Breastfeeding Perspectives

Understanding Growth Spurts and Feeding Patterns

infant growth spurt signs
Having a baby is so exciting! But before your baby arrives, you might have learned that they eat frequently, right?  You might also be wondering what that means, why that is the case, or how often an infant should be fed. So let’s take a deeper dive into newborn and infant feeding patterns so that you can have a much better idea of what to expect, when you’re expecting!

Newborn and Infant Feeding Patterns

There has often been debates on how often an infant should be fed. Older information and research has recommended that babies should eat every 2 to 3 hours during the day and every 3 to 4 hours at night.  This sounds so nice if you’re a planner because you feel like the baby can fit right into your daily schedule! But the truth is that your beautiful and brilliant baby can’t really tell the time and doesn’t really care about what the clock says. At this phase, your baby is showing some rapid infant growth spurt signs that require more frequent feeding and care.

3 Infant Growth Spurt Signs

Infant growth spurts are periods of rapid physical and developmental changes that babies go through at different intervals during the early phases of life. By understanding the infant growth spurt signs and behaviors, you can navigate these phases with confidence and support your child’s healthy development. Below are 3 infant growth spurt signs:

infant growth spurt signs

1.) Increased Feeding

One of the most common signs of an infant growth spurt is an increase in appetite. Your baby may become more hungry or want to feed more frequently. Babies need to eat whenever they are hungry in order to support the very rapid growth of body and brain that occurs during the early phases of life.  This is entirely normal and essential for growth. During growth spurts, babies need extra nutrition to fuel their rapid development. If you’re breastfeeding, your body will adjust to meet your baby’s increased demands, so be sure to stay well-hydrated and maintain a balanced diet.

To accomplish all this growth, while maintaining a healthy physical state, babies need to eat 8, 10, 12, OR MORE times every 24 hours. I know, that just sounds like too much to handle. But try to think about it from an adult standpoint.  What if YOU were trying to grow this fast in 1-2 years…how much food would you need to consume and how often?  

infant growth spurt signs

2.) Clinginess

Your baby might become clingier during a growth spurt. Infants may want to be held more often and seek extra motherly attention and comfort. Infant clinginess during growth spurts is a common and entirely natural phenomenon. As babies go through periods of rapid physical and developmental growth, they may become more attached to their primary caregivers and seek more comfort and reassurance.

This increased need for closeness and attention can manifest as increased fussiness, frequent feedings, and restlessness. While it can be challenging for parents, it’s essential to remember that this clinginess is a sign of their child’s healthy development and need for nurturing. Providing love, comfort, and patience in response to these infant growth spurt signs can help your baby navigate these periods more smoothly and strengthen the parent-child bond. While it can be challenging to manage your daily tasks, it is important to find a health balance between meeting your baby’s needs and taking care of your own personal well-being.

3.) Physical Changes

Growth spurts are not only about increased feeding and emotional changes; you’ll also notice physical developments. Your baby may grow taller, gain weight, and reach developmental milestones, such as rolling over, sitting up, or crawling. These physical changes are exciting milestones in your baby’s development and are often accompanied by an increased appetite to support their growing bodies.

Baby’s experience rapid growth spurts and sometimes you may not even notice them. So you may be wondering how fast this growth happens, correct?  Here are some expectations according to Verywellfamily.com:

  • In 2 weeks: The baby regains birth weight and then gains about 1.5 to 2 pounds per month
  • In 3 months: Gains about 1 extra pound per month.
  • In 6 months: The baby’s birth weight doubles.
  • In 1 year: The baby’s birth weight triples and then he/she gains about 3 to 5 pounds over the next year.
 

On average, babies grow about 4 inches each and every year. Growth tends to slow down around the age of 3 when they start to gain about 2 to 2.5 inches per year. Also, by the time infants reach their second birthday, their heads have reached 90% of their adult size. That’s a lot of growing in just two years! Below are the average expectations for the growth of the baby’s head circumference:

  • At birth: 30-38 cm
  • At 6 months: 38-47 cm
  • At 1 year: 40-50 cm
  • At 2 years: 43-52 cm

 

Final Thoughts

As breastfeeding becomes easier for both you and your baby, your child will become more effective and efficient at transferring milk.  Unlike a newborn who could spend 30 minutes on each breast at each feeding, your little one may get that milk flowing very quickly after latching and finish the feeding in 10-15 minutes per breast.  Your Infant may also cluster feed, especially during the fourth trimester or the first 3 months after birth.  This is quite normal and to be expected during the early phases of life when the baby is experiencing infant growth spurt signs more frequently.

During my talks, I like to teach that this is nature’s way of making sure you rest frequently. Your “job” as a new mother is to feed your baby, eat and drink something to nourish your body, and rest.  Ideally, each of those friends and family members, who want to meet this new little one, will choose a chore to do for you, allowing you to do your job more easily!

Kathy

"Milk.. It does a baby good!

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Kathy Parkes

Breastfeeding Perspectives | MSN-Ed, BSPsy, RN, IBCLC, RLC, FILCA, CHC, CAHPE

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About Kathy

Kathy Parkes is a registered nurse, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and a Fellow of the International Lactation Consultant Association.

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