, has an online guide to help you time your drink just right so that you can metabolize the alcohol before your baby needs to nurse again.

Stuff no one tells you

Have you figured out any of your baby’s cries yet? It can be a guessing game when the critter is crabby, so try this checklist when you’re looking for clues.

If your breast pump is already becoming a best friend, cleaning that sucker probably isn’t! But there are simple steps for keeping your pump clean and ready to go.

Considering a pacifier? Like so many questions about baby, everyone’s got an opinion about the sense of a soother.

Just for fun

If lactation has been everything you hoped for and more, you may be ready to embrace a few other ways to use your liquid gold. From snot sucking to teething ice lollies, some of these tricks will blow your mind.

Hoping for a better supply? Among the various recipes and recommendations for increasing your flow, try these lactation cookies (with enough chocolate and pecans to entice even those who aren’t nursing).

This article was originally published on Aug 27, 2018

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.

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10 crises that the baby goes through by the age of one and a half: a calendar for parents

Education

Photo

AJ_Watt/Getty Images/E+

psychologist

The development of a newborn occurs rapidly and abruptly. Just yesterday, he didn’t seem to notice you, but today he meets you with a smile and joyful cooing, until recently he could be left alone on his parent’s bed, and now he, turning over, almost fell off her. His new skills appear unexpectedly and are accompanied by bright emotional outbursts.

All children are different, but they experience growth spurts, if not clearly at the same time, then during normal development exactly in a certain sequence. For the convenience of mothers, there is an average scheme that you can focus on. We brought it to a special calendar.

Average crisis periods begin at 5, 8, 12, 15, 23, 34, 42, 51, 60 and 72 weeks. The duration of each is from one to several weeks. Keep in mind: if your baby was born early or late, you need to determine the starting point yourself - for example, premature babies have growth spurts later than their peers.

First growth spurt - new sensations

5th week

Keynote: “I hear, I see, I feel, I can’t explain”

What baby can do now:

• smiles;

• examines objects in his field of vision;

• listens carefully to sounds and pronounces his own;

• is touch sensitive.

Features of behavior

Cries for no reason, is capricious. And all because one day, waking up, the baby found that the world around him had become different. The only creature that is understandable and close to him is his mother. So he demands with an insistent cry of her constant attention. Often lies on his stomach: for him, this position is also a symbol of security.

What should parents do?

Remain calm. Take the baby in your arms, hug it to you. Do not interrupt breastfeeding during this period. If you adhered to the schedules of feeding and sleep, it is better to refuse them during the crisis period.

Develop your child's skills. "Mirror" his behavior: he smiles - smile back. Talk to the baby, say the syllables: “ma, pa, ba, yes”, react to his sounds, repeat after him. The peanut is now beginning to carefully consider the one who communicates with him, recognizes mom, dad - designate the one who talks to him, babysits. Remember that the child during this period distinguishes objects at a distance of about 30 centimeters. Don't rush things - don't try to show all the toys at the same time. Choose one today, another tomorrow. Bring it closer to the baby, then take it first in one direction, then in the other direction. Visual gymnastics should be short - 2-3 minutes. Develop the tactile sensations of the little one: let him feel objects with different surfaces.

Photo

Purple Collar Pet Photography/Getty Images

Psychologist's advice:

At first, all movements of the child are chaotic, the first thing that appears is the ability to focus on objects. It is important to provide him with the right toys that will help him develop this skill. These can be mobiles (hanging carousels) or contrasting rattles. But the most interesting object for the baby during this period is the face of the mother. There is a correct position in which she should hold the child - somewhere at a distance of 35-40 centimeters from her face, so that the baby focuses on her, considers facial features. This is the most important developmental exercise for him. The first smile of a child is a very important moment, it is his social debut, one of the milestones of development. Up to six weeks, the newborn seems to look inward, and then it seems to turn into our world. To see the face of an adult is simply necessary for him. Psychologists, in search of a solution to the problem of mental retardation of newborns in orphanages, came up with the idea of ​​hanging a photograph of a person or even a balloon with a painted face in front of the baby.

Second growth spurt — body awareness

Weeks 8–9 (week 8 peak)

Keynote: “Here I am!”

What the baby can now:

• holds his head, turns it, following the object;

• discovers that he has arms, legs, examines them carefully;

• distinguishes sounds, tastes, smells;

• holding a toy;

• tries to roll over from back to stomach and vice versa;

• he is curious about everything that moves;

• loudly announces itself, attracting attention.

