What has happened to your lovely little bundle of joy? All of a sudden they’ve turned into a hungry, cranky little baby – but don’t worry, your little one could just be going through a growth spurt.
Experts say that growth spurts usually occur during two to seven day periods when your baby is between one and three weeks, six and eight weeks, three months, six months and nine months. However, each child is different so these time frames aren’t set in stone. Japanese scientists discovered that the growth hormone is released while your baby is sleeping, so if they wake up like a different baby to the one the night before, it could be down to this.
The common signs of a growth spurt are:
- Eating more than usual
- Sleeping more than usual
- Being a bit crankier than usual
While it may feel like the growth spurt will never end, they usually only last a couple of days, so don’t stress too much. However, there are a couple of things you should do to help make it easier:
- Drink plenty of water to help deal with the increase in demand for breast milk
- Take advantage of your baby’s extra sleeping and take a nap yourself
- Ask for help – you should never be afraid to ask for help if you’re struggling. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, we’ve all been there.
