Q&A: three week growth spurt

Wow. No wonder I was so blocked. You all have a lot of need. I wish I had a magic wand.

I am working on a side project involving some of that, and will announce when the website's up, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, let's take a question from new mom Kat:

"Help! My baby is almost 3 weeks old, and he's gone nuts in the last day! All he wants to do is eat, and he'll nurse for an hour, and then I burp him, and then he just screams like he wants to eat again! What's wrong with my milk? He's gaining weight, but why is he so hungry? What am I doing wrong???"

It's the infamous Three-Week Growth Spurt! Many babies go through a big growth spurt at 3 weeks old. They basically need to eat around the clock for a few days while they grow, but this also brings up your milk supply if you're nursing to match their increased consumption level. (If you're feeding formula you'll notice an increase in consumption for a few days). It's totally normal, and you're doing nothing wrong.

The best thing to do is just nurse through it. Get yourself set up with water, some magazines, the remote control, and a lot of Food TV or DVDs (I recommend the series "Mad Men" for drama or "Arrested Development" for comedy). Then just nurse when the baby wants to. It should last anywhere from a day to a few days, and then go back to normal or stretch out between feedings. many babies also start sleeping for slightly longer stretches after coming through a growth spurt.

Yeah, you'll be tied down for a day or two, but it's just one of those things. And at least you get to sit down and just vegetate during it. (And catch up on Don Draper.)

Babies go through growth spurts at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. Some babies hit all those spurts hard, while others hit one hard but the others are barely noticeable. So don't be alarmed if your baby becomes a ravenous locust at the growth spurts. But also don't be alarmed if you don't notice any difference. Babies are all individuals.

Comments

[paola]

Round the clock for a few days?? I had to laugh 'cos that's when both my kids started nursing every hour (not at night fortunatley) and it lasted till I started introducing solids at 6 months!! Would have been nice to plonk on the couch with Seinfeld repeats or something fun for 6 months.

[pnuts mama]

is it weird that when i read "don draper" the image of ron burgandy popped up in my head?

oh god this semester can't be over soon enough!!

p.s. kat- you sound like you are doing a great job! enjoy the couch time and look at it like a mini-vacation- also, you can nap while the baby is sleep/eating. good luck!

[Rudyinparis]

Grow, baby, grow! This sounds like a great problem to me--Kat, enjoy the time with your sweet wee one!

[MrsHaley]

"ravenous locust" -- LOL!

Kat, it sounds like your baby is wonderously, fabulously normal. There's not a THING wrong with your milk -- get that thought right out'cher head! Listen to Mighty Moxie and you'll stay on the right track. Congrats and enjoy your new tiny!

Moxie, my spidey sense thinks you're working on a need you saw through the comments yesterday ... I can't wait to see what you're coming up with!!

[textureamy]

it sounds like you are doing a great job, though it *is* hard to hear a hungry baby crying. it doesn't sound your milk supply is a problem, since you say the baby is gaining. the not-knowing how much they're getting can be a frustrating mystery, but you already have figured out how your baby sounds when he's hungry. just keep getting to know him, and trust yourself to figure him out. :)

[Jac]

Between the 3 week, 6 week, and 3 month growth spurts I watched 7 seasons of 90210. My couch has never recovered from the butt imprints I left there.

The only caution I would through out there is to keep an eye out for reflux. My DS would eat and eat, burp and scream and then want to eat some more. It was because the milk was soothing on the reflux, but his tummy would be full which would stimulate the reflux and burping (particularly patting as compared to just rubbing) really aggravated the reflux which would make him want to nurse again for soothing milk relief. It was a vicious cycle. When my Dr. sorted out around 2 months (after much prompting from me), life improved immeasurably.

[Cobblestone]

What I am trying to remember this year is just *how much* he has to do. Going from a neckless puddle of cute with rolly-polly eyes to King of the Cake Smash in a year is a lot of work. When things start to go off balance I check a couple of references I have about what he's likely trying to figure out {Wonder Weeks and a couple of others}.

