Does a 9 week growth spurt exist?!

[hazel88]

Hi all,

My DD turned 9 weeks yesterday and has driven me to tears today with lots of screaming, crying and being unsettled. She has reflux but this seems quite well - managed on Ranitidine. The past week or so her naps have completely gone to pot becoming quite eratic and a couple of nights ago she had a few nights of waking hourly pr even half-hourly and being ready to get up at 5:30 am, compared to going to bed at 7:30 ish and having a 5-6 hour sleep then waking once more or maybe twice and waking at 6-7 am. We have a rough routine which normally she seems to thrive on, but these last few days- week has been completely wild. Today she took 5oz at 11am, then another 5oz at 1pm, and 2oz at 3pm where she normally goes around 4 hours between feeds.

When I asked the HV for advice yesterday she scorned me for letting her nap in her car seat and for using a dummy at night- so since then I went cold turkey and DD is now taking the odd nap in her moses basket and the dummy has been abandoned up until this evening where I have surrendered to settle her.

She was unusually absolutely zonked earlier when we went shopping and it seemed nothing could wake her- normally she's a real light sleeper. She's been waking from her piddly little naps still yawning and red - eyed.

Do you believe a 9 week growth spurt exists?! I feel like I'm constantly winging it at the moment and doing whatever I need to just to get by and make DD a little calmer. I'm trying to tell myself that this won't last but I'm absolutely exhausted and feeling like a crap mother and not giving my LO the support she needs, just going with the moment and doing what I need to to get by. I'm feeling like I'm crumbling! I have a very supportive OH but he has a very physical job and does what he can to help, but when he gets in from work she's screaming the house down so after my brief shower I'm back down taking her back to settle her then upstairs shortly after for her bath then I'm doing all of the night stuff. I live for the weekends when he can offer a bit more support.

I know babies are constantly changing and nothing lasts but does this sudden change sound like a growth spurt? Advice greatly appreciated

[princessvikki]

Sounds more like teething to me my dd started at 8 weeks. Try teething crystals they work wonders. And don't listen to hv about dummy , your the mama you decide! I would rather my baby had a dummy and slept and was happy than be worried about a dummy

[mrsmalcolmreynolds]

I don't believe in "scheduled" growth spurts so if she is taking more milk than usual it seems pretty likely she is going through one! Second PP who said use the dummy if you find it helps - IMO it is extremely unprofessional of your HV to "scorn" you for anything!

With short erratic naps she could well be chronically overtired. I had this with DS at a similar age and decided to focus on trying to get vaguely regular naps of a decent length (an hour plus) - he spent a lot of time in the sling! Then later (about 7m) when things were more predictable I worked on cot naps. Using motion or dummies to help is not by any means necessarily setting yourself up for future problems!