Babies grow a lot when they are very small. In fact, there is a good chance your baby will be at least twice his or her birth weight by his or her first birthday. While that growing happens over time, you will notice that every three or four weeks, your baby will suddenly become a lot hungrier and want to feed more. That is when your baby is going through a concentrated growth phase, known as a growth spurt.
These growth spurts usually last between one or two days, and during this time you may start to worry that you do not have enough milk for your child. Do not worry though as this is perfectly normal, and your child should go back to his or her breastfeeding routine in a day or two. The best thing to do is to let your baby feed as often as they want. Your milk supply will soon be in sync with your baby’s demands.
It takes between 48 to 72 hours for your body to get in sync with your baby so if your babies appetite does suddenly increase, don’t panic.
These growth spurts are likely to happen between weeks two and three, again when the baby is 6 weeks and then again at 6 months. However all babies are different.
In the mean time, avoid introducing water or formula milk into your child’s diet. Doing this may interfere with your milk production, and can cause problems with your breastfeeding later on.
Trust your body and your baby – your body will quickly catch up to your baby’s needs.