For now, the two of you get to work on the same stuff, breathe, eat, rest. But you get chocolate!

[caramama]

I totally remember going through this, and thank goodness for my sister who remember exactly what was going on (it was before I discovered Moxie)! But I remember worrying that something was wrong, that maybe my supply was low, that I was doing something wrong and all of that. It was simply a normal growth spurt.

Moxie is dead on. Find a comfortable place to settle in, have a big glass of water close to hand, your remote control next to you and find a good show to watch (for some reason, I watched seasons and seasons of CSI and CSI: Miami, which I hadn't watched before then) or keep your computer handy and work on one-handed typing!

I'll also add few things I needed during that time:
-Something to prop my feet up on!
-Food that was easy to eat with one hand, and ideally someone to bring it to you.
-A sling! I could slip baby into the sling while she was eating, and when she'd drift off to sleep, I could actually get up and do something like get my own food. I'm hoping with this one (due in June), I'll be able to nurse while baby is in the sling, because I'll have a toddler running around too.

Good luck, and try not to worry. It sounds like things are going great.

[Moxie]

Mrs. Haley, this has actually been in the works in one form or another for a couple of months, but yesterday just confirmed it, big time.

pnuts mama, I have no idea what to do with a Don Draper/Ron Burgundy combo.

[Moxie of my own]

My daughter hit the spurt on 9wks, too. If you have questions about how much your baby is getting, see if the hospitals or La Leche in your area have a support group. Our hospital had a Saturday morning nursing mother group where we could all get together and share wisdom, talk to a lacatation consultant and weigh our babies before and after nursing to get a concrete idea of how much they were eating. it was wonderful...and FREE!

I think you're doing just fine if you can do all that nursing AND still formulate questions and type! keep yourself nurtured and this spurt will resolve itself. Go, girl, go!

[Pippi]

My daughter nursed like crazy at three weeks, too! At the next midwife's appointment she had gained a full pound in one week -- and she was a little 6 pounder to start with so that pound made up a big portion of her body weight. She slowed down a little after that and next growth spurts weren't as dramatic. I second Moxie's advice to settle in with some good DVDs and let go of any expectations of getting anything else done :)

[KateW]

I have to laugh at the idea of being able to sit and just watch tv for all these growth spurts. With a 28 month old and another due any day (PLEASE come this week, Penny!) I'm just going to cling to my sling and pray!
At least with your second child you don't have the same huge self-doubt that plagues first time mamas. Or not as much, anyway.

[Kimberly]

Oh, growth spurts. Yeah, it's annoying to have a baby pretty much constantly latched on for 36 hours or so, but it passes and goes right back to normal afterward. Just stay hydrated and fed (I always requested that my husband bring me comfort foods and treats during the growth spurts), and you and the baby will be OK.

[Lisa]

Yes, to echo the "it's totally normal" comments and the "but OMG what about when you have a toddler too" we are going through the same thing over here....I have a mei tai but it doesn't work so well for nursing. Anyone have a sling recommendation that will allow my little locust to nurse while I chase down errant fire trucks and stop my 2 year old from getting into the knives?

[Janel]

If you haven't yet read Operating Instructions by Anne LaMott, it's a great one to read during nursing marathons. It's light, bittersweet, funny, and easy to hold in one hand.

The early weeks of breastfeeding are absolutely relentless. I feel like no one prepared me for that. But it passes soon enough. In the meantime, try to pamper yourself!

[Beth]

I have a 2.5 week old and a toddler. I'm mentally preparing for a possible growth spurt in a few days but how to keep the very active toddler happy during multiple nursing sessions???

Yikes!

[AmyinMotown]

Both mine did this--my daughter considered it her kickoff for the 3-6 week Hell Phase, my son never went through it (don't worry, I am sure my time will come at some point and he'll wither be a nightmare three year old or teenager). So if your baby turns into a screaming mess for an hour or three at about 4-5 pm every evening soon, that too is normal (seriously, this is in none of my baby books but thank God my friends warned me or I would have been a wreck wondering why the hell I worked so hard to get this baby in the first place!). It's also temporary and they usually end up doing something great like sleeping or smiling after they work through this phase, so hang in there! What worked for us was the bathroom fan and walking around and around and around the dining room table singing to her. And switching off baby duty every 20 minutes or so.

