For the past 3 weeks, Emily has been suffering from the terrors that come with the 4-month growth spurt. Every online article states that this growth spurt only lasts a few days but honestly, I think the person who wrote the article doesn’t actually have children because the reality is very different! For the first week, it was a few tears and a lot of teething, but Emily slept a lot and wasn’t really interested in her food besides the bottle, but the second week, well, it was a bloody nightmare. There was a lot of crying, some with tears and some without, a refusal at times to go near anyone apart from me, a lot of sleeping during the day and with us in bed at night and any form of pain reliever just wouldn’t work. It was a lot of cuddles, bum-tapping, and a sing-a-long as I tried at all hours of the day to get her to relax which has caused terrible pressure on my back. I could really do with a proper back massage right now, I feared, at times that my spine was about to snap.
Growth spurts are common, they happen at all stages of your life, but the first years of your tiny tots life, is pretty shitty. It’s a huge milestone for them but in the first year of their life, they can’t tell you but do what they know best, scream their heads off, which sometimes can really push your buttons. During their growth spurt, they’ll put on weight, teeth more than usual, they’ll get longer and their head circumference grows a lot quicker than usual. In her 4th month, Emily has achieved so much, but with it, this growth spurt can make her mood similar to that of a grumpy teenager. Happy go lucky one minute, moody blue the next. In the past few days, I’ve skipped on feeding Emily solids and stuck with feeding her formula, which currently stands at every 2 hours instead of her usual 3-4 hour feeds.
Growth spurts can happen at any time but it’s usually at certain points of their lives. Health experts like to point out that growth spurts can usually last a few days but as this can vary from baby to baby. Growth spurts tend to happen at 2, 3 and 6 weeks and at 3 and 6 months.
- at two weeks
- at three weeks
- at six weeks
- at three months
- at six months
Each cycle of their growth spurt is very different to the next and some babies don’t even feel a thing. I hate that Emily is feeling really crappy at the moment. We’ve given her calpol and her baby bonjela but little seems to work. You need to have a lot of patience as sleep can be lost as you try tirelessly to entertain your little one without losing the will to live. I really do hope this clears up in a few days. I’m shattered and I can’t face seeing her be so uncomfortable anymore. I want my happy bunny back with smiles every hour of the day, who sleeps a good night’s sleep and enjoys her food throughout the day.
Missy, Me & Him 