Witching hour or other? Help!

[Wish2BMom]

I think one of my twins just has a witching hour of sorts but he turns into Mr. Hyde around 7 and doesn’t stop wriggling, stretching, arching, crying, screaming until about 10, when he just drops and falls to sleep. We feed him, burp him, change him, rock him, walk with him, read to him, have back and tummy time and NOTHING stops the screaming/crying. He toots and burps still so I don’t think it’s gas. His cries are just so heartbreaking, I feel so helpless while it’s happening. Sometimes shushing will work for a bit but then he starts up again. With all my hormones, I try not to take this personally!
Any tips out there for how to help him come back down to earth when he gets this way?
He’s 7 weeks tomorrow. His brother gets fussy but nowhere near as much.

 

[Weebles]

My DD did/does this. As she's gotten older it still happens when she is a very tired little baby that just does not want to go to sleep. I work late so it is usually my husband who is trying to settle her and he says (jokingly) that he is going deaf in the ear she cries into as he holds her. We are both of the mindset that even if we can't quite figure out what is wrong at least she knows she is loved. Your attempts at consoling him are not for nothing, I promise. He knows you are there and that you love him.

It happens less often now that she is older. I don't have a lot of advice, mostly just hugs and moral support. It might help to try and move his night time routine up a bit because we found that it's possible to miss the magic window of sleepiness. If DD doesn't fall asleep by a certain time it's almost guaranteed to be a bad night even now so we moved everything up and that has helped.

 

[Wish2BMom]

Thank you so much, weebles

 

[krissie328]

My daughter is 5.5 weeks and has a period in the evening where she is inconsolable as well. Hers is usually about 7-9:30. I am certian it is her witching hour as nothing we do helps and she tends to fall asleep when its over.

Like weebles said at least you know he has his needs met and you are showing him he's loved and safe. I hope it eases up soon.

 

[_Meep_]

Sounds like a typical witching hour. My second was horrendous until about 12 weeks when it started to get better. Never found out if there was any sort of problem as such, but I think it had to do with the fact she didn't like to comfort nurse due to my aggressive milk flow. Now she is older, she handles it much better and is happy to feed to sleep.

 

[Wish2BMom]

Thank you, Meep and Krissie! Last night was marginally better. Seems something works one night but won’t work the next. Last night he was flailing his arms at me so much (scratching and catching my hair) that I swaddled both of his arms (he usually has them free from the swaddle) and he fell right to sleep in my arms. Course that was still after a couple hours of fighting it! But we started earlier and wveryone was in bed by 9. Phew!
I do agree with and love the idea of knowing he’s still loved and cared for during this rough time.

 

[_Meep_]

Time will change everything. It's awful right now but you will survive and look back on this as just an unpleasant memory!

 

[_Meep_]

P.S. There's this video on Youtube called 'Soothe your crying baby - 8 hours of white noise' and this plus vigorous rocking did, and still does, help my baby to calm down.

 

[Wish2BMom]

Thanks! Both DH and I have downloaded white noise apps. I think sometimes they help me more than the babies!

 

[laura109]

Hi hun my ten week old seems to be doing this recently too. I get my toddler to bed then the baby starts this for a couple of hours and then it's bedtime!! Feels like the evenings are the worst part of the day. I personally havnt found much that helps. Sometimes he likes the blanket around his shoulders so he's all tucked up. Sometimes white noise helps a little. I was warned babies do this. My toddler never did so this time it's definitely new to me xx

 

[Wish2BMom]

thank you laura! i'm sorry you're going through it too but it really does help knowing I"m not the only one!
we've made some strides in at least how long it lasts - we start bedtime earlier now and have started swaddling his arms again - he's had his arms out since we got home from the hospital b/c he hates it so much. But if we outlast he and his squirms (or somehow get him tired enough where he doesn't care), he'll pass out and actually sleep longer too. Really depends on the night, though, but we're going to keep with this schedule. Usually now we are both in bed passing out by 8:30!