Baby Very Fussy at 3 Months From a Growth Spurt

Growth spurts are common throughout the first year. They tend to occur around 7-10 days old, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks (or 3 months), 4 months, 6 months, 8 1/2 months, 10 1/2 months, and 12 1/2 months old. Of course, every baby grows and develops on their unique timeline so you can’t expect them to start and end at the exact age but these are the average ages.

During a growth spurt, your baby is likely to be fussy for one major reason: hunger! Babies going through growth spurts typically get hungry very often to the point you feel like you are feeding them all day and night!

Babies going through a growth spurt also sleep a lot. They tend to get tired very quickly, take longer naps, and go to bed earlier.

Growth spurts last around 3-4 days to a week and once they are over, your baby’s fussiness should lessen.

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Sleep Regression and Developmental Leap

If your baby is very fussy at 3 months old and it comes on suddenly, they could also be going through a developmental leap. At 3 months old, many babies are becoming smoother with their physical movements and become more active. They might start rolling in one direction, from back to front, or from front to back. These developmental milestones can make your baby fussy.

In addition, this is a common age for babies to start breaking out of the swaddle. It’s a common time to stop swaddling.

During many developmental milestones, babies go through a sleep regression. During a sleep regression, your baby is likely waking frequently at night and taking short naps. The sleep regression around this time is the 4-month sleep regression. Some babies start this regression at 3 months old and the 4-month sleep regression lasts 3 to 4 weeks at its peak.

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Illness Leads to Very Fussy Babies at 3 Months

When you have a newborn, you typically keep visitors to a minimum to make sure no one unknowingly gives your baby a cold. However, eventually, you want more visitors and to get out of the house. So, a common reason for babies to be very fussy at 3 months is due to illness. It’s typically a cold though almost all children get RSV at least once in their first two years. My son got RSV within the first 3 months of his life, too.

In addition to viruses, if your baby is very fussy, you might consider if they have GERD or Infant Reflux. Taking a trip to the doctor might be in order as this is a very common condition diagnosed, now. And, if your baby is on medication, we have found that sometimes the dosage needs to be adjusted around this age. Babies grow very fast these first few months!

Also, if your baby has experienced colic, this is a common age for it to end. However, some babies don’t stop until closer to 4 months old.

What about teething?

Generally, teething doesn’t start until after 5 months old even if your baby is drooling. This is NOT as likely causing your baby’s fussiness.

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3 Tips to Get Through This Fussy Period

Assuming you’ve ruled out any health issues with your baby’s doctor, there are ways to get through this frustrating stage with your 3-month-old:

Feed Your Baby

This might seem like a no-brainer but we see some parents who are very rigid with their baby’s schedule. For example, those following 12 Hours by 12 Weeks will feed their baby only every 4 hours. During a growth spurt, though, that can lead to very long days of fussiness! In addition, in some cases, sometimes you will get short naps if your baby’s next meal is landing during the middle of a nap.

Consider increasing the size of your baby’s feedings in addition to feeding more often during a growth spurt. Or, it could be time to start solid foods with your doctor’s permission. Some doctors will add solid foods earlier if the baby has a big appetite. Generally, we try to wait until 6 months old so it depends on the baby.

Shorten Wake Windows

When your baby is growing and developing rapidly, they might get tired more quickly than they did a few weeks ago. Consider shortening the wake windows before naps and bedtime. The proper 3-month old schedule can do wonders for a fussy baby!

Wear Your Baby and Go for Walks

When babies are going through developmental leaps and/or illnesses, they often feel a bit more apprehensive about the world around them. They want to be close to you and sometimes distracted. Going for a walk with your baby in a carrier can be a great way to give them both!

Whether your baby is 3 months, 6 months, or 10 months old, they are going through a lot this first year. Hang in there and know that these stages pass quickly. As the saying goes, the days are long but the years are short.

The post Why Baby is Very Fussy at 3 Months: 3 Reasons and 3 Tips appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

You can also find some great resources for parenting here.

Patience Stretching Technique

Patience stretching is one of the quickest methods for improving your child’s patience through gradually increasing their experiences with waiting for gratification. You can read about this method in-depth here. Simply put, you must learn to almost give your child what they want:

Say your child asks for a snack while you’re busy. Stop whatever you are doing to acknowledge them. Start to get them the snack but stop short and act as if looking for something else, exclaiming “Oh wait!”

After just a few seconds, give your child the snack and praise them for waiting. This quick response rewards your child for their patience and gives them the impression that even if they have to wait a little bit, you will still give them what they want.

Over time, make them wait a few more seconds each time before you reward them to stretch out their patience.

Patience Stretching with a Timer

You can also use a simple timer in this method for an alternative approach:

First, find a time to explain how the timer works to your child when they are calm and attentive. Tell them that when the timer goes off, you will come right back to them!

When they later start pestering you for something, start by immediately responding and almost giving them what they want, before exclaiming “Wait!” and appearing to suddenly remember something.

Set the timer and tell them you will be back when it rings.

When you get back, give them what they have asked for and verbally praise them for waiting.

Gradually increase the duration of the timer, starting low at around 20 seconds and working your way up to a few minutes.

Speaking in Public

When your child wants to say something in public, you will need to find a way to train them to wait. One such method involves a simple action that the child must take before speaking, to let you know they want something without interrupting:

This may be putting their hand on your leg, to which you should immediately respond in kind, i.e. put your hand on theirs or nod to acknowledge them.

After a short delay, turn to them and ask what they wanted to say, praising them and thanking them for waiting.