Stay classy, pnuts mama.

[ambrosia]

My fabulous Lactation Consultant gave me a great piece of advice to get through the growth spurts- in the early afternoon, take the baby with you and go to bed. You can nurse and fall asleep, baby can nurse and fall asleep, and you will feel better later in the day. An early afternoon nap, she advised, improves your supply in the evenings, which for me was always the roughest time of day.

I did this nearly every day for the first 6 or 8 weeks and I believe it saved my sanity.

I'm not sure how to swing this if you have more than one child, but for your first, if you are home, spend as much time in bed as you can during those growth spurts!

[Charisse]

Yes it is normal, yes it is nuts. Do let the baby nurse as much as he wants, but also be kind to yourself and try to keep your sense of humor. One time in the 6-week growth spurt, Mouse had hit an hour and 40 minutes of solid nursing, alternating sides, and then she requested again. I handed her to Mr. C, said I am going out for 10 minutes, and did. Came back, she was fine, he'd had a formal chat with the determined little boobmonster (I heard him start with "now pumpkin, you're wearing mommy out" on my way out the door) and I was ready to jump back into it. Oh, and I'd somehow acquired a fancy rootbeer and some ice cream at the corner store. Oddly. Hubster's next task was to figure out what could possibly be done with those materials to build on the good mood I got from the fresh air.

Hang in there!!

[caramama]

@Lisa - I'm hoping my ring sling (tightened enough) or my Moby wrap will do the trick. I'll find out in a couple months!

@AmyinMotown - Oh yeah! It was weeks 3-8 (although 3-6 were the worst) of Hell for us! Things do get better somewhere around 6-8 weeks. Thank God my sister, SIL and friends warned me, too.

@ambrosia - Great tip! I'm going to see if I can swing that, at least in the early weeks.

[Missy]

Ideas to keep a toddler busy while you are nursing a newborn:

1)Books were my lifesaver. If you have a toddler who likes to be read to, this is something you can do one handed. Plus, the baby will like hearing your voice.

2)Snacks! Stock up on some fun snacks that they may not be normally allowed to have. I find these work best at the end of the day when the toddler is cranky and the baby just wants to nurse nurse nurse. Who wants a sucker?

3)Kitchen set/play food. This kept my toddlers busy more than anything else. You can turn it into a game - "Can you bring me a chicken leg and some coffee? Ooohh, that coffee is really hot. Now I need a cold drink." They stay busy traipsing back and forth. My kids also loved metal play pots and pans - nice and noisy.

4)Sometimes simple things keep them entertained - keep a little bag or purse near where you nurse with a notebook and pen, stickers, child scissors (depending on the toddler), calculator, and post-it notes.

[Kate]

@ Beth: If you learn to nurse in a sling (assuming you haven't already; if you have, I apologize), go about your regular toddler business.

I spent a lot of time at the park when #2 was tiny; #1 would plunk herself in the sandbox and play for 20-30 minutes. That was a great break. But I also walked around my neighborhood doing errands with #2 nursing in the sling and #1 in the stroller. I would not have been able to stay inside all summer with a 2 year old! Lots of time outside.

Also a lot of Sesame Street.

@ Lisa: For nursing I liked unpadded ring slings. I prefer pouches/mei tais in general, but for nursing on the fly there is nothing like a ring sling. In my opinion :)

[pnuts mama]

@amyinmotown- HA! i am so glad that you are still around, girl.

i'm with kate- it's easier to nurse the second one if the first one is happily playing in front of the tv.

what? i admit it. we have a tv in our house and we watch it.

[Cloud]

I've heard great things about the Moby for nursing on the go. I'm thinking of getting one for baby #2. For Pumpkin, I had a ring sling and she never really took to it. She wasn't a sling sort of baby- she wanted to be looking around, not snuggled in close. I only got her happy in the sling a few times. But those were great times.

