Are other people crazy, or am I?

SassyFlats · April 2014

Okay, so maybe you've noticed from my general posting that LO is a cranky mofo at night. But ONLY at night. The past two nights she's been gassy... but again, ONLY at night. I have actually heard her gulp air sometimes while nursing (wtf?). She basically screams from 9 or 10pm to 1am and then is out like a light until about 4am, nurses for 5-10 minutes, sleeps until 7am, nurses and gets a diaper change, and sleeps some more until like 11am. Then she's happy as can be all morning and afternoon. Basically, my baby is a cranky night owl. If she wasn't screaming her lungs out for hours, I could totes handle this schedule. I'm a gamer at heart, so I'm no stranger to 1am bedtime.

BUT... everyone and their freaking mother is starting to ask me "Have you tried cutting out xyz from your diet?" "Does she seem sensitive to dairy?" (I don't eat much dairy because I'm sensitive to it) "Is it maybe all the soy you eat because you're vegetarian?" (I eat soy maybe a couple times a week... we drink almond milk in this house) "Maybe it's tomatoes" (maybe it's YOUR FACE)

We have some good nights where she's just alert and I nurse and watch TV and we're fine. We have some nights that she's gassy and screams until she's so red-faced and I'm crying, too. We have some nights with on and off fussing in general. The only consistent thing is by 1am, she's done. Maybe I get lucky and she sleeps at 11 or 12, but not usually.

So... my question for you: IS THIS NORMAL? Because my gut tells me after 3.5 weeks of getting to know this kid 24/7... she's just a night owl and like her mommy she can get a bit dramatic when she's tired. And like her daddy, sometimes she freaks the hell out over having to poop (for real, DH totally freaks out when he needs to take a big dump). I can ask her pedi on Monday, but I want opinions from other moms that I trust. Not 30-year-old advice from MIL or my mom, not well-meaning concern from my friend that has a baby who can't tolerate dairy OR soy and who had terrible reflux for months (not that I don't appreciate it, but I think she's maybe just afraid that it'll happen to me, too... and is looking for any tiny sign that it might be).

What are your thoughts?

YankeePeach08 · April 2014

Both boys did this and my pedi recommended mixing a probiotic powder into 1-2 oz of bm and give it to them after bedtime nursing session. It worked the first night, no more gas screams!! Although now they have sulfur farts but I can live with that.

pattipants · April 2014

That's what DS is like, more or less. Pedi doesn't like to label things as colic... but that's kind of what it is. The bad news? Often you can't do much to change things. (I laugh/cry at the people who ask if we've tried swaddling, white noise, etc.) The good news? It usually gets better by week 8 and is usually gone around week 12.

Sanibel21 · April 2014

My LO is only a week and a half but always fussy in the evening. And DH mentioned that when I was pregnant, that was always her active time of day also. I'm just attributing it to that for now. But I also can see colic because that is usually the same time of day.

Brich3321 · April 2014

My lil guy is 4.5 weeks and formula fed and we have some nights like this so what would their advice be to me??

I am 100% that his is a tummy ache and needs to poop cuz when he finally does he is the happiest baby on the block. So I don't have advice for you but yeh, they need to stop offering their opinions. I'd punch them in the throat!! Oh and your "MAYBE ITS YOUR FACE" comment made me LOL!!

ring_pop · April 2014

It is absolutely normal for babies to have a fussy period in the evening. I've observed it with both of my boys.

https://purplecrying.info/what-is-the-period-of-purple-crying.php

jazzyexpo · April 2014

I was going to also mention maybe it's colic. I don't have any experience with it, but I was a colicky baby and my mom told me I would start crying at a certain time every night and be done at the exact same time every night. She said it was from 7pm to 12am and I was inconsolable. That was the first thing I thought of when I read your post. Hope it gets better!

