please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

My 6 week old DS has his "witching hour (s)" anywhere from 10-12.....nothing makes him happy. He is fed, changed and I desperately am trying to get him to sleep. I can rock him and get him to nod off, but as soon as I put him in the bassinet (in our bedroom), no more than 5 minutes pass and it's an all out crying fest. DH has to work and since I'm on maternity leave, I am on overnight duty. It's making me nuts, I do not know what to do. All day he is an absolute angel. And normally once he goes to sleep, he sleeps at least 4-5 hours, I just cannot get him to initially get to sleep!! Soon it will be time for him to eat and this "in between feeding time" has been wasted with him crying, so no sleep for me.

Does this ever get better? I can't bear to leave him crying, so I always pick him up. As I write this, I have him in his crib in his room crying because I needed a break. I feel horrible, but I'm lost for a solution. Please help!!!!!!!

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

He's 6 weeks old, pick him up and don't feel guilty!!!!! All kids have their horrible times. They begin to change around 2-3 months.

I know you've probably heard this before, but I don't really even remember the first 2 months of his life (I mean all the 'milestones' and when it got easier.) I do remember sleeping MANY nights with him in my arms, on the boppy. It was the only way either one of us would get some sleep.

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

....I'm standing here at 1:45 am reading this with a crying 6 week old in my arms

I sure hope it gets better

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

TOTALLY GETS BETTER. i can assure you. when my DD was an infant she had this wicked witching hour that lasted between 7 to 10pm!! full on screaming/crying and nothing would do the trick. so we had to pass her back and forth and wait it out. i remember thinking that life would never be normal again! i think that maybe around 12 weeks or so it just stopped. i think it lasted longer for her than for most newborns, so hang in there. this will be a memory soon enough! i know how hard it is!!!!

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

Posted by LadyH



....I'm standing here at 1:45 am reading this with a crying 6 week old in my arms

I sure hope it gets better

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

ok so i was going to write this yesterday! it was th day from heLLL....see kaylie has her witching hour.....during the day and sometimes shell have it at night toooo.... and i did the same thing yesterday when i couldnt take it anymore i put her in the pnp and she was screaming and i was crying bc i couldnt take it AND i felt horrible bc i put her down in the pnp and walked away.....i felt like a horrible mommy....but the thing is i couldnt do anything to comfort her...i tried everything.....i came on her and did a search to see if other mommies felt this same way and how long it lasted and most in fact DID feel the same way and it WAS normal and it WILL get better....it felt better to hear eventhough i still semi feel like life will NEVER be "normal" again

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

It gets better!!! It might sound like i'm exagerating but Rylan cried probably 20 out of the 24 hours of the day. It was misserable...half the time I cried along with him Nothing I did helped...and I tried EVERYTHING...even holding him didn't help much!!!

Around 2 1/2 months it gradually stopped and now at almost 6 months I feel like I have the best baby ever!!!!!!!!

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

DD is colicky and growing out of it. I totally understand the agony and heartbreak that comes with a crying baby, colic or not. She's getting out of it now, but not fully. At least she has always gone down easily when her bedtime came...just until then...UGH! It will get easier!

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

Yes, it gets better!!! Hang in there!

My DD's witchng hour was from 4pm to 8pm...

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

I remember those days and nights all too well...

After 8 weeks- I felt like DS got better each week. Around 12 weeks- there was a big difference- now at 7 months he is great!

YOu cannot spoil at this point- you just do what you gotta do to get some sleep. For me- it was having DS sleep in his infant carrier for a while- it always calmed him down.

Hang in there....

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

Oh I remember these times so well!!!

It does get better!!!

Hang in there!!! I know how hard it is!!!
I can tell you it will get better!!!

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

My son is 6 weeks also, and his time is 7-10. Same thing, he wont go down for a nap, just cries and cries. My husband works nights, so Im trying to find toys or mirrors that will entertain him. Every night we try something new.

