# Sickness and growth spurts?



## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

My hubby has a theory that our son gets sick whenever he's having a growth spurt, so I did a Google search and found several links stating that it might be possible. Have any of you noticed such a thing with your kids?

Our son (just turned 12) got sick during the night last night and spent most of the day on the couch. He even took an hour and a half nap, which he never does! When he walked into the kitchen a few minutes ago, my husband and I both immediately exclaimed that he was taller. So, I measured him, and he's an inch and a half taller than he was the last time I measured him a few weeks ago!


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

Of course.
Growing is incredibly hard on the body.

Mine goes through a whole cycle.
-First he is a bottomless pit. When he was 3 he ate 6 adult plates of food in one day. His stomach was actually growling.
Sometimes his face and belly get a little fuller than normal.

-Then he grows.
And when he grows he sleeps..hard.
And sometimes he gets a little ill and feels cruddy.
That growth spurt when he was 3.. he slept for 3 days.

I am fortunate in that we homeschool now.
It was horrible when he was in school and would grow.
Absolutely miserable. So tired he was in agony.

Now he can sleep. If he is actually still completely unconscious at 9:30 in the morning it is because he needs the extra sleep.

Mine turned 11 at the end of November. We measured him today.
5'5 and a 1/2.
Yep.. taller than me.


Oh.. and a trip to the chiropractor after a growth spurt is a good thing.
Makes mine feel a thousand times better.


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## Freya (Dec 3, 2005)

Yep very similar to Chickenista here too! Plus mine usually also get uber crabby for a week on top of it. We also homeschool and it helps when they can sleep in at those times.


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

Yes, we homeschool too and I'm so glad!

Come to think of it, I remember being just astounded by how much he was eating last week.

He is now 5'3" and is a head taller than his three best friends who are all a half year older than he is.


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## Elffriend (Mar 2, 2003)

My DS doesn't get ill, but he definitely becomes a bottomless pit and sleeps TONS extra just before a growth spurt. And he always put on weight before height.


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## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

My daughters never did this (but both are short and petite, and never had mammoth growth spurts), but my grandsons have. Hungry, sleepy, crabby, vulnerable to illness. They're 12 and 14 now.

The worst I've ever seen was my friend's son. He was a string all through childhood, and a very picky eater. But one summer he was voracious. I'd swear he was always sleeping only when he wasn't eating or at the doctor's, as he had more aches and pains than anyone should ever have. That summer he grew from 5'3" to 6'3" and she could barely keep him dressed. Tee shirts were fine, but pants were outgrown in a matter of weeks. He ended up 6'7" as a man. He's in his mid-thirties now.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

6'7" is what they estimated for DS when they measured him as a tot.
I hope not. Life is more difficult at that size and expensive.
But at a wee bit more than 5'5" and just turning 11... I fear it may be true.

He had to move up to size 11 (men's) boots for the snow.


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

chickenista said:


> 6'7" is what they estimated for DS when they measured him as a tot.
> I hope not. Life is more difficult at that size and expensive.
> But at a wee bit more than 5'5" and just turning 11... I fear it may be true.
> 
> He had to move up to size 11 (men's) boots for the snow.


Oh, goodness! Are there really tall people in your family? I'm 5'7 and Hubby is 6'1", so I would imagine our son will just be sort of normal...but we'll see!


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

My mother's grandfather was tall and my father's mother and her sisters were all about 6 ft, so I guess that is where he gets it.
But no one was that kind of tall.

I sure didn't get those genes and DH isn't tall.
DS is already taller than I am. It is so weird to look up at him. 
And we figure that he will be as tall as DH by this time next year maybe...

But he is still a 'little guy' and wads himself into a pretzel to sit on my lap. Soooo funny.


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## Ardie/WI (May 10, 2002)

All the symptoms point to a growth spurt to me!


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## Riverdale (Jan 20, 2008)

DS (12 for a couple more months) is a bottomless pit, sleeps more and is a lot more emotional during his spurts. He's 5'6". I'm 6', but he has an uncle 6'4" and one 6'5" :huh:

I'm seeing him 6'2" or so.


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

I'll never forget when my oldest boy was 12, it was the summer between 6th and 7th grade. He was so horribly sick all summer. High fevers, throwing up, headaches, joint pain, you name it. We had him to the Dr. three times, and to the ER twice.
They did all sorts of blood work and tests.
By the middle of August, he started to feel a bit better, but then I noticed something odd, his voice sounded different, his straight hair suddenly had a wave to it, and he was taller.
By the time he went back to school at the end of August, he looked like a totally different boy!
The Dr. said that it was some sort of massive Testosterone overload. Puberty literally hit him in one summer. It was crazy. He finished 6th grade in May, a very blonde 5'0, and started 7th grade a sandy brown, wavy haired, 5'7", with a baritone voice, and acne.
When his younger brothers got to that age, they did the same thing, but at least with them we were prepared for it.


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## bama (Aug 21, 2011)

After reading this, I think I know why dd goes thru spells of tummy aches and headaches! She called me to come get her from school last week and she immediately went home and crashed. She couldn't get full the days before that.


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## BigHenTinyBrain (Apr 4, 2013)

Wow! I noticed this when my boys were babies and toddlers, but (just realized ow out of touch we've been) hadn't made the connection since they started school. At 7&8 they began homeschool last week, and I'll bet that with the cranky/sleepies and their general munching lately they'll be ready for a spurt soon. I never realized it would be so common even through the teen years.


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## catspjamas (Jul 14, 2013)

When I was young, I had what mom called "growing pains". My thigh bones would hurt. It generally occurred during the night, I'd wake up crying because it hurt so bad. It wasn't cramps, because I get cramps in my calves, there was a difference. I believe I was like 10-13 yo when I got them. I'm 5'9", the shortest in my family, both parents 6', sister is 5'11", and both brothers 6'5".


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## mammabooh (Sep 1, 2004)

catspjamas said:


> When I was young, I had what mom called "growing pains". My thigh bones would hurt. It generally occurred during the night, I'd wake up crying because it hurt so bad. It wasn't cramps, because I get cramps in my calves, there was a difference. I believe I was like 10-13 yo when I got them. I'm 5'9", the shortest in my family, both parents 6', sister is 5'11", and both brothers 6'5".


I used to get those too....I remember just crying and rubbing because my legs hurt so badly. Mine was usually a few inches above my knees.


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