Features of behavior

The world has become so big and diverse for the little one, the amount of information is so great that it confuses him. Where is the salvation? Of course, next to my mother. And if you know everything, then only with it. So he demands her constantly and is so glad when she reacts to him.

What should parents do?

Take the baby in your arms and carry it around the apartment, take it out of the stroller on the street, show various objects, people, explain what and who it is. Give the baby a toy. Let him study himself. Move your fingers with him, touch his ears, nose, eyes, show them on yourself and say what everything is called. React to what the baby says, answer, let him know that you hear him. Talk to him about what you see and do. Turn on music, calm classical, when the baby falls asleep or worries and is naughty, you can pick up recordings of the sound of the sea, birdsong. Try something rhythmic while awake. But don't force what you like on him. Observe what the baby shows interest in and follow him. Expand the horizons that are important for the child.

Psychologist's advice:

At 6-7 weeks the so-called visual development of the hand occurs, the child begins to carefully look at his fingers, fists. He still does not understand that they are his. He should not be in the arms of his mother all the time, although this is what he wants. So the baby really sees a lot of interesting things, but in this case, he slowly has a visual opening of his hand. It must be put down to lie down. Then by the age of three months he will be able to hold the rattle himself and examine it consciously.

Third growth spurt - smooth movements

12th week

Leitmotif: "I'm turning over"

What the baby is now able to do:

• makes smooth, not abrupt body movements;

• learns to master the voice, changes pronunciation from soft to loud and vice versa;

• attracts attention not only by crying, but also by squealing and laughing.

Photo

Getty Images/RooM RF

Behavioral features

As usual in such periods, he requires increased attention. The kid can become either too lethargic, lethargic, eat poorly, or, on the contrary, throw tantrums. In short, his behavior must change dramatically. Now he is also suspicious of strangers.

What should parents do?

Teach your little one to pick up objects by keeping them close so he can easily reach them. Develop baby's sense of touch. Let him touch toys made of different materials. Play with it: sit it on your knees and swing it, pick it up, imitate the flight of an airplane and “land”. Think of your own entertainment. And talk, talk, talk. Do not be silent, thinking that while he does not understand you.

Psychologist's advice:

From 3 to 4 months, the baby begins to roll over, first involuntarily, then consciously. And here it is important to organize a surface that is not too hard, but not soft either, so that the baby is comfortable lying on his back. The parent's bed is not the best platform for experiments. Its surface is too springy or loose. Ideally, if you prepare a soft gymnastic mat, moderately elastic. And most importantly - give freedom to the baby so that he can carry out these coups. Attachment theory is now in vogue - parents all the time strive to carry a child in their arms; contact is really very important, but it is equally important to train the motor skills of the crumbs.

Fourth growth spurt - exploration of space

weeks 15-19

Keynote: “I understand how”

What the baby is now able to do:

but also reach out to the object, turn it in your hands, examine it from all sides;

• is not just babbling, but can say “mom” or “dad” for the first time;

• can start to crawl, its range of possibilities for understanding the world is expanding significantly.

Behavioral features

The peanut understands that some events can happen at his will - this surprises and frightens him. He strives to slide down, being in your arms, while crying, he strives to take the pose of a newborn.

What should parents do?

Keep in mind: before, it was enough for a baby to be carried on hands, now, in order to distract him, you need to constantly do something with him, come up with new entertainments. Only physical contact is not enough.

Psychologist's advice:

It is important how the baby's environment is organized: it happens that with all the abundance of toys, he does not have good ones. They are too big, too bright, too loud.

It happens that a child hits himself with a rattle and stops showing interest in it - he gets scared. Toys should be compact, light, easy to grip. Large and bright children will appreciate later.

Photo

filadendron/Getty Images/E+

The fifth growth spurt is a world of interconnection, the concept of distance

Weeks 23-26

Keynote: “I am moving”

What baby can do now:

• better coordination of arms and legs, moves more;

• begins to realize that there are distances between things.

Behavioral features

Becomes more shy, reluctantly walks into the arms of others. It is important for him to see his mother in his field of vision. He clings to himself toys: they give him a sense of security.

What should parents do?

The baby becomes more active, it is necessary to follow him much more carefully than before. The child needs your constant support, so he can learn to control the space around him and get rid of fears. Now he can calm down not only in the arms of his mother, but also switch to some book or toy.

Psychologist's advice:

An immobile being becomes mobile. The baby begins to push off the surface, to sway. He develops skills that progress to crawling and getting up with support.

Sixth growth spurt - a world of categories

Weeks 34-37

Keynote: "I'm exploring"

people, things. Searches and finds similarities and differences between them, his behavior becomes more conscious;