Tonight will be our fourth night together. I think we might be taking a trip out in the car to run an errand or something, maybe even BRU, as the last two nights have been awful at home.

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

It will get better! I remember going throught this with DS at that same age. Never feel guilty about picking them up when they are crying, especially at such a young age. Before 6 mos, they are still establishing trust so it really is okay. I don't think there's any such thing as holding a baby too much when they are a newborn. You're also overwhelmed because you're still healing and your emotions are still getting back into balance. I promise you, it will get easier before you know it.

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

It does get better! What really helped me was the Happiest Babby on the Block DVD and CD. I would play the soothing noises and DS would calm instantly! It was like a circus trick for guests, they couldn't believe it.

happiest baby
Static works too - but I found the entire DVD really helpful!

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

It def gets better. Are you swaddling? DH was always much better at swaddling DD until I got the miracle blanket. Swaddling really helped her to fall asleep much faster.

HTH... I do remember sleeping with her in my arms on more than one occasion in the beginning.

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

It will get better but I know it feels like it is neverending now!

definitely try swaddling (if you haven't) and the other tips from Happiest baby on the block. a sling or bjorn also helped during my DD's witching hour. I would also through a blanket over the infant carseat, lay her inside, and rock it vigorously. she would usually fall asleep for at least a little while. GL!

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

I wrote almost the same email about a week and a half ago. My DD is 7 weeks today and she still has witching hour but some nights are better than others. I think (hope) she is growing out of it. I read a few places that it peaks at 6 weeks, which is why I think we all write that post at 6 weeks of age!

I find a bath 1/2 hour before I know witching hour will start, then I dress her quickly feed and rock her and put her to bed, by about 6:30. Now, to bed is only for 2 hours, but I believe she is like that b/c she is overtired and it is important to get it b/4 she gets worked up, b/c then nothing will help. Swaddling her than shushing loudly in her ear and a white noise machine have all calmed her down. DD LOVES when I take a shower and blow dry my hair, all sounds that mimic the womb.

FM if you want to talk or vent!

Message edited 9/16/2008 11:28:53 AM.

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

It will get better around 12 weeks. I remember DS had this issue around 6 weeks in the evening times. Remember the babies think they are still in the womb that is why they call the 3 months post partum the 4th trimester. Just keep rocking him. Get a boppy and rocking chair and just sit there and rock him and maybe you can get some sleep as well.

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

Awww... its so hard! Do you swaddle tightly?? and hum to him Loudly??

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

It gets better...

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

It does get better - I promise!!!

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

Ladies with new babies- my daughter was the QUEEN of witching hour. I swear, we have MULTIPLE pictures documenting it (e.g. smiling baby at 6:55pm, a snarling animal/beast at 7pm sharp).

IT DOES GET BETTER!!!!! I don't know when, but one night we averted it, then the next, and so on and so on.

Please don't feel guilty for putting your baby down crying so you can take a break. That is by far the BEST thing to do and proves you are a VERY good, intuitive mommy. By recognizing you need a break to take the time to regroup- you are lessening the chances of really losing it. Shaken baby syndrome is caused by colicky/nonstop crying.

I used "The Happiest Baby on the Block" book and found the techniques worked to soothe DD- if only for enough time for me to calm MYSELF down.

GL- and could someone bump this in late November/early December when I'm losing it with my own newborn witch?

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

DS was the same way. For a few week period around that age, there was nothing we could do to quiet him during his witching hour except walk around the house with him in our arms and play music. Also, the miracle blanket for swaddling works wonders. It definitely will get better, hang in there!

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...

It does get better. Have you tried the swing. My son loved movement. If he started to fuss I either put him in the swing, the bouncer seat with the vibration on, go for a walk (yes Im nuts 930pm I would be outside walking up and down my block), or we went for a car ride to nowhere. It does get better but now teething started and he is fussing again but that is why they made teething toys. hang in there.

Re: please tell me it gets better, I'm about to lose my mind...