Are you concerned about your baby's or infant growth? It makes you think and panic a little when you noticed that your baby doesn't seem to be growing as fast as the other babies?

Well, I think you shouldn't panic at all. There are so many factors or explanation regarding infant growth charts.

Healthy infants come in a range of sizes. The rate at which your infant grows in the first year depends on several factors, including sex, diet and genetics. For example, boys usually grow faster than girls do, and bottle-fed babies tend to put on weight faster than breast-fed babies do.

Many healthy babies go through brief periods when they stop gaining weight or even lose a little weight. However, a doctor would likely be concerned only if an otherwise healthy baby doesn't gain weight for three consecutive well-baby exams during the first year.

Doctors monitor infant growth chart at well-baby exams using standard growth charts, which compare your baby's weight, height and head circumference with those of other babies who are the same sex and age. Infants who fall below a certain weight range for their age or who are failing to gain weight at the expected rate may require further evaluation.

So how much should you expect your infant to grow in the first year?

* Weight. Infants generally gain 4 to 7 ounces (113 to 198 grams) a week during the first month. After the first month, they gain an average of 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a month for the first six months. From six months to 1 year, they gain about 1 pound (0.5 kilogram) a month.
* Height. Infants generally grow about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) a month during the first six months, and about 1/2 inch (1 centimeter) a month from six months to one year.

Below is a table of infant growth chart that you can use or you may depend upon.

Infant Growth Chart - Baby Growth Chart
Adapted from the National Center for Health Statistics, 2000

Age of infant	Average growth in height	Average growth in weight
0-6 months	6-7 inches (15-18 centimeters)	7-12 pounds (3-5 kilograms)
6-12 months	3-4 inches (8-10 centimeters)	5-7 pounds (2-3 kilograms)
12-24 months	4-5 inches (10-13 centimeters)	5-7 pounds (2-3 kilograms)

Hope this post helps you out in regards with infant growth chart - baby growth chart questions and/or problems of yours. And if you're still concerned and a little bit of doubtful about your child's size or rate of growth, consult your child's doctor.

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This is an original article I find while browsing the web for some helpful ideas, advice and article about baby growth spurts. I find this one really useful and helpful for those persons who are really having a hard time dealing with the baby growth spurts situation.

This is a very basic explanation and really simple advice that we can easy implement during this "growth spurts" period of time.

Enough of the talks and introductions, here is the article.

If there is a rule that would help moms survive growth spurts with a smile, it would have to be, "Don't Watch The Clock!" Don't watch the clock for how long baby has been nursing. Don't watch the clock for how long it's been since baby last wanted to nurse. Don't watch the clock for how many times you've been awakened that night to nurse.

Signs of a Growth Spurt

* Baby is nursing often or almost nonstop
* A baby who was previously sleeping through the night is now waking to nurse several times
* Baby will latch and unlatch, fussing in between

These signs are all signals to the mom's body to "MAKE MORE MILK NOW!" Our bodies listen very well if we will merely respond to the baby's needs. The extra suckling will stimulate your body to make more milk.

Often Observed After a Growth Spurt

* Baby sleeps extra for a day or two
* Mom is a bit fuller than usual for a day or so
* Baby calms down at the breast
* You may see an increase in wettings with the increased supply baby is drinking

Growth spurts seem to throw new moms for a loop. Just when they thought they were beginning to understand their baby's signals, they abruptly changed. The frequent requests to nurse can be confusing as well as the frequency with which growth spurts happen within the first few months. The key is purely and simply to go with the flow (pun intended!) If you respond to your baby's signals to nurse during a growth spurt and do not interfere with them in any manner, your body will quickly respond and increase supply. Typically it happens within 24 to 48 hours. Sometimes growth spurts seem to drag on for a week. This would be a good time to make sure you're drinking plenty water.

You may visit the original article/post at Dr. Jay Gordon Website.

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How does a mother deals with the baby growth spurt period? What are the most common problems that a mother encounter during this situation?

I will try to answer this questions in this post. But also, I do need your opinions regarding this matter so please feel free to leave useful comments at the comment section.

Dealing With Baby Growth Spurts

When a baby is on his/her growth spurts era, he/she tends to be more hungrier than before. Also sleeping time schedule changes due to this matter.

The mother will be experiencing lack of sleep. She needs to feed her baby more often during the night or midnight from 4-5 times with 2-3 hours interval. This is just pretty normal. I know it is really hard to be in this kind of situation.

You may consult to a family doctor who knows about this kind of situation to seek advice on what you can do about it. Usually, they will just tell you that "it is normal" and you are not the only one experiencing this.

My personal suggestion is you take a rest or make some sleep when your baby is also sleeping or after you breastfeed her/him. It will be just like you are adjusting with her/his feeding and sleeping schedule.

That all for now, pretty short but straight forward advice. More of the baby growth spurts post and advices to come.

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When you notice that your newborn baby is always demanding of breastfeeding more often than he/she usually would; then he/she is in a stage of baby growth spurts.

"Growth spurts", or periods of increased nursing, commonly occur at around 10 days to 3 weeks of age, 6 weeks of age, 3 months of age, and 6 months of age.

Although deviations from these time or periods are pretty normal as well. Read more below to further explain more about the infants growth spurts.

During this kind of situation, your baby may demand to feed more often than he/she has previously, sometimes you must feed them every after 45 minutes or 1 hour. He/she may seem fussy and still wanting more after feedings than he has in days before.

This increase in the number of feedings is baby's way of increasing your milk supply to meet his needs. Allow your baby the extra time at the breast that he needs. Do not supplement your baby when this situation occurs. Express milk feeding or quick milk feeding is considered milk supplementing. In a few days when he has increased your supply and he/she is satisfied with his/her growing needs, he will return to his previous nursing pattern.

Be aware of this situation so that when these occur, you know now what to do and you may celebrate baby's growth and find solutions to accommodate the baby's new demands into your work day.

Growth spurts of infants are pretty normal. So make sure that you are always ready to be in this kind of situation. Make sure that you already know how does growth spurts breastfeeding works.

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