Growth Spurts Baby: Interesting Facts About Growth

Every growth spurt a baby goes through changes it from a helpless infant to a little person who explores the world with all his senses.

To make this miracle possible, the nerve cells in your child’s brain network in increasingly complex ways. In the process, eight growth spurts can be identified, after which your child masters his or her body in a different way than before.

This development will occur in a unique way in every baby, because nature produces man and not the other way around.

Once the baby is born, it is completely dependent on you in every way.

It cannot move purposefully, the brain structure does not yet form thoughts, and suddenly it is assailed by sensations such as hunger, thirst, discomfort and restlessness. Therefore, in the first year of life, a rapid development takes place to bring the baby out of this complete dependence.

Your baby will learn.

  • To coordinate its movements.
  • To associate physical shapes with names.
  • To distinguish people.
  • To control its body until it is upright.
  • To digest different foods.
  • To distinguish feelings from one another.

These are just some of the changes that help an infant grow into a toddler.

Although the child develops a little physically and mentally every day, the development in a baby can be divided into different stages. One aspect is particularly important.

A growth spurt that allows babies to mature does not take place according to the timetables you find in parenting guides. There, every developmental spurt that the baby goes through is assigned to a specific week of life, which is problematic.

Human development does not follow our guidelines.

Man is an individual being. His physical and mental growth depends on his environment, especially in the first years of life.

If the child is allowed to develop at his own pace, the development from baby to toddler will take place in a different time sequence than in the case of a child who is inserted into the social structure at an early age.

Why Is This Fact So Important?

Because you will learn to compare your child. You will receive good advice from the family and your environment and you may wonder when the next developmental spurt will occur in the baby.

If you place your child in a childcare facility within the first year of life, there is a whole list of skills that should already be developed. So that your child can be better integrated into the group structure.

Conclusion: As soon as your baby is born, its development is measured by reference values. Where do these values come from?

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They are average values based on other people’s experiences. Thousands of children have been observed in their development.

It was recorded in which weeks of life they developed certain behaviors or showed physical changes.

Based on the development that takes place in a baby, average values were determined.

Although some children had their first teeth as early as four months and others at seven months, there is now an expectation that the first teeth will erupt at six months. If they show earlier, the baby is apparently precocious.

If they have not erupted at seven months, something may be wrong. Read a report on the site eltern.de, in which the pediatrician Prof. Dr. Michael Hermanussen reports on studies that describe growth spurts in a baby.

They state very clearly that timing cannot and should not be fixed.

Each Developmental Spurt Takes The Baby To The Next Level

It is comparisons that give our children an early sense that something is wrong with them.

Although the child is developing in an individual way, society makes them feel like they are not right. This becomes particularly clear in children’s institutions, because here the child experiences himself in constant comparison to the children in his group.

If the individuality of the young person is not strengthened, the roots for feelings of inferiority, fears and the suppression of one’s own abilities are laid here.

That is why this topic is so important for you as a mother or father. Every growth spurt that is seen in babies will happen in an individual way.

But never let anyone tell you when it should be. If you orient yourself to time guidelines, you will become insecure. You will begin to observe your child and wonder if he or she is physically and mentally healthy.

You will change and show impatience because you expect a certain development in the baby. In this way you will exert pressure. Exactly the pressure to perform, which most people break in later life.

Every developmental push that is necessary for the baby will come. Without having to exert pressure.

Please think about the following things that make your baby different from other children:

  • Your baby was in a completely different physical and emotional environment than other babies during your pregnancy.
  • You had your diet, other pregnant women had theirs.
  • The delivery of your baby was very different from other mothers.
  • You are a mother with an individual past.
  • You react differently in situations than other mothers and thus shape your child.
  • You have different feelings in certain situations than other mothers and transfer this perception to your child.
  • Your child drinks milk at different times and in different quantities than other babies.
  • Your baby is influenced by a different environment than other babies.
  • Your baby was a different size and maturity level at delivery than other babies.
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This list can be continued endlessly. Your baby is not “the others” and certainly not average.

Constant comparisons of when the next developmental spurt will occur in the baby are evidence of fear that has been instilled in the people of industrial society.

We have discarded the connection with the natural processes of life because man seeks control and this can apparently be achieved with machines. Life can be controlled, but at what price?

Your life as a mother will only consist of uncertainty if you compare the development in the baby with the guidelines of development guides.

Your child will learn that it is not good enough because the next growth spurt has not yet been reached. As soon as this has occurred, the next growth spurt that is in store for the baby is already being looked for.

Can you see how that can’t be a good life for a child?

Let’s summarize: Yes, there is a growth spurt for babies. No, it cannot be timed.

All children go through the same developments. But how long a growth spurt lasts for each baby and when it happens is different for each child.

Development In The First Year Of Life – The Growth Spurt In A Baby

1. The first major change occurs after a few weeks. The baby is born and first gets used to its body and gravity. In the next step, it expands its attention towards the environment.

It is said that at about 5 weeks, babies focus more on their surroundings and recognize objects that are moving. Again, it should be said that time indication and the type of development can differ in the baby.

Some children stay “with themselves” for a very long time and only pay attention to their surroundings later. Moreover, their behavior also depends on the mother. If the mother feels deeply attached to the child, the baby is satiated by her attention and is interested in external stimuli only at a later stage.