I watched a lot of HGTV during the nursing marathons. Just engaging enough to keep me from going insane with boredom, but no plot for my sleep deprived brain to try to follow. I also read a lot of paperbacks. My criteria for selecting a book was whether or not it could easily be handled with one hand. I wonder if the Kindle would be good for this?

I remember the 6 week spurt the best. I was practically glued to my nursing chair. I ate a lot of cashews (easy protein to eat one handed). My parents were visiting. I remember my Dad wondering if something was wrong because Pumpkin was nursing so much. And my Mom, who ROCKS, told him to shut up, Pumpkin was fine and I was doing great. And then she brought me a bagel and egg sandwich to eat and did the dishes. Seriously, I wish I could clone my Mom and send her out to new mothers everywhere.

Anyway, Kat- you're doing great. Keep it up!

[lulu]

I LOVED Operating Instructions! Anne Lamott is one of my favorites!

But on to the point... Those early weeks are such a huge adjustment and I'd just like to point out that, for Kat, the "vegging out" may be easier said than done. During those early weeks it can be very awkward to figure out the nursing thing. Sometimes felt like it took all of my energy to get comfortable, get that latch right (which was a big issue for my second--soreness, bleeding, mastitis, oh the memories). I cannot imagine being relaxed enough to have just chilled on the couch... Not to discount the advise of other, just putting another perspective out there.

@Kat, if your not sore and reflux isn't an issue, I'm with the others. Nurse, nurse, nurse and don't listen to anyone who tells you that you don't have enough milk.

It does get so much easier and fairly quickly. Breathe deeply.

[sfsaf]

I concur on the "Operating Instructions" recommendation! I read that twice whilst Otter napped on my lap. I then went on to read every other book she's written. But that first one was a lifesaver. A humorous recounting of the perfectly nuerotic state of mind of a new mother. Loved it!

Also, don't be alarmed the night that the wee one won't wake up. At a few weeks old Otter wouldn't wake up one night after waking up every few hours and we freaked out and called the on call doctor at 1 a.m. She said, "is he tired?" "Let him sleep." Seems so simple in retrospect. Just something to keep in the back of your mind when that happens, too.

[Karen]

30 Rock seasons 1 & 2 got me through the 3 week growth spurt. Oi. That was rough. We're just entering the 37 week sleep regression now (Pea got up at 4:45 this morning. Double Oi.)

[z]

i had the moby and while i loved the moby i found it hard to nurse baby#2 in it mostly because my baby refused to nurse with anything covering him up... plus i think i wasn't doing it correctly.. anyhow i do think that if you can practice and your kid doesn't mind the wrap being on them it's a great wrap to have for baby#2. in our house yes we did tv a lot when baby#2 was born during nursing sessions. sesame street and dora were my saviors. in our case it took about 24-36 hours to get the supply up to meet the baby's demands and so it worked out. also for those who can afford to get help or have help coming or mothers helpers scheduling help around 3 and 6 weeks is an excellent thing too. We did that with number 2 and it really helped to have somewhere there in the morning to help keep my then 18 month old occupied. and it also allowed me to have that mid-morning/early afternoon nap with baby that @ambrosia wrote about..

oh and
@paola i have been meaning to write and say thank you for the longest time. your advice given oh so long ago about getting #2 to nap when #1 napped from the beginning was something i took to heart and really helped me get through the tough times. It didn't work all the time but when it did it gave me a much needed break!

[Lisa]

@Cloud I wish we could clone your mom too! Mine just left from a 4-day visit to "help" during which she held the baby while I entertained my toddler, did housework, and cooked meals while recovering from a c-section. The kind of help that I could do without - and how come I didn't remember this from the first time around????

Unpadded ring sling, here I come. I tried nursing in the moby and it was a failure, but maybe because it's hard for me to tie it tightly enough to feel secure but loosely enough to nurse.

[Cloud]

Hmmm. I'll definitely have to rethink that Moby plan of mine. I have a ring sling. Maybe this baby will go with the sling thing a little easier. I've heard good things about the Ergo, too. Anyone out there want to share whether that works well for nursing?

