Sudden Change in Baby May be Growth Spurt

Stating that 'growth episodes' lie beneath the sudden changes in temperament seen in the baby, our expert: "Significant developmental changes are observed in babies after growth episodes. During this period, you should patiently respond to the needs of your baby and listen to him/her and take an appropriate approach.

Yeditepe University Bağdat Street Polyclinic Child Health and Diseases Specialist: ''Babies get cranky and want to constantly breastfeed and cry when they are taken off the lap as part of the normal process. They are in a growth attack both physically and mentally. When your baby is in the normal development process, s/he suddenly begins to experience a change, and this affects him/her whole routine. Constantly crying for no reason, craving more attention, grumpy, whiny, sticking to breastfeeding, lacking appetite... He begins to think that there are some changes in his environment, and he is very surprised by this situation. Your baby is starting to gain new awareness. He is trying to understand what is happening, he is noticing things that he did not notice before.”

In Which Weeks Is It Seen?

Stating that the baby will acquire new habits such as changes in sleep patterns and indifference in this process, our expert explained the periods when the growth spurt will be seen as follows:

"It is not easy for parents to overcome these periods either. Although the period when growth attacks are seen changes because each baby's development is different, it is usually certain weeks. For example, your baby will experience 10 growth episodes in the period up to about 2 years of age, such as weeks 5, 8, 12, 19, 26, 27. Although these attacks are usually seen as intense for 2-4 days, they may last for a few weeks. During these periods, your baby wants to breastfeed frequently and even stay in the breast permanently."

"Breastfeed Your Baby Patiently"

Emphasizing that mothers should breastfeed their babies with patience during this period, our expert: "It is important to continue to breastfeed with patience in line with your baby's request and not to support food. In the future, nutritional changes can be made in the baby in line with their needs. Let your baby eat or not eat as much as he wants. Do not force him to return to routine and do not engage in conflict. After a while, everything will be as it was before. Patiently respond to your baby's needs, listen to them, and approach them nicely. It is important that you love your baby a lot, that you make skin contact and caress him/her so that he/she can cope with this process more easily. When you are very restless, a warm bath and then a massage can relax you when you have difficulty sleeping. During these periods, your baby wants to breastfeed frequently and even stay in the breast constantly. Mothers can think; is my baby hungry or is my milk not enough? In fact, your growing baby's need for breast milk has also increased, and your baby will often breastfeed to ensure that your breasts respond to this need.”

“Consult A Pediatrician”

Changes experienced during these crisis periods may be a sign of any disease. Families must definitely consult a Pediatrician in this process. Stating that there will be changes in the development of the baby after the process, Dr. Coşkun: "After a stormy period, you can now notice the changes in your baby when sunny days begin. For example, after the first attacks, he starts to smile at you, to use his hands better after a period, to reach for or even hold his toys, or suddenly he starts to turn on his back. Then, you can observe the development of fine motor skills along with rough motor ones such as sitting and crawling. The way he plays with his toys changes, he can discover different features of the same toy.”