VanessaBee · April 2014

Soooo...this might be total placebo effect but my LO was way cranky and gulpy only at night too - I read somewhere (kellymom, maybe?) to lean way back while nursing so that LO is working against gravity and not pulling in as much milk / air all at once. And to have LO's head higher than his tummy to help bubbles separate out more efficiently. It's only been three nights / days of trying, but I swear it's a huge improvement.

ProudMommy030614 · April 2014

This is my hird LO and they have all had a time like this. The only thing that changed from one to the next is the time the "witching hour" would begin and end. Ds1 was early evening, and ds3 is from 5pm-9pm. When ds2 had colic it was an all the time scream at me thing not a certin time of day scream at me!

tsmith312 · April 2014

LO does the same thing at the same time every night ! Apparently my pedi says it's normal for them to have a " fussy " time everyday generally around the same time . But to me it sounds like colic , my nephew had colic as well so my sister recommended this stuff called colic calm . It's all natural and homeopathic so I figured its worth a shot . Between that and introducing the paci she's had more good nights then bad . She's usually still awake but not fussy . So maybe try that stuff and see if it helps ?

mfarmer0811 · April 2014

This is totally my child!! Except he goes from 9 pm to 7am!!! The only thing that comforts him is being on my boob.
We do have one 3 hour sleep stretch from 1-4 am, but he will only sleep in my arms. It's been tough, and I just keep saying this too shall pass.
We so give the gerber soothing drops once a day, it seems to help some.

SassyFlats · April 2014

ring_pop said:

It is absolutely normal for babies to have a fussy period in the evening. I've observed it with both of my boys.

https://purplecrying.info/what-is-the-period-of-purple-crying.php

OMG this sounds exactly like what we're experiencing. It starts and ends at generally the same times, but it's not EVERY night... she's happy at other times during the day, and she's definitely growing and healthy. NOTHING soothes her and most of the time she isn't even gassy-- so there doesn't seem to be anything wrong! I can swaddle her, shush her, rock her, sing to her, ANYTHING... it doesn't matter. If she's crying, she's going to keep crying until she decides she's too tired to keep it up.

I'm going to send that page to DH and read over it this afternoon. Our pedi has said she doesn't think it's colic, and we have tried gas drops, gripe water, etc and those things don't seem to help much. I definitely dread the nighttime, but I also don't actually feel like there's anything WRONG... it's just overwhelming.

Mcsweets · April 2014

Ughhhh I'm with ya!!! I think you should totally go with your gut!! Ellie has acid reflux (diagnosed by ME and then confirmed by testing about a month later). She did the SAME thing your daughter is doing. She would scream scream scream bloody murder and eventually settled and fell asleep. I could tell it was acid reflux because she would spit up a lot, she would cough and cry, yawn and cry, I could even sometimes hear it gurgling in her throat. When I asked people what they did for their baby who had acid reflux I got a plethora of advice - most nothing to do with acid reflux. They told me to cut out dairy, change her formula to soy, or the famous "it's colic - it'll go away". Thanks for nothin! I'm not saying your LO has reflux, I'm just saying you are there to know what's going on - trust your gut!

pattipants · April 2014

SassyFlats said:

ring_pop said:

It is absolutely normal for babies to have a fussy period in the evening. I've observed it with both of my boys.

https://purplecrying.info/what-is-the-period-of-purple-crying.php

OMG this sounds exactly like what we're experiencing. It starts and ends at generally the same times, but it's not EVERY night... she's happy at other times during the day, and she's definitely growing and healthy. NOTHING soothes her and most of the time she isn't even gassy-- so there doesn't seem to be anything wrong! I can swaddle her, shush her, rock her, sing to her, ANYTHING... it doesn't matter. If she's crying, she's going to keep crying until she decides she's too tired to keep it up.

I'm going to send that page to DH and read over it this afternoon. Our pedi has said she doesn't think it's colic, and we have tried gas drops, gripe water, etc and those things don't seem to help much. I definitely dread the nighttime, but I also don't actually feel like there's anything WRONG... it's just overwhelming.