[hedra]

I nursed in ring slings (ellaroo) with the older kids, but the olders were OLDER (4 years, and 3 years) so that makes a HUGE difference for being able to sit on the sofa for any period of time.

I also nursed sitting on the floor a LOT. Less distant from the roaming older child.

My one caveat on the constant nursing demand is that oversupply can kick in around now, too, and that will cause baby to want to nurse constantly as well (due to discomfort rather than hunger). Just watch the poop - if it starts getting green and runny (like thin yogurt, not fluffy like pudding or whipped cream with seeds), or very scanty and thin (like a yellow or green stain on the diaper instead of 'a good handful' of poo), think oversupply first. Call an LC if you see that (it isn't a panic call, just a 'okay, help me figure out exactly how long of block feeds I need to do for my particular situation - it's a little case-specific, so having someone talk about your conditions helps! For example, I know people for whom 2 hour block feeds were enough to settle it, and someone for whom it took 4-5 hours of all feeds on one breast before switching to shut the supply back to a normal level ... she had enough to feed triplets, seriously). Meanwhile, your baby's growth will take off if you have a moderate oversupply (pound-a-week or more is not unusual at all), and may slow WAY down if you have an extreme oversupply (the mom with triple supply had a baby who gained zero ounces in 4 weeks, but fortunately found a good LC and had a great family doc who trusted her to work with the LC rather than trying to force formula).

Hang in there! I never noticed any of the growth spurts because I had an oversupply from the first time (worse each time, and yes, even with twins I had an oversupply), so it was more like the baby was catching up to where I was, rather than the other way around. It was more like there was a change in the schedule of feeds, than there was a huge push for more feeds. I didn't get to experience a growth spurt feeding cycle until I had twins (they did finally catch up to my supply around 5 months, so I got to have the dual 6-month growth spurt experience as my first go with a notable growth spurt... whee).

Either way - regular growth spurt or oversupply, hang in there. Even oversupply is normal, it just takes different management.

[Melissa]

I also recall fussing at the breast as typical during a growth spurt. DS would root around, latch on and off and cry a bit like he was frustrated. He was always a round the clock boob man, so growth spurts tended to be intense. I think I watched 6 seasons of Gilmore Girls between all those marathon sessions. So much that DS recognized the theme song and was soothed by it.

[caramama]

@Cloud - It took me a while to figure out the Moby and get comfortable with it, and I don't think I ever nursed in it. I really think that now that I've had so much experience with the Moby, I could easily use it to nurse, but we'll see. I did nurse with the ring slings (not padded), and that worked out really well because they are so easy to adjust while they are on and even while the baby is in them.

About babies not liking slings - I know that not all babies like slings or will let you nurse in them. But my experience with my first child is that we had to work her into the sling and get her used to it. It was not an immediate hit. In fact, the first few times I got her in it was because I walked and walked while holding her until she fell asleep. Then I slowly sat down and even more slowly slipped the baby into the sling. Little by little. At first, she would wake up and thrash a bit, but after a few times, she stayed calm and soon learned to fall asleep while in it. Oh, and it helped A LOT if she was already swaddled so it didn't seem like too much of a transition.

My OT point, I guess, is that even if your baby doesn't like the sling at first, don't give up. Find ways to keep trying. If that's what you want. If you don't care or want to deal with it, that's a fine decision too. ;-)

[AmyinMotown]

pnuts mama, thank God someone else copped to the TV!

Also, to the OP, I couldn't hold books in one hand and nurse in the other but I could put a magazine down on the couch next to me and flip it with one hand. Brain, Child is probably responsible for any intellectual engagement I was able to maintain those first few months. Also, if they are doing a lot of "pop on, pop off" and fussing and have weird green poop, it may be an oversupply thing, like Hedra said. What worked for me was to nurse on one boob at a time --if he popped off after five minutes but was hungry again right away, I just nursed him on that same boob and not the other one. That way you can be sure he's getting the hindmilk (a word I love, I totally told my husband if were to start a mom band that would be its name).

