To think Wonder Weeks is a load of bollocks?

[EleanorofProvence]

I've not read the book or got the app but have seen bits and bobs posted on FB and it just seems like a right crock of shite to me. Is there actually a research basis for it or is it just a money spinner?

P.S. It is harming people. It's harming their bank balances and, if it makes them worry their baby isn't doing it right (but he's not supposed to be fussy now!) it's harming their peace of mind.

I would disagree. I think as long as you actually read it carefully and don't treat it as gospel then it can be helpful.

I would also disagree on your definition of pseudo science ( I can't believe I spelt it wrong the first time). It is not fabricated claptrap. The book was written based on a study, backed up by previous peer reviewe research. The people who tell you aloe Vera cures cancer are pushing pseudo science.

Here is an overview of the qualifications of the authors.
www.pctweb.org/lead/frans.html

Cosmic There is no study. All the research they quote is on other things.

It's very observational - I have read it and it seemed to me to be based on observations of a small cohort of babies. But just that, observations. My background isn't in child psychology, but the rather more objective field of the genetics of development/growth/cancer.

I have to say I don't like the book. One thing I find quite peculiar is how many of the little quotes from the mums are along the lines of 'this week Bob did X. I found it really irritating and wanted to slap him, but I didn't.' Then the book will say, yeah, you might want to throttle your baby.. But don't!

Did they just recruit parents with anger issues or something?

I think it's successful for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it accepts that babies have fussy periods followed by calm - I think this is a message that goes down well because it reframes the problem from 'my baby won't settle, what the hell am I doing wrong?' To 'my baby is preparing got a leap.' How much better to have the focus switched to it being prep for something positive.
Secondly, babies DO develop in leaps and bounds. They don't do it to a set schedule but they do just magically do stuff - mine is seven months and the first time he tugged my sleeve for attention and said 'mama' I just melted :)

But that 'mama' didn't come from nowhere - far from it!

(Clever boy though! Mine is 8 months and seems to prefer screeching to saying anything meaningful.)

Yes there was a lot of making sounds, listening to sounds, tugging for attention without saying Mama, working out what attention is and how to tell if your Mama is paying any. Not a magic leap out of nowhere. Of course they have to do everything for the first time but they are doing part of it for a long time beforehand.

Not all babies have fussy periods followed by calm. Some are generally fussy and never really settle. Some are generally calm. If you were hoping that your fussy baby would a) learn something and b) settle down and they don't, how depressing is that?

Walking is not what I meant by physical development. I'm referring to, for example, growth in head size, not learning a new skill such as sitting or walking

Furthermore, the development of a fetus can is consistent to within a week or so. Not growth (size) as this is subject to natural variations, but development of, for example, fingers, toes, internal organs, etc

He still mainly communicates via screeching ;)
Yes there was lots that went into it. Me playing daft sound games, him cooing, babbling, shrieking. Me pointing to me and saying mama then him and saying babyZ. I guess they have to connect the sound and the concept then gain control of muscles in the mouth to form the words - so many things.
And yet still, it seems to just come from nowhere. I thought I'd heard him in the supermarket the week before but wasn't sure. Then just sitting at the table one day, 'mama! Mama!!' I guess you don't remember the build up, only the action.

Mine is more of a fussy all the time one - but I can see the attraction of the idea. I could stop thinking 'my baby is constantly fussy and never sleeps more than an hour.. It must be me' and start thinking 'well it's because of X leap coming up.'

They are all incredibly different though. Mine is getting very vocal but seems stumped by crawling - he wants to but the best we've got is the skydiving position and frustrated yelling. A colleagues baby is almost walking and crawled at five months. They all have things they do sooner, or lAter.

DC1 didn't follow it at all, DC2 did.

OP - I wouldn't go as far as calling it a "load of bollocks" (lest not as you don't actually seem to know much about it) but agree with interpretation bias etc.

Walking is not what I meant by physical development. I'm referring to, for example, growth in head size

But the whole Wonder Weeks thing is about new skills all being preceded by fussiness, isn't it? What has that got to do with head size?

Foetal development is also on a range, a week is a long time in a foetus' lifespan and they don't all do everything at the same rate either.

Any anyway, children don't grow either all at the same rate OR all in the same pattern as far as size, either. They have growth spurts, they slow down, one has a growth spurt when one doesn't etc.

I know enough about child development to be confident in calling it bollocks

Some things are like clockwork in development. But they tend to be the earlier stages.
Stuff like frog embryos you can stage down a microscope very precisely

The book does talk about increases in head diameter as far as I can remember.

I've read it. I treat it like all he other baby books - read, pick any interesting bits out, ignore the rest

Yanbu. I glanced at it once with a face on.

It was more or less sort-of accurate for the first few months (your baby will mostly spend the time asleep or staring around or drinking milk.)

Then it got wilder and wilder "at 57 weeks 3 days and 2 hours, your child enters a leap known as "Dubious Science." She will begin to play with her own toes, exhibiting the skills she needs for entering the Great British Bake Off and operating a crane. Look out for her being clingy!"

I only used it as a last ditch attempt to work out why DD was being a difficult little bugger - fed, changed, rested, aah wonder weeks has a wee cloudy bit that must be the reason she has been grizzling all day.

Wonder weeks gets on my nerves.

It's just an excuse for people to label their babies.

My mummy 'associate' from a playground is always trying to put her baby in on of these boxes.

So her DS was 3 months and it was all #4monthsleepregression.

Constant talk about growth spurts and all this other stuff. Who cares just get on with it.

Rant over.

LAura

I used the app. I knew it was a bit rubbish really, but it gave me an explanation when I was losing my mind with a crying baby, and hope that the terrible phase would be over soon. It was worth it for me.