Yup, same with DS! That's why I hate the label "colic," but people use it for everything to describe a fussy baby. Note that the Purple Crying site has a hotline you can call. I've seriously promised myself that if things get THAT bad, I will put DS in his crib, close the door, and call the hotline before I completely lose my mind. Hours upon hours of inconsolable screaming and crying can turn the best of us into a lunatic!

clo1982 · April 2014

This doesn't help solve anything but that may just be his fussy period. My DS has his from about 7-9 very night. He isn't hungry, his diaper is changed but he is just pissed at that time every night. Then boom he gets hungry, eats and is back to being happy. So from 7-9 we walk, away, bounce, shush and sing.

If it was reflux it wouldn't just be at night. I would think the same would be true for a reaction to foods you are eating unless there is something specific you only eat before bedtime every night.

[Deleted User] · April 2014

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huskymomma94 · April 2014

ring_pop said:

It is absolutely normal for babies to have a fussy period in the evening. I've observed it with both of my boys.

https://purplecrying.info/what-is-the-period-of-purple-crying.php

This. https://kellymom.com/parenting/parenting-faq/fussybaby/

boymom312 · April 2014

SassyFlats said:
Okay, so maybe you've noticed from my general posting that LO is a cranky mofo at night. But ONLY at night. The past two nights she's been gassy... but again, ONLY at night. I have actually heard her gulp air sometimes while nursing (wtf?). She basically screams from 9 or 10pm to 1am and then is out like a light until about 4am, nurses for 5-10 minutes, sleeps until 7am, nurses and gets a diaper change, and sleeps some more until like 11am. Then she's happy as can be all morning and afternoon. Basically, my baby is a cranky night owl. If she wasn't screaming her lungs out for hours, I could totes handle this schedule. I'm a gamer at heart, so I'm no stranger to 1am bedtime.

BUT... everyone and their freaking mother is starting to ask me "Have you tried cutting out xyz from your diet?" "Does she seem sensitive to dairy?" (I don't eat much dairy because I'm sensitive to it) "Is it maybe all the soy you eat because you're vegetarian?" (I eat soy maybe a couple times a week... we drink almond milk in this house) "Maybe it's tomatoes" (maybe it's YOUR FACE)

We have some good nights where she's just alert and I nurse and watch TV and we're fine. We have some nights that she's gassy and screams until she's so red-faced and I'm crying, too. We have some nights with on and off fussing in general. The only consistent thing is by 1am, she's done. Maybe I get lucky and she sleeps at 11 or 12, but not usually.

So... my question for you: IS THIS NORMAL? Because my gut tells me after 3.5 weeks of getting to know this kid 24/7... she's just a night owl and like her mommy she can get a bit dramatic when she's tired. And like her daddy, sometimes she freaks the hell out over having to poop (for real, DH totally freaks out when he needs to take a big dump). I can ask her pedi on Monday, but I want opinions from other moms that I trust. Not 30-year-old advice from MIL or my mom, not well-meaning concern from my friend that has a baby who can't tolerate dairy OR soy and who had terrible reflux for months (not that I don't appreciate it, but I think she's maybe just afraid that it'll happen to me, too... and is looking for any tiny sign that it might be).

What are your thoughts?

This! It sounds just like my LO. I've had many a melt down myself just because nothing stops the screaming. Deep down I know I'm a good mom, but during his fussy time (same as yours...9-1or2) I feel like such a bad mom. Our pedi brought up the dairy thing but I really don't think that's it since it doesn't happen during the day. The pedi also said it could be colic and recommended a probiotic, culturelle -1/2 packet in BM a day. We just started it last night so we'll see if it helps. It's not much, but at least I feel like I'm trying something relatively productive.

Just know you're not alone!

nickied143 · April 2014

The "maybe it's your face comment" had me giggling. I hate irrelevant advice too. My LO did this for about a week and then stopped. Now she just doesn't sleep. Not crying, Sometimes mildly fussy, but otherwise just awake. All. Day. Long.