Those first six weeks are not for the faint of heart, that's for sure. We didn't have Ask Moxie for my first, but my IRL friends were wonderful for telling me "it gets easier" over and over.

[Moxie of my own]

Another idea about books....I couldn't hold a paperback in one hand, but a nice hardback from the library (even the large print ones!) will stay open on the couch next to you. And the library was the first place I ever tried nursing in public because it had comfy chairs, quiet corners and picture windows to look out at the world. Lovely!

[Erin]

@Cloud - I nursed a lot in the ergo and the (more comfortable for a small-framed person) tentoes pack, from the very early weeks on. I just adjusted where the waist strap hit me so as to align babe's head and boob, which is pretty easy to do on the go. Sitting upright became my daughter's favorite nursing position.

[petite-boo]

Hang in there, and yes, nurse as often as baby needs/wants. This way your milk supply will stay up.
When both my daughters spurted I'd do as Moxie suggests - make a nice comfy nest in front of the tv, some juice, snacks and nurse all day! Quite frankly, I miss those days of quiet bonding. :)

[Cloud]

Thanks for the slings/wraps info, everyone. @Caramama- I have always suspected that I didn't try Pumpkin in the sling early enough. But she did love the Baby Bjorn from the minute she was old enough to go into it and would occasionally consent to the sling once I figured out how to position her in it so that she could look around. Now that I can see her personality as a toddler, I'm not surprised at the early behavior. The child has to SEE what's going on and wants to be in on the action!

It is interesting reading about the oversupply issue. We didn't have that problem, but I was a "one side at a time" nurser until Pumpkin was around a year old. It just worked out that way- she'd be full after one side. I wonder if just going with that was one of the few real strokes of luck I had early on?

For us, the screaming gas and weird poop that developed around 3-4 weeks old led me to eventually diagnose a sensitivity to cow's milk protein. I had to go off dairy (but thankfully, only dairy) until she was about 8 months old.

[effective nancy]

I kept track of the nursing sessions for a while. At three weeks, Tinkerbell would nurse for 45-60 minutes at a time (on ONE SIDE, because I was diagnosed with oversupply early), and would nurse up to, and I wish I was kidding, 23 times a day, with an average around 17 times a day. For three weeks. She gained weight like a sumo wrestler. I thought I was going to lose my mind.

I agree with a PP that now's a good time to watch out for reflux; 1 month is about the earliest that Zantac can be prescribed, and it helped us a lot. Didn't eliminate the colic, but nothing would. Also, don't forget that this is a good time to review things like Karp's "Happiest Baby," because the desperation for the kid to sleep so you can may become your highest priority (right after a refill on the lanolin). Good luck. It gets better!

[Neen]

I was lucky and the six week nurse-a-thon hit at the same time as my partner took our 18 month old daughter to visit his mother for 4 days. I started crying before they left the driveway, but then plunked my butt on the couch and watched "The Godfather" 1 and 2 over and over while nursing straight time. My teenagers were joking that the baby's first words would be "Luca Brassi sleeps with the fishes."

I have to admit, though, that during his growth spurts since then, there have been a lot of Backyardigans on at our house.

I've also always had enough milk to feed the whole neighbourhood (as my mother is fond of saying) and always only nursed on one side at a feeding.

[Lara]

Ah, we did this at 3, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 weeks here. Thank goodness for granola bars, trail mix, T.V. (exactly why I asked for Arrested Development on dvd for Christmas), and the fact that each time he did this I lost 2lbs. My son was a ravenous locust too and gained weight at a much faster pace than my daughter ever did.

[Cloud]

Ooh, Lara- I'd forgotten about that side benefit. I first fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans (which were never that tight) after that 6 week growth spurt. A nice reward for the three days of non-stop nursing!

[JH]

I'm going through the 3 month one right now---little guy had been pulling 5-6 hours in that 1st stretch @ night, and has gone back to every 3 hours...it'll pass.

[dsgghCorrr2tdsglds]

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