how to know if it's a growth spurt?

[lilapple]

Hi!  Our lo is 6 mos. and I'm wondering about the growth spurt that might be coming up soon.  We have just put her on the 4 hr. EASY and broken the nursing to sleep habit, so I have been reall nervous about going to her if she cries out.  She has been crying out almost every night at 8:30 and or 9:30 for the past 5 nights or so --just for a minute and then putting herself back to sleep--then just last night she did so at about 3 and again about 5 but cried for a bit longer, then kind of cooed and then to sleep again.  I feel terrible because I'm afraid that I'm neglecting her if she might really be hungry--I'm afraid to even go into her room to check on her!!! But we have been through a lot of sweat and tears to get to this point and I fell into the mistake of creating a feeding pattern at night at the 4 mos. growth spurt, so how will Iknow if she is having a growth spurt and if her cry is out of hunger?  (I confess, I don't really know what her hunger cry is)

[Katet]

Pretty much if she won't settle back to sleep then you will know she is hungry & if she wakes up earlier & having short naps & looking for more food... with a bf baby, I have noticed mine both suck for lots longer at the feed too.

[zelda]

i would go to her if she is really crying, of course.  but if she is putting herself back to sleep and sleeping until morning, imo she isn't really all that hungry.

the hunger cry is like a little cough, like little bursts of throat-clearing.