2. The second developmental spurt in the baby concerns the child’s bodily motor skills and senses. Smelling, tasting and touching already function much better in the 8th week of life, and a few weeks later hearing and seeing are also more mature.

Your baby perceives sounds more clearly, observes faces, reaches for his feet, grasps small toys independently for the first time and makes faces.

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3. During the third growth spurt, the baby increasingly shows conscious interaction.

Your child follows you with his looks and communicates his feelings in a differentiated way. He smiles, begins to babble, squeaks and increasingly enjoys his vocal exercises.

Finger motor skills develop and your baby can put his fingers in his mouth. He likes to kick and train his muscles in this way, takes his head off the floor in the prone position and becomes increasingly mobile.

4. The fourth major developmental stage, which the baby goes through around the 19th week of life, involves teething, body growth, and the oral phase. This means that your baby puts everything he can reach into his mouth, because the first teeth are almost formed and are about to erupt.

This developmental spurt can cause a health crisis in the baby, which is typical of upheaval.

In the prone position, your offspring can now lift their head for longer periods and observe their surroundings. First attempts to turn succeed under their own power and your baby becomes much more active.

This is also the beginning of the phase in which the baby specifically seeks your closeness in order to feel safe. Many doctors advocate complementary feeding at this stage, so that your baby is fed fruit and vegetable porridge in addition to milk.

You can find out how to prepare the first complementary food meal here.

5. At 6.5 months, a strong development takes place in the baby that affects his sensations. He expresses feelings in a more differentiated way, so that you can distinguish his feelings very precisely into fear, joy, anger or sadness.

It is very interested in the cause and effect of things and is interested in all processes in its environment. Now your offspring will consciously play with you by dropping objects that you may pick up and give back to him.

The baby develops great stamina and will keep you busy for a long time. At this time, the so-called strangeness can occur.

Your baby now distinguishes very precisely between family members and strangers. This is about familiar energies of the family and the charisma of other people, which can feel completely different.

The linguistic area also continues to develop. During this developmental spurt, the baby will try out more and more sounds, babble loudly and squeak.

6. The 37th week of life represents another big change in your child’s life. It begins to crawl. But here, too, you should never draw conclusions about your own child based on average values.

In its development, the baby can also skip this step and start crawling a few months later. The baby’s developmental spurt can also become visible in other ways.

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For some children, the tummy seal is a more pleasant way to explore the home. The first words can be articulated in an understandable way, but again, every child is different.

Fine motor skills become more pronounced and the child begins to practice scissor holds. If your baby is particularly curious, he will try to take the spoon out of your hand at feeding time.

7. By the 46th week of life, most children can sit and play in this position. Their range of action and mobility are increasing. Because of this growth spurt, the baby always wants to be near you and tries to imitate you.

Every piece of furniture becomes an object on which it can pull itself up and stand on its legs. During this time, special caution is required, as your offspring cannot yet foresee the consequences of its actions.

The pinch grip is developing, fine motor skills are becoming more mature, and social interactions can be clearly seen.

8. At just under one year of age, many children are standing on their feet and walking by hand or without holding on. However, your baby is perfectly healthy if he or she decides to explore the world on two legs as late as 15 months.

Children at this age have a penchant for throwing things and now try to assert themselves very vehemently. It is not uncommon for there to be crying when limits are set. Your baby feels its freedom and wants to live it out in all areas.

He will not like the fact that he has to be made familiar with certain limits. The so-called first phase of defiance is a necessary step in the development that every baby goes through.

The urge for self-determination makes it possible to make one’s own decisions later in life. Limits should therefore be set and explained lovingly so that the child does not generalize a limitation.

Through each developmental push, a baby becomes more independent and takes more of its natural abilities. This developmental process occurs at its own pace and should never be compared to other children.

Give your baby time to develop in his or her own way. There are many changes in the first year of life that you should enjoy in your own way.

At just over a year old, your baby will be a toddler, eating and drinking on his own, teething, speaking a few words, and possibly walking. Be surprised at how these things come about and enjoy the changes.

So that your child can grow up without conditioning.

The best products for you and your baby.

Baby monitor

With a baby monitor, you can use your time flexibly, sleep peacefully at night and still know at all times that your baby is doing well.

Nursing pillow

A good breastfeeding pillow has several advantages, because it helps you not only to breastfeed, but also to fall asleep and is also suitable as a nest.

Diaper bags

A diaper bag offers you a lot of storage space, so that you have everything you need for your baby on the go - from the changing pad to the bottle.

Pucksack

A pucksack gives your baby the feeling of security, like in the womb, and thus supports a peaceful and restful sleep.

Bicycle trailer

Bicycle trailers can be used in combination with a baby seat shortly after birth. They are not only safer than child seats but also more comfortable.

Playpen

A playpen can be very practical in everyday life! Which model is suitable for your needs, you can read in my guide.

Baby bed

The first bed accompanies your child for years. Fortunately, there are beds that grow with your child. I have made for you on the search for the best baby beds.

Stroller

A stroller is a worthwhile purchase. But there are the most diverse models on the market. Find out which is the right one.

Radiant heater

Radiant heaters provide your child with the necessary warmth when changing diapers or after bathing.

Extra bed

Side beds are very practical and offer both mother and baby a lot of advantages, because for babies, especially in the first months of life, it is reassuring to be able to sleep next to their parents.