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Original poster

Baby 'leaps'?

17 replies

Littlelighthouse · 26/03/2023 14:30

I was talking to my friend yesterday about my 7.5 month old daughter. I said that she's been really grumpy this past week, and also extra clingy. She's normally a very happy baby, but that past week she's been crying or just moaning a lot. She's also sleeping a lot more during the day than normal. I said to my friend that this seems to happen every now and again for a week or so and I've always linked.it to teething, but then she goes back to her normal self.
My friend said she may be going through a 'leap'? I had no idea what this was. Never heard of the term in regard to babies. She said that she will be learning a new skill or something will be changing in her development. DD has started with proper babble this past couple of weeks (mamamama, dadadada), but I hadn't linked this with how she's been.
I looked into an app she recommended, but I don't really know if I can get behind what it's saying. Maybe it's because I don't understand these leaps enough, but I just wondered what others perspectives were on leaps? Do they exist like my friend says, or is it more likely that DD is teething and just having a generally cranky week as I thought?

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Lockdownmummy · 26/03/2023 14:42

Google The Wonder Weeks

We had the app to 'track' leaps. Tried to correlate/explain for DC1. DC2 put her DOB
in and then never looked at the app again🙈

Theory is interesting and I would say DC1 did roughly follow in terms of development but you do want you can with a cranky baby whatever the reason may be!

DragonbornMum · 26/03/2023 14:52

I think yes they are a thing, but not necessarily the only reason babies are occassionally cranky. As you say, teething is another common culprit.

TheBirdintheCave · 26/03/2023 15:09

Pretty sure this concept has since been debunked.

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bussteward · 26/03/2023 15:12

Leaps are for PFBs where you obsess over everything and try to play baby detective and solve your baby with gadgets and life hacks. Baby number two and all subsequent babies get plonked on the floor to lick some dirt and watch unrecommended amounts of TV while you run around after the oldest one, and have no time to give a shit about leaps.

summerlovingvibes · 26/03/2023 15:23

bussteward · 26/03/2023 15:12

Leaps are for PFBs where you obsess over everything and try to play baby detective and solve your baby with gadgets and life hacks. Baby number two and all subsequent babies get plonked on the floor to lick some dirt and watch unrecommended amounts of TV while you run around after the oldest one, and have no time to give a shit about leaps.

Love this, so true!

BanditsGravyStain · 26/03/2023 15:32

bussteward · 26/03/2023 15:12

Leaps are for PFBs where you obsess over everything and try to play baby detective and solve your baby with gadgets and life hacks. Baby number two and all subsequent babies get plonked on the floor to lick some dirt and watch unrecommended amounts of TV while you run around after the oldest one, and have no time to give a shit about leaps.

Haha I like it. It was both for my pfb who was wonder weeks obsessed for maybe 4 / 5 months then I realised the shite on that app was feeding my anxiety so she started getting the floor treatment. I’m sure it can work wonders for some people but some of the milestones were ridiculous.

Emerald237 · 26/03/2023 15:50

The Wonder Weeks are a pile of shite. They have the most unrealistic expectations.

'At 12 weeks your baby will start to pick out their own clothes and even start to iron those which crease easily'

bakewellbride · 26/03/2023 17:18

I've never downloaded wonder weeks or any app. I couldn't care less about leaps or linking sleep cycles or anything like that. I ensure my baby is loved, safe, fed, happy and entertained and that's it.

MrsBunnyEars · 26/03/2023 17:31

I think some of the principles are sensible - sometimes babies have grumpy patches, but don’t panic that this is for ever; and often that grump coincides with a new skill.

But the Wonder Weeks app seems to suggest that things happen with crazily precise timing, which is batshit. I’ve seen it make mums worry that their baby is behind because they are 8 weeks and three days but not doing leap 6 yet or whatever.

CakeJumper · 26/03/2023 17:34

bussteward · 26/03/2023 15:12

Leaps are for PFBs where you obsess over everything and try to play baby detective and solve your baby with gadgets and life hacks. Baby number two and all subsequent babies get plonked on the floor to lick some dirt and watch unrecommended amounts of TV while you run around after the oldest one, and have no time to give a shit about leaps.

This 1000%.

Do not waste any time fretting about leaps. It’s pointless. Everything is a phase, just try and enjoy the good bits and ride out the bad.

WhatAmIDoingWrong123 · 26/03/2023 17:42

The Wonder Weeks app was recommended to me but I had a look and couldn’t have been less interested. We’re always told babies are individual etc etc and then try to use apps to work everything about them out and and predict how they’re going to behave and obsess over everything they do/don’t do. I just can’t be doing with it. If my baby is having a grumpy day, then she’s having a grumpy day and we just have to all get on with it!

Original poster
Littlelighthouse · 26/03/2023 18:21

Thank you all for your comments! As I said, I've never heard of these leaps and wasn't sure if it was something I should know.
Of course I understand if she's having a grumpy day that's fine - it's not as though I love her any less! I just wasn't sure if this was something all parents were aware of and I'd missed it somehow.

OP posts:
bakewellbride · 26/03/2023 19:12

@WhatAmIDoingWrong123 you've summed it up perfectly!

BertieBotts · 26/03/2023 19:30

It's been debunked, but I did find the general theory that baby unsettled = working on a new skill is often true. It's just that they aren't necessarily working on the very specific and exact skill that the app says!

It's a nice thing to look at if you want ideas for things to spot. But you definitely don't need it.

clarepetal · 26/03/2023 19:42

I thought leaps were bollocks to be honest.

Burpcloth · 26/03/2023 22:23

BertieBotts · 26/03/2023 19:30

It's been debunked, but I did find the general theory that baby unsettled = working on a new skill is often true. It's just that they aren't necessarily working on the very specific and exact skill that the app says!

It's a nice thing to look at if you want ideas for things to spot. But you definitely don't need it.

Agree with this. I don't think the timeframes or specific skills listed in the app are helpful AT ALL, but the idea that crabbiness can be linked to developing skills was helpful for me to understand. Makes it easier to bear when you have an "aha" moment about what they're on the precipice of mastering and can you can more easily remind yourself that a tough patch will lift.

But as with anything in the parenting realm, I think there are some kids for whom these things are more pronounced than for others....

Ladybyrd · 27/03/2023 21:34

Yes, we noticed this with both of ours.

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