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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Am I the only one who doesn't believe in 'wind' and 'teething'?

111 replies

SydneyB · 06/03/2009 14:40

I am sorry but I just don't believe in either thing. Am I the only one who thinks they are just useful terms to apply to unsettled baby behaviour and unexplained screaming? Believe me both mine were screamy babies but as far as I could tell they just needed comfort, feeding or sleep. I just find it hard to believe that the burping and farting that us adults manage perfectly happily most of the time should cause so much trouble for babies. I also don't remember having any pain at all as a child with my grown up teeth coming through so how come the first should hurt so much? Is it just grandparent 'lore' and an excuse to market a vast array of over the counter cures?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

LackaDAISYcal · 06/03/2009 16:29

Oh, and I used to get sympathy earache when my DS1 was teething. I would have a sore ear for a couple of days, then he would get red cheeks, my ears would hurt more for a couple of days and then next day a tooth.

My GP thinks I'm deranged, but it happened with every tooth, and my pain would manifest itself before I knew he was suffering via the red cheeks.

Woooozle100 · 06/03/2009 16:36

you don't believe in teething? My I've found my teeth really useful

SoupDragon · 06/03/2009 16:37

OP, you are a complete loon.

Woooozle100 · 06/03/2009 16:37

a good fart is quite satisfying as well

Skimty · 06/03/2009 16:57

I believe in teething etc. but I do get fed up with every little thing being attributed to teething. Apparently 'teething; used to be put on child death certificates!

But, sometimes there'e no way we can tell why our babies are unsettled so if the catch all of wind/teething helps then so be it.

ra29needsabettername · 06/03/2009 17:04

not sure how to make this link work but it says wind is a western myth

www.cryingoverspiltmilk.co.nz/Myths.htm

FAQinglovely · 06/03/2009 17:20

ra29 - that can easily be explained away by the issues that someone else mentioned furrther down, in the Western world babies tend to spend most of their time lying down. In other parts of the world they are "upright" in a sling (or on the back) so "wind" on their own.

Certainly I heard some cracking belches from the back of African woman whlie I lived out there

SoupDragon · 06/03/2009 17:25

Have you never had trapped wind??

ra29needsabettername · 06/03/2009 17:37

FAQ that might be the reason but we don't know and I think it's really interesting

jasper · 06/03/2009 17:43

Don't know about wind.
I agree with OP about teething.

FAQinglovely · 06/03/2009 17:45

would be interesting to read something concrete on the subject

But lets face it - what do we do when we wind a baby - we hold it upright........if a baby is upright in a sling then the "need" for winding isn't there.

They definitely believe in teething - I watched in as my SIL gave her DD (about 4 months old at the time) a chicken bone to gnaw on "for her teeth"

PinkTulips · 06/03/2009 17:46

well when you have a baby that's screaming hysterically for half an hour, then does a massive burp and falls straight into a contented sleep it's fairly obvious what the problem was.

and my wisdom teeth make me want to cry when they come through so i don't doubt babies scream from teething pain too...

that said i do also think these words are quite often throuwn about without actually being true... the amount of woman who'd told me 'oh, he's a bit colicy today' about a slightly grumpy baby suggests that possibly wind and teething are blamed for more anguish than they actually cause.

SoupDragon · 06/03/2009 17:47

I could believe that teething is uncomfortable which, to a small baby, would be incomprehensible. I don't think it hurts that much.

wind, OTOH...

FAQinglovely · 06/03/2009 17:47

@ SoupDragon not having been in agony with her wisdom teeth..........

PinkTulips · 06/03/2009 18:27

skimty... in victorian times some mothers used to give babies opium for teething pain and some did die as a result

expatinscotland · 06/03/2009 18:32

DS is 4 months and teething. He's gotten thrush on his bum from his runny poos, excema on his cheeks, he's drooling like a Great Dane.

He's okay bringing up a belch, but DD2 was awful for it.

I had a wisdom tooth grow in straight when I was 15 and living in France and I remember it hurt like hell to come through!

CrushWithEyeliner · 06/03/2009 18:35

Indigestion and wind are unbelievably painful and teeth cutting through a newborns soft tissue gums HURT - what are you on about dear?

Original poster

SydneyB · 06/03/2009 18:47

Sorry if I sounded smug, I didn't mean to. Had two screamy so called 'colicky' babies so haven't had an easy ride of it. I am just genuinely interested as it doesn't really make sense to me. I've had trapped wind from time to time but a burp has never ever sorted it out. And I've had wisdom teeth come through and sure that hurt but surely every tooth that comes through can't possibly hurt? And I think that sometimes a burp can be an easy way of explaining an unhappy baby. If you bounce a screaming baby around for an hour or so they are bound to take in air and burp. Doesn't mean the burp was the cause of the problem. Really just wondering if there is any 'science' behind it all. Really not meaning to offend anyone just curious.

OP posts:

PinkTulips · 06/03/2009 19:00

i can always 'hear' the wind in ds2's chest though, he makes these weird little bubbling noises and occasionally half burps and swallows it again. and he always ends up like this when he feeds from the right side as my let down is too fast for him and he ends up gulping and choking and then full of wind until he burps. once he brings the wind up he's happy again.

babies are built differantly to adults... just because a burp has never released trapped wind for you doesn't make it impossible for it to be the cause of a babies discomfort.... i know if i drink a fizzy drink too fast my chest gets very uncomfortable until i burp... who knows what this feels like to a baby and how painful it is.

FAQinglovely · 06/03/2009 19:05

huh - so you admit that wisdom teeth hurt - but you say that they can't all hurt - why not???

JazzHands · 06/03/2009 19:06

Aha. Doesn't explain fart troubles though Sydney...

I think I agree with you in that some of my friends say "teething" to explain any cranky behaviour. They are usually goded on by grandma types who, whenever a baby cries, immediately say "must be teething".

Maybe they are catch-all phrases to explain puzzling behaviour, but I also think they exist.

It was funny when DD was tiny and cried, you could tell each person's priorities by what they diagnosed in the baby.

My dad: "She must be hungry" (dad is always on the alert for his next meal)
My mum: "She needs her nappy changed" (mum is one of these older women who checks where all the loos are on any given outing)
Me: "She must be tired" (newborn baby - no explanation required!)
My brother acted with disdain through the whole proceedings. Not sure what that means!

Original poster

SydneyB · 06/03/2009 19:07

I suppose I think that evolution wouldn't be so nonsensical as to give us teeth but make it so painful for them to appear. Many people don't ever get their wisdom teeth and it doesn't hurt for everyone. Why don't children 'teethe' when adult teeth come through at 5/6 yrs old? Or do they?

OP posts:

JazzHands · 06/03/2009 19:10

Ooh my wisdom teeth hurt like buggery. I couldn't eat anything except soup for 2 weeks at one point as my mouth just wouldn't open far enough to fit any food in

Also evolution makes it bloody painful and tricky not to mention dangerous for us to have the blimmin babies in the first place which isn't a brilliant move on evolution's part!

(Apologies to any freebirth people on the thread )

Original poster

SydneyB · 06/03/2009 19:10

Jazzhands - ha ha. Yes I guess that's kind of where I'm coming from! Fair enough re farting but I still maintain that a fart can just be an easy way of explaining normal baby behaviour.

OP posts:

JazzHands · 06/03/2009 19:13

Whenever anyone complains that they have any kind of tummy ache my dad always says "they need a good fart".

It is apparently a wonder-treatment for all sorts of ailments!

Worryingly he is a GP

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