Outside baby Moms or 2nd + timers... Newborn witching hour?

JulietL129 · November 2010

Is it happening/ has it happened to you? Starting at the end of last week, right around 6 pm every night little man is soooo fussy. It lasts until about 10 or 11pm and pretty much the only thing that soothes him is serious cluster feeding/ comfort nursing and holding/swaying him. I can get him to fall asleep but if I try to put him down, it gets ugly. Any other tips to help him until this phase ends?

kyrastapp · November 2010

My only advice to you is make sure you dont let baby get used to falling asleep eating or being held everytime. LO will come dependant on that and you will have a heck of a time getting them to sleep on their own. My DS is 18 months old and its been a very hard transition and a fight until about a month ago. It was a learning process for me and I plan on taking my own advice this time around Smile

GL

slwprincess · November 2010

Yes, I remember going through this. The only thing that helped was to follow a very strict bedtime routine and doing all the Happiest Baby On The Block Techniques. Do you have that DVD? If not, go get it today! But really, I can't stress the importance of the bedtime routine for DS. It's not necessarily about the schedule/timing, its more about the order/sequence of events and doing it exactly the same every single night. We have had the same general bedtime routine since he came home from the hospital and he still goes to bed w/o issue consistently to this day. If you are having a hard time getting started, I suggest making a list of every single little thing you need to do before bed. We're talking details here. Have everything you need right there at arms reach and ready to go. Follow your routine EXACTLY for a week or so and see if it makes a difference. I bet you will see some improvement once baby knows what to expect at nighttime and he will feel comforted by having that routine in place.

momofmanyinthemitten · November 2010

Mine hasn't been born yet, but 6:30-11 is fussy time already.

g8orell · November 2010

Yes, DD did this from about 5:30pm until about 10pm. I remember DH coming home and me handing her off and going to run errands just to get a break and not lose my mind! Research the "Happiest Baby on the Block" and the 5 S's...those helped tremendously during the witching hour!

JLSmith124 · November 2010

Yep, right around dinner time always! I don't know if your LO likes baths, but ours loved his bath. We would give him a bath when he started fussing before I started dinner, and that seemed to help with the fussiness.

ValVail67 · November 2010

I don't really remember going through this with DS, but then again we spent pretty much the entire 1st month of his life in the hospital, so things were generally hectic.

However, I'm on the end where I say you just gotta' do the cluster feedings, & try as you may to find somewhere that LO will lay comfortably once he's good & asleep. I know cluster feedings can be a big pain in the butt, but LOs do it because something in them needs it at the time. As for the laying down, do you have a glider, bouncer, swing, or something else that LO can maybe be laid down in & soothed in? Maybe if you can get him back to sleep in a glider or bouncer, then he'll sleep somewhere that isn't your arms.

JulietL129 · November 2010

Cool, thank you! We did learn the Happiest baby on the block 5 S's and last night it helped for sure... We'll make a more definitive routine that includes them

Kellina · November 2010

Witching hour still exists at our house! DS usually has a tantrum after dinner. Thankfully he goes to bed at 7:30- newborns don't! Def the S's will help- maybe a bath... I think just toning down the stimulation helps too. Go in a dark quiet room and chill. Read a book quietly or some white noise. I think they just get overwhelmed by the end of the day and can't deal anymore!!

JulietL129 · November 2010

Kellina:
Witching hour still exists at our house! DS usually has a tantrum after dinner. Thankfully he goes to bed at 7:30- newborns don't! Def the S's will help- maybe a bath... I think just toning down the stimulation helps too. Go in a dark quiet room and chill. Read a book quietly or some white noise. I think they just get overwhelmed by the end of the day and can't deal anymore!!

That's a good thought. It probably also doesn't help that it's the same time H gets home from work and the dogs go crazy and play with him and it normally is a pretty loud time. I'll definitely try to keep it more mellow for him. Thank you!

Mjmksb04 · November 2010

Before I even saw your ticker, I guessed that your baby was about 3 weeks old. That is definitely the witching time. All I did to get through that period was hand the baby off to H (he would usually get getting home from work right after it started) and he would hold/sooth the baby until he fell asleep. It shall pass, I promise. With a 3 week old, I wouldn't worry about establishing habits and just do whatever works even if that means during that time he sleeps while you hold him or in a bouncer or swing, etc.

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Outside baby Moms or 2nd + timers... Newborn witching hour?

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