KariB509 · April 2014

dotgirl2 said:

Cmmo14 said:
I could be waaaaay off here, but I think it might be colic. My sister swears by drinking lots of anis tea for colic, or fennel tea. It passes on to the milk and helps them with gas. You could also try cumin oil, that's what I used for colic and it's amazing!!!
This was my first thought too

Yep, I thought the same thing. Sounds like colic to me.

SassyFlats · April 2014

So, last night she was a perfect angel. Mostly awake and alert, by she barely fussed all day or in the evening. We were up until 2am, but there was absolutely no screaming.

Man, I wish I could just ask her nicely to keep that up.

Andreabills · April 2014

I have a question for you STMs or probably @babycaps‌ would know better than anyone. Would Ava's prematurity affect what age this "witching hour" started? She is 7 weeks old but was 5 weeks early. I feel like she's had a few fussy evenings here and there but nothing major until this week.

Could this be the peak? Dear God someone tell me it's the peak! Lie to me if you've gotta!

Andreabills · April 2014

Damn you @babycaps‌, damn you! The cold hard truth so early in the morning...

SassyFlats · April 2014

Just want to AW for a sec: SHE SLEPT FROM 9PM to 8AM!!! (woke twice to nurse and went right back to sleep) And she ONLY fussed right before she fell asleep! I kept waiting for her to wake up and drive me up the walls, but it NEVER HAPPENED.

I don't know if it will happen again tonight, but I'm going to celebrate this as a huge win for today!

Man, babies are so freaking unpredictable sometimes... but whatever. I'll take it.

maganonymous · April 2014

I'm not sure if you have tried it or not, and I know lots of people have posted on here about using gripe water, but it's pretty amazing stuff. My LO didn't scream quite to the point of what you are describing...and it seems like it was my/DH's fault for improperly switching her formula...but she was gassy/somewhat constipated and fussed from about 6am-2pm. I bought the gripe water and she has been SOOO much better, and we are starting to wean her off of it now. The gripe water that I bought at Walgreens said that it helps with colic too, so if that's what your baby has, it might be worth a shot!

SassyFlats · April 2014

We've tried gripe water... sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Given that the screaming seems to happen for a couple of days, then it doesn't... I really don't think it's colic or a dairy allergy or something. I think it's more likely the Purple Crying phase. My gut tells me there's nothing wrong with her-- occasionally she's gassy and that's when something like gripe water or gas drops actually helps. The other times, she's just a dramatic baby having a bad night.

If it was EVERY night, or if it happened at other times during the day, I would think there was really a problem. But after reading the info on Purple Crying, I really feel like it's just something she's going through that I can't do anything about except comfort her and get through it.

braintree · April 2014

Same here, but around 6-8pm. The pedi recommended Gerber Infant Colic Drops. It's a probiotic. I only use them when he's really cranky. It does seem to help.

Mskris66 · April 2014

Cmmo14 said:

I could be waaaaay off here, but I think it might be colic. My sister swears by drinking lots of anis tea for colic, or fennel tea. It passes on to the milk and helps them with gas. You could also try cumin oil, that's what I used for colic and it's amazing!!!

Fennel is amazing for gas and colic! Watched it work wonders on my baby cousin, my grandmother told us about the fennel seeds, I haven't had to bust them out yet but have them on standby if he starts to get fussy or gassy. here is a helpful link... It's great for those who are formula feeding as well. Good luck! https://frugalgranola.com/2011/05/using-fennel-to-calm-a-colicky-baby/

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Are other people crazy, or am I?

Re: Are other people crazy, or am I?

Married : ** 09/09/2011 ** BFP : 07-18-13 ** Baby #1 is a GIRL , Born 03/12/14 **

** BFP 2 : 01- 05-15 ** EDD 09-11-15 **

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Married : 09/09/2011 BFP : 07-18-13 Baby #1 is a GIRL , Born 03/12/14

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