Fun Witching Hours

Starfish+77 · May 2014

DS is 8 weeks. His witching hours are now from 6-8 every night. You would think I am trying to rip his nuts off by the way he screams! Tonight I sat in his dark room holding him with the hair dryer running on high until he finally passed out. I don't recall DD like this. Unfortunately I'm no longer BFing otherwise I'd shove my boob in his mouth to calm him. Anyone else still dealing with the dreaded witching hours? How do you deal with it? I am drinking wine heavily right now...

nycgirlkat · May 2014

When we first came home, DD would scream her face off from 7 pm to 10 pm. Red-face, like I was pulling her arms off wailing. Turns out, under misguided info from a previous pediatrician I was under-feeding her and she was hungry! Once I started feeding her a bit more the wailing stopped, but she still is cranky from the 7 pm to just before 9 pm. To be honest, since she is colicky she's always kinda cranky, though.

I drink apple martinis and beg my sister, mother in law, friends, etc. to stop by for a visit to decompress. Otherwise I stand in the kitchen with the microwave fan going for an hour or so until she passes out and pray she doesn't wake up when I put her down (which is usually the case). Good luck!

Starfish+77 · May 2014

nycgirlkat said:

When we first came home, DD would scream her face off from 7 pm to 10 pm. Red-face, like I was pulling her arms off wailing. Turns out, under misguided info from a previous pediatrician I was under-feeding her and she was hungry! Once I started feeding her a bit more the wailing stopped, but she still is cranky from the 7 pm to just before 9 pm. To be honest, since she is colicky she's always kinda cranky, though. I drink apple martinis and beg my sister, mother in law, friends, etc. to stop by for a visit to decompress. Otherwise I stand in the kitchen with the microwave fan going for an hour or so until she passes out and pray she doesn't wake up when I put her down (which is usually the case). Good luck!

Yep mine is colicky too and I am very familiar with the microwave fan! The bathroom fan is better since no windows in there and I can sit my ass on the toilet in the dark with the fan on:-)

cd92007 · May 2014

DS has a similar witching hour(s).. He was even losing it on the boob tonight! I have a couple things that work really well usually: The "vacuum" noise under White Noise in the Sleepy
Sounds app. Omg it's the most annoying noise ever but my DS is obsessed. He can be screaming and I will turn it on full blast and he will stop crying in a second. Also, the boba wrap. He falls asleep in it 99% of the time, even if it's just for a little bit. And sometimes when I am wearing him in the wrap I will put on some dance/rap music and dance and he loves it.. Ha!

Starfish+77 · May 2014

cd92007 said:
DS has a similar witching hour(s).. He was even losing it on the boob tonight! I have a couple things that work really well usually: The "vacuum" noise under White Noise in the Sleepy
Sounds app. Omg it's the most annoying noise ever but my DS is obsessed. He can be screaming and I will turn it on full blast and he will stop crying in a second. Also, the boba wrap. He falls asleep in it 99% of the time, even if it's just for a little bit. And sometimes when I am wearing him in the wrap I will put on some dance/rap music and dance and he loves it.. Ha!

That's funny about dancing with him in the wrap..I'll have to try that! I have a k'tan but he usually screams bloody murder when getting him in it and arches his back to try and escape. I do have a white noise app on my phone that I use if DD is making too much noise. Worked like a charm the other day until someone called me.. Ughhh. Can't wait for these witching hours to end!!!

macynsnoop · May 2014

Just finished my witching hours, I hope. He's snoozing in my arms right & has been for a bit do might be the real deal. I try everything even the boob but he will just scream harder, seems to just need time & shooshing into the ear. It's amazing that nearly 8 weeks into this & I still don't know what the fuck to do! I'm also hoping this goes away soon! I'm also drinking but it's beer, really good beer!

imogenisis · May 2014

@cd92007‌ We have the same app and my LO likes the vacuum one the best too. Of course it's the one I find most irritating!

Sounds like we have a similar witching hour ritual: screaming/crying, boob, screaming/crying, white noise (app, oven or bathroom fan), calm down, pretend to finally fall asleep for a couple of minutes, wake up. Repeat.

*sparky* · May 2014

We have a baby shusher which is amazing. Most of the time it knocks DD right out. She likes DH's such shushing but not mine so this has been a lifesaver. Also going in the bathroom with the fan running.

She gets mad at being swaddled until she is almost asleep so I have to hold her super tight at first until she chills out a bit. I was leaving her unswaddled because she fought it so much but once she got more alert and started flailing around more that was a disaster.

Our worst evenings are when she hasn't napped well all day. Today she took two good naps and I took her to DS's lacrosse game this evening so she napped in the car and when we got home she was totally chilled out. I may have to start taking her to a sporting event every night. ;-)

juniper75 · May 2014

Same here! 7 weeks today and I still haven't found something that works. I feel like a bad circus act every night shuffling through every position and action which maybe gives us a minute or two of relief before we start again. Unfortunately LO is gassy and has reflux so giving her the boob doesn't really help... And the more she cries the worse her gas and reflux get.. Fun times!

CalinAZ · May 2014

Our key has been putting LO in the moby wrap and bouncing on a yoga ball. This can almost always stop crying in its tracks.

*sparky* · June 2014

@MrsW26 - the witching hour has brought back my love of beer. The good news is after 10 months of not drinking it only takes about half a beer to make my stress disappear.

AcaAwkward · June 2014

Our witching hours are 6/7-9/10. Boob doesn't usually help much -- we have to be moving and holding him tight. DH is the best at calming him. Going outside helps some. Thankfully, all his crying wears him the heck out and he's been sleeping like a champ at night. I guess those 3 hours of hell is worth the sleep but uggggggg it's HORRIBLE after a day of dealing w/ both kiddos!

sarlimes34 · June 2014

D is 10 wks old and usually starts around 10pm and can last til 4am. he started at 9:15 tonight. i'm not feeling it tonight at all

sarlimes34 · June 2014

@purespark‌ - it's not every night but when it does happen, it's hell. 2 or 3 times a week he usually passes out around 2-2:30 but he is going strong tonight!

britrundell · June 2014

Kinda off topic, but you guys who are needing household appliances for white noise should download the app called "Relax M.P.". There is a free version of it that's almost as good as the paid version.
It has so many different choices of white noises.....my LO is particularly fond of the vacuum and dryer

I had the free app and loved it so much bought the 2.99 version-best money I've ever spent...it's saved my life at night!!!

Jodash24 · June 2014

Witching hour was 8-9 pm until 10-11pm argh, I bath LO at 8 pm each night and it's seemed to have stopped (hopefully!) he has a bath, massage with lotion and yes he even holds his feet up for me to rub haha! Then a bottle. Seems this is the only way for my LO

Fun Witching Hours

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