Baby Growth Spurts: Timing, Signs, and Stages

• Introduction
• What Is a Growth Spurt In Babies?
• When Do Baby Growth Spurts Happen?
• Typical Stages of Baby Growth Spurts: 
• What Are The Baby Growth Spurt Symptoms?
• What Can You Do?
• How Long Do Growth Spurts Last?
• Key Takeaways
• FAQs
• Message From SuperBottoms
• Reference Links

You will hear the term Growth Spurt several times during the first year of your baby's life. You may notice sudden changes in your baby's appetite, sleep patterns, and even mood, which can indicate a growth spurt. In this SuperBottoms article, find helpful tips and strategies to ensure comfort and convenience for your little one during rapid development.

What Is a Growth Spurt In Babies?

Don't be shocked if your baby's weight suddenly shoots up. Baby Growth spurts refer to when your baby experiences the most intense growth in size, weight, and other developmental milestones. During these growth spurts, your baby will learn new skills and amaze you.

When Do Baby Growth Spurts Happen?

Every child is different and may experience growth spurts at various ages. When your baby is born, the paediatrician and hospital will provide you with a chart to keep track of the baby's growth stages. This is based on a WHO chart that tracks babies' height, weight, and head circumference by age.

Typical Stages of Baby Growth Spurts:

Here's a simple baby growth spurt chart depicting the typical stages of growth during ages of baby growth spurts of the first year:

Please note that these are general guidelines in the baby growth spurt chart, and individual babies may experience growth spurts at slightly different times.

What Are The Baby Growth Spurt Symptoms?

The signs mentioned here may not point only to a baby's growth spurt. But most babies going through a growth spurt will experience these.

• Crankiness/Fussiness - Your baby will be hungrier than usual. If it takes time to latch and unlatch, it will feel fussy and cranky at the breast. In addition, because of other signs, such as disturbed sleep, your baby will be pickier and more irritable than usual during the growth spurt.

• Additional feedings - As the name suggests, your baby's body is going through sudden growth and thus needs some extra food and nutrition. Babies also feed to calm themselves when they feel fussy. The combination of these two could mean your baby is at your breast as often as every 30 minutes.

• Frequent night waking - This may be due to hunger or body aches some babies experience during the growth spurt. Regular naps and longer night sleep might go for a toss, and your baby will keep waking up to feed more frequently at night.

What Can You Do?

No parents like to see their little ones in pain and suffering. The growth spurts in babies can be a little harsh on the babies, too. Here are some things you can do to comfort and help them through this phase:

1. Help them sleep – Your baby might need extra snuggles, cuddles, and good sleep essentials like SuperBottoms Mustard Seed Pillows, Mulmul Swaddles, or baby blankets. However, keep the sleep schedule and bedtime routine the same. It will be easier for kids to stick to it once the growth spurt phase has passed.

2. Feed them when hungry – It might be a little irritating to cluster feed your baby repeatedly for hours, but you need to understand that your baby needs the milk and comfort of your breast to pass this phase. So feed them whenever they ask to be fed. If the growth spurt is later in their first year, and they are on solids, you can offer them snacks between meals when they are hungry.

3. Be patient and loving – It will neither help the baby nor you if you get agitated. So instead, be patient and offer extra comfort to your baby through cuddles, longer baths, skin-to-skin contact, walking them outside, singing and talking to them, and anything your baby enjoys that helps you bond.

4. Take care of your baby's overall health – Do not overlook any signs or symptoms indicating a doctor's visit, assuming it might be due to a growth spurt. Also, keep an eye on the diaper – the frequency, colour, and consistency of the poop, frequency of pee, etc. Cloth diapers are often praised for their softness and breathability compared to disposable diapers. During growth spurts, babies may experience increased sensitivity or discomfort, making the gentle fabric of SuperBottoms UNO Cloth Diapers a preferable option for their delicate skin.

How Long Do Growth Spurts Last?

The days your baby experiences all the signs mentioned above, growth spurts in babies might seem never-ending, but hang in there. A baby's growth spurt hardly lasts for a few days at a time. But once it passes, life will be back to normal again! Before you know it, your little newborn will be a toddler running all around, making you chase them. So enjoy this newborn phase, and comfort and help them through painful growth spurt days with a little extra dose of love and care.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. You may notice abrupt changes in your diet, sleep patterns, and even mood.
2. Since every child is unique, they may experience a growth spurt at different ages.
3. Make sure that your sleep schedule and bedtime routine do not change.

FAQs:

Q.1 What is a growth spurt in babies?

Ans. A growth spurt in babies refers to a period of rapid physical growth and development. During these times, babies may experience increased appetite, sleep more, and exhibit changes in behaviour.

Q.2 How long do growth spurts last?

Ans. Growth spurts typically last a few days to a week, but they can vary in duration. Babies may go through several growth spurts during their first year of life.

Q.3 What are baby growth spurt symptoms?

Ans. Symptoms of a growth spurt in babies may include increased appetite, more frequent feeding, fussiness, clinginess, changes in sleep patterns (such as longer naps or increased nighttime waking), and rapid weight gain.

Message from SuperBottoms

Hi there, new parents! SuperBottoms brings you doctor-recommended cloth diapers — the best rash-free diapering solution for your baby’s sensitive and delicate skin. Unlike disposable diapers loaded with chemicals, our newborn cloth diapers, when used and washed properly, can help eliminate the risk of diaper rashes. SuperBottoms offers a wide range of safe, skin-friendly essentials for the whole family — including Reusable Cloth Diapers, Diaper Pants, DryFeel langots for diaper-free time, Padded Underwear for potty training, SuperSoft Underwear for everyday comfort, Joggers for playful days, and Period Underwear for women. Not just for everyday use, SuperBottoms products also make the best gifting choice for babies — thoughtful, eco-friendly, practical, and loved by parents. Now available on Amazon, Myntra, Flipkart, FirstCry, Zepto, Swiggy and Blinkit.

Reference Links:

1. my.clevelandclinic.org/health/growth-spurts
2. kidshealth.org/parents/childs-growth.html