It is important with this technique to avoid a double-standard – extend the same courtesy to your child when you want to talk to them while they are occupied, so they learn that this respect and patience are normal.

For more detailed information on how to handle difficult situations with your child in public, read this article.

Identify Triggers

At the end of the day, some people simply have much more patient temperaments than others and even the most patient of children can have bad days and act out. So, what can you do?

It is vital to identify the triggers of negative reactions to learn how to handle them.

Perhaps your child is quickly frustrated by a particular activity: calmly show them how to improve and be patient with them as they learn.

Model Behavior

This means being aware of the fact that your child is watching you and handling difficult situations calmly, with patience and respect to pattern such desirable behavior for your child. By embodying the ideal attitudes and behaviors you want them to mimic, you are normalizing them. Whether you are a stay-at-home-mom or not, this is vital!

Avoid any demonstrations of your frustration (e.g. rolling your eyes, complaining, etc.) as this will give them the impression that waiting is bad. Try to take issues as they come, laugh at complications, and problem-solve out loud to impress a standard model on them of how to handle stress and frustration with patience and positivity.

Mistakes to Avoid

Avoiding sarcasm is essential, as your child may not always pick up on your meaning and be confused and more frustrated. Be clear when communicating with them in stressful situations.

Another common mistake is constant nagging and rushing – it sets a negative precedent to the child that doing what they are told, dealing with frustrations, and being patient with others is a hassle, a chore. Demonstrate patience yourself by being clear and neutral in handling stressors.

Of course, you will have to try a few things to find what works best for your particular child, as every infant has a different temperament and level of patience. But these are just some of the many possible techniques for teaching your child patience to ready them for interactions. For five more tips on teaching patience, check out this article.

Linsey C. Martin is a freelancer who found her passion for writing at LuckyAssignments.com and Gumessays.com, where she enjoys share her knowledge with her readers, listening to their success stories, and applying her tips and tricks in various fields. She also write for Researchpapersuk.com blog.

The post 6 Techniques to Teach Your Infant to Be Patient appeared first on The Baby Sleep Site - Baby / Toddler Sleep Consultants.

What is the Moro reflex (aka Startle reflex)?

The Moro reflex is sometimes referred to as the startle reflex. It is a perfectly normal newborn reflex that indicates that the baby’s nervous system is developing properly. The Moro reflex is a biological response to new or unfamiliar stimuli in an infant’s environment. When it is triggered, you may see your baby stretching their arms and legs out in front of them. The baby will then curl the arms and legs closer to their body again, as if in a slight fetal position. Your baby may gasp or cry, or they may make no noise when they do it.

Why does it happen?

The Moro reflex is an involuntary response. It is something that your baby does in response to being startled to something in their environment. Research suggests that when the Moro reflex is triggered, a baby experiences a sensation of free-falling. It is this jolt that causes them to reach out and then retract their arms back towards their bodies. The Moro reflex acts as a type of alarm that is triggered when the baby receives sudden or excessive information, via their senses.

Experts have suggested that the Moro reflex has developed as a way to protect a child from danger and to prevent them from falling. They believe that it is part of a primitive survival instinct to alert the baby to their loss of balance and to help hold on, or cling, to their mother.

Triggers

The Moro reflex is triggered when a baby experiences a sudden change in sensual stimulation. There are many such triggers, but some of the most common ones are:

• Loud or unexpected noises.
• A change in altitude or an event that alters the baby’s balance – for example, when a baby is placed into a crib or placed into or taken out of the bath.
• Sudden or abrupt changes in intensity of light.
• A sudden or unexpected touch.
• A change from one surface to another.

How long does it last?

The Moro reflex is most prominent in newborns. For most infants, it gradually gets better and usually disappears by around 4 to 6 months. The improvement of the Moro reflex will be most noticeable as your baby becomes stronger. Usually, by around 6 weeks the neck muscles on your baby’s neck will be stronger and more developed. This means that they will have a better overall balance and will be starting to improve and develop the ability to support themselves. At this stage, the Moro reflex will start to improve too.

How to Help

The world outside of the womb can be overwhelming and startling. Luckily there are things you can do to reassure your baby and to help minimize the chances of the Moro reflex disrupting your baby’s (and your) sleep.

• Hold your baby close to your body when you lay them down. Make sure your baby’s back is touching the mattress before you gently release them. This way, your baby should have enough support to prevent them from experiencing the sensation of falling.
• Swaddle your baby. Swaddling restricts your baby’s movement and helps to recreate the womb environment, which can help soothe a baby when they experience the Moro reflex. It will also help the baby to learn to self-soothe as they get older. Products like the Zipadee Zip can be great for babies who need some restriction but who need to stop being swaddled.
• Reassure your baby. Gently place your hand on their chest if they are laying down, or hold them close to your body. This touch will soothe the baby and reassure them that you are nearby.
• Daily movement. As your baby gets stronger and has greater control over their movements, they will likely demonstrate the Moro reflex less often. Make time for your baby to have the opportunity to move around and have space to stretch out their limbs.

What if there is an absence of Moro reflex?

It is healthy for your baby to exhibit the Moro reflex. The absence of the Moro reflex, on one or both sides, can be a potential sign of problems with your baby’s nervous system. A doctor will check your baby’s reflexes (including the Moro reflex) at birth. If you notice an absence of the Moro reflex, bring this to the pediatrician’s attention as soon as possible.

Bio: Aimee Laurence is successful writer and editor at Eliteassignmenthelp.com and Bigassignments.com websites. She has written a range of articles on the topic of parenting and she is a freelance editor at Statetofwriting.com.

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