baby girl 7 month old looking at her dad and smiling

It might be something unknown to you yet or maybe you have heard about baby’s growth spurt from other Mums. In this little blog, I have put together a little summary of what they are, when they happen and how you can survive them.

What are baby growth spurt ?

A baby growth spurt is a phase during when they will grow and develop new skills. They are usually short period of time, which can last a few days to maybe 1 week or 10 days, and they are quite intense when your baby’s brain and body will grow significantly.

How to recognise a baby ‘s growth spurt ?

baby girl 7 months old playing with her soft teddy and wearing a beautiful knitted outfit from Hank knitwear

A growth spurt requires a LOT of energy from your baby. So they will definitely be restless, grumpy and very needy during these few days. If you had a little routine kind of set up already, forget it. Baby will most likely struggle to sleep, fall asleep or stay asleep. They will fuss and cry a lot. It will feel like nothing is calming them.

You might notice that :

they need more feed
they struggle to sleep or nap
they get fussy or easily cry if you put them down
they want to be held all the time
your normal rhythm is gone overnight

The key is to not doubt yourself. You are a great Mum and you are already giving everything that your baby needs.

When do they happen ?

portrait of a 7 months old baby girl seated on the floor and looking up at her mum

They are 6 big growth spurts known in their first year of life. They will develop new skills in each of them.

Every baby is different but they are usually noticed around this time :

Week 4-5 : They start smiling at you and they become more aware of their environment
Week 8 : They see and hear better. Their sense of smell and taste improve too. They develop boredom too and want to be entertained more.
3 Months : Big changes in this one as they develop social behaviours. They lift their head during tummy time and they can grasp little things to bring to their mouth and taste it of course !
6 Months : They start to babble and they want to move around. They have more facial expressions.
9 Months : They can crawl and they can roll over from tummy to back and vice-versa. They get really hungry and love to try new solid food.
13 Months : They start walking ( could be earlier if they have a brother or sister). Make sure the house is baby proof !

How to survive your baby’s growth spurt ?

It will be overwhelming but it’s only for a short period of time. Once they have mastered their new skills, you will noticed a difference in them. A few tips to stay sane :

Let go of your schedule. Feed on demand, give lot of snuggles. Your routine will be back soon.
Ask for help. Accept support from your partner or a friend. If they can come prep some food for you or do some cleaning. Any help should be welcome.
Lower your expectations. Yes the house will be a mess and it’s okay. This pile of dishes or clothes will wait. Your baby and your mental health are the priority, in addition of sleep.
Comfort is key. Your baby will need all the love and cuddles during this short and intense period. Having them in the sling or sleeping next to them will reassure them. They know you are here for them.
It’s only a phase. It is temporary and will lasts only a few days.

7 months baby girl wearing a knitted outfit from Hank knitwear and smiling at her mum while seated on a sofa

Which age to photograph ?

Well I love every age of your baby ! Every stage is different from newborn curled-up photos, to a sitter with lot of facial expressions, chubby thighs and cheeky smiles. I love them all from newborn, sitter to first birthday. I would always recommend to capture them all, so you can cherish and remember them forever !

It might be your last baby or your only baby, so don’t have regrets and capture it all Mama ( it costs less than having a coffee on-the-go every day of the year). Invest in your memories, you will never regret it.

Contact me to book your session