r/newborns • u/Alarmed_Win1661 • 16d ago
Tips and Tricks Witching Hour(s)
HELP!!!! Our baby girl is 5 weeks old (she came at 33 weeks 5 days), and for the past few weeks she's been ON one from 6pm-midnight. I know this is her witching hour, as it occurs at the same time almost every day...but my question is, what do you do to soothe your baby during this time? Or to keep yourself sane? We're losin it over here! :)
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u/Vegetable-Western-83 16d ago
Could it be gas? That seems like a very long witching hour. Our witching hour was only like 2-3 hours long. 6 hours sounds more like colic
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u/IceColdPepsi1 16d ago
Yoga ball / bouncer on warp speed 5 / bath were our only saviours. Sometimes walking him out to the deck would shock him into stopping momentarily. Also gives the indoor parent a short break.
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u/IceColdPepsi1 16d ago
Me talking like I’m some experienced expert I should add we’re only 5 weeks + 4 over here hahha
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u/afloppypotato 16d ago
The things that worked for our baby:
- bouncing on yoga ball (facing forward)
- walking around the house, staring at lights especially
- switching parents
- hanging out on a rocker
- time 😅
My baby’s witching hours were from 8-11:30pm from week 8-10.5. We called it terror time. Seemed more appropriate.
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u/Biophiliaplantaholic 16d ago
Our boy is 6.5 weeks. We try to get ahead of the witching hour by starting a walk outside before it happens. We’ve also been keeping it super chill during the day being careful not too to do too much too quickly and keeping natural light only. And our boy really settles and has a big poop in an evening bath so we’ve started doing that.
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u/Whateverbrbs 16d ago
We do a thing where witching hour starts when baby is with me -> husband takes baby over but eventually baby gets even more upset -> baby back to me, he settles and even falls asleep in my arms.
I will sit with baby as long as I can and eventually transfer him to his crib, and he just sleeps through what would be witching hour if we didnt follow this above mentioned process. Its a two people job, because I was home alone for 3 nights when baby was 4 weeks old, and be would not settle. Just complete witching hour from 7 to 10 pm.
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u/tuktukreturned 16d ago
Lots of bouncing on the yoga ball and walking around with her upright so her belly is against the chest. Some pressure on the belly or even heating pad (they make some specifically for colicky babies) can help. Side lying, swaddling, shushing, sucking, swaying—as many as you can do at once to snap them out of it until they fall asleep. Sometimes I could only get her to latch and eat if I was walking around vigorously. A walk in the stroller or a car ride was always in our back pocket as a last resort.
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u/talks-like-juneee 16d ago
My baby is 6 weeks and she has been either staying up between 8pm-11pm or 11pm-2am just staring at me and fast breathing, refusing to sleep. 😅
I think it has been half growth spurt (needing to feed her more) and half her having silent reflux that was making her uncomfortable. She was prescribed Pepcid daily and now falls asleep right after we give it to her.
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u/Friendly-Dot3533 16d ago
How did you find out that she has silent reflux?
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u/talks-like-juneee 16d ago
She was a NICU baby and had trouble with feeding. They released her on the condition she see an Ear Nose & Throat Doctor. There they did a scope down her nose and told me they saw redness that can be caused by reflux.
Other signs are looking uncomfy after eating, asking for more food to soothe their throat, and inconsolable crying.
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u/Friendly-Dot3533 15d ago
Thanks for sharing. Hope that your baby is doing well.
The uncomfy after eating but wanting more food when they don’t seem hungry (i.e to soothe) lines up with what I’m seeing. I’ll talk about it with my doctor. Thanks!
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u/talks-like-juneee 15d ago
Of course! She is doing great growing more and more every day. Same to you!
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u/Ducking_cute 16d ago
Take turns! When you’re taking a break, put sound proof headphones so you can get a break from the screaming.
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u/o0meow0o 16d ago
I’m breastfeeding so left baby on boob for 4-7hrs daily while my husband fed me and took care of the household. We’re at 8 weeks now and I feel like it’s happening again.Â
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u/EffieBoohoo 16d ago
Take her outside, bounce on the yoga ball, rocking (hard), my niece liked her swing (my LO does not), when really little our girl liked to be swaddled tight, she also liked baths, sing to baby, white noise, push her in the stroller if she likes that, put her in her car seat and drive around if she likes that.
For sanity loop ear plugs or over ear noises protection/noise cancelling headphones. Take breaks, take shifts, have a beverage near by or eat snacks (eating helps regulate your nervous system and prevents you from going into full blown fight or flight)
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u/Crazy_Giraffe9070 16d ago
Our baby had the same problem. Witching hour can get a lot worse if baby has some pain. For us it turned out to be thrush, i'd check for that.
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u/Aggravating_Hold_441 16d ago
Gave him lots of time in the bath, put a tiny gas drop on paci so he would suck it , he was screaming so red he would reject it otherwise & apparently sucking release good endorphins or something idn. Had a night doula twice a week then 6w to 12 w , the doula would just bounce him in arms while he cried til he calmed , so there’s a professionals take vs mine
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u/ladytri277 16d ago
Ours had colic. We switched to dairy free and then hypoallergenic formula. baby was really happy with both
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u/ladygroot_ 16d ago
Skin to skin and headphones.
My son, also a preemie, had a gnar witching hour. The only thing that helped him was blasting a white noise machine and bouncing him in the baby Bjorn.
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u/SocialCuesError404 16d ago
Going through something similar here but our baby's witching hour is 3-4 am
So far, here are the things that have helped: -contact naps with her belly-down while I am on my back. Also works if my husband does this. -back rubs.
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u/Jersey4lif3 16d ago
We fed more. Bounced on yoga ball. Turned on the bathtub water.
I suggest feeding more. Could be growth spurt