how long does a 12 week growth spurt last? could it be something else?

[ElleOhElle]

DS is 13 weeks, last week his feeding had settled from 2hourly to 3 to 4 hourly but since Friday he's gone. back to 2 hourly. He's also not sleeping as well at night. Could a growth spurt last 5 days or is this something else??

Is he being bf? At the risk of being flamed I reckon he's hungry (I don't understand why upping a bottle fed babies' feeds) or increasing his bm. if it's poss. is ok but not giving some pureed pear before his bedtime or whatever.

yeah he's breastfed and won't take a bottle.

My 3 month old's feeding doesn't seem to have any rhyme or reason to it, some days he goes a long time between feeds but other times he wants to feed all day. Does he seem happy on the breast? I'd he still having plenty of wet nappies? If so maybe he just wants to feed for comfort. If you want to try to space out his feeds a little maybe try going for a long walk with the baby in a sling :)

he's feeding well, latching on fine etc. He'll wake for a feed even though we're out for a walk, he does seem extra hungry maybe he's trying to up the supply (he is quite a big boy)

Just breastfeed on demand and resist the temptation to feel that every variation in feeding pattern needs a "name" (growth spurt)

Just feed on demand!

Which is much easier said than done mrsmugoo when maybe you've got other children and a life to live. I gave my 3rd. L.O. fresh fruit puree at 3 months because he was chewing his fists fgs. after each feed, he's 27 and has no problems btw.

I appreciate having a baby on the boob constantly must be hard with more than one (I'm only on my first) but the OP wasn't asking about early weaning she was asking about more frequent feeding being due to a "growth spurt" and I'm just saying forget trying to give it a name, just give the milk that's asked for.

Personally I don't think early weaning is the answer for frequent feeding at that age, but yes it was the done thing in the 80s and we all lived to tell the tale.

I started weaning mine at 5.5 months hoping it might help with the near constant breastfeeding but he was still breastfeeding 2 hourly til gone 7 months.

It's just a fashion. For the life of me I can't see why in the 1st world it's better to have to keep them on formula ( I understand keeping them on the breast if you can manage it, though our GD was allergic to her mothers' milk) as opposed to fruit after 3 months, it's weird.

Because fruit doesn't have many calories in it compared to formula which is specifically tailored to provide the exact amount of calories and nutrients for babies by volume.

If you're on a diet what do you eat? Fruit and veg! If you wanted to gain weight/bulk up you'd eat full fat dairy.

Also fruit is basically just carbs (fruit sugars) and has no protein or fat.

It's protein and fat that provide the sustained energy that growing infants need.

There is fibre and plenty of vitamins in fruit, I'm not talking pre prepared fruit just slightly mashed pear, I'm not suggesting they go without ANY milk. Cows milk has too much protein (the protein molecules are too large for the human gut) witness all the allergies in everyone .

I'm sorry but there's no logic to giving a 13 week old baby puréed pear if they are extra hungry. There's just not.

I'm old and was given solids earlier than 3 months; I'm healthy because I follow a healthy diet now. How come so many babies are so ill if the late weaning is so brilliant? it's just a fashion as i said.

It's not a fashion - it's the most up to date medical advice.

Advice changes over time as knowledge improves.

Tiny underdeveloped guts do not need fibre - they need milk.

Not cows milk though. I heard a very interesting Food Programme on R4 about formula which is filled with all sorts of synthetic vitamins. That's why I take issue with the latest medical advice. Also all babies are not the same; like people.

It's advice aimed at the 3rd world basically which has very varying water quality. I'd agree if it were possible to ebf with a family and a life but iMO and E,realistically it isn't.

Well I EBF my first and I'll do my absolute damnedest to EBF my next, but I'm still very unconvinced on early weaning at that age! Just doesn't seem logical to me at all.

To me, yes mothers milk is better than cows. But if cows is needed that would still be preferable to such early weaning.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion but there is a difference between opinion and peddling misinformation.

When I started weaning DS, his sleep deteriorated because he was starvjng. Because things like fruit purees were taking up room in his stomach - meaning he couldn't take in as much milk during the day, so he was waking at night to top up his calories. So 'feed fruit puree' is bonkers advice for a 3 month old. Fibre makes their bodies work harder to digest it - therefore more calories please - and doesn't have them vitamins they're but getting through milk.

There's just no evidence that there's benefit on early weaning, and plenty that it can increase the risk of problems.

Outside of rare generic issues babies generally aren't allergic to breastmilk - they're allergic to something the mother is eating that's being passed to the baby. Cow's milk protein is the most common.