The 'Witching Hour!'

What is the 'witching hour?'

Have you experienced the 'witching hour?' Up to the age of approximately 8 weeks, a young baby may (at a very similar time in the late afternoon/early evening) seem particularly unsettled, wakeful and fussy. They cry hard and are inconsolable, leaving the parent anxious, panicked and uncertain of what to do.  I experienced the 'witching hour' with my first baby, though the name in itself is actually decieving since this period of time actually lasted much longer than an hour! At the time, I didn't understand the cause or what to do and it left my husband and I questioning the cause as well as our own ability to 'read' and respond in the best way to our child. 

When rocking and lullabies, pacifiers and feeding are fruitless and fail to stop your young baby crying, a mother can begin to question what they are doing and worry (those who breastfeed) their milk supply might be insufficient.

Well, for all those experiencing this......I have news .....IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT!

Why is it happening?

This developmental phase will pass as baby's brain matures. The culprit is a temporarily uninhibited nervous system that causes excessive arousal.

What can I do?

Relax

Try to Relax. This is easier said than done, though if you begin to expect and anticipate the recurring bouts of inconsolable crying, you can at least feel prepared in how you will cope. Try to remember this wont last forever.

Comfort

Offer as much comfort as you can. Keep your baby close and try to keep the environment as unstimulating as possible. Turn down the lights, turn the tv off and use this time as an opportunity to help set your child's circadian rhythm and begin to teach the difference between night and day.

Monitor

Try to ellimate gas, tummy pain as a contributing factor. Burp well after each feed, particularly if cluster feeding in the early evening. Lots of parents experiencing the 'witching hour' site colic as the possible cause for this intense, unexplained crying and begin to link it to intestinal troubles. Be careful of self diagnosis. Yes (again for those who breastfeed,) your baby may have sensitivities for instance to the diary consumed in a your diet but aim to monitor this closely before eliminating anything from your diet as the 'witching hour' shouldn't last more than a few weeks.

Support

Listening to your baby cry for long periods of time is really difficult. In anticipation and if possible, plan to have your partner, a friend or family member close at hand who could allow you 5 minutes to step out of the room and catch your breath! Take turns with them in comforting your child.

Pre-empt

With my second born, we managed to avoid the 'witching hour' altogether by offering a split feed in the early evening before an early bedtime. Prior to the time when he would typically be fussy, I would breast feed him on one side at around 5.15pm, begin his short bathing routine, then feed on the other side at around 6.15 before 7pm bed. This then set him up for a natural wake up/dream feed before I went to bed between 10-11pm.

Above all the best thing you can offer your child in these unsettled moments is your reassurance, love and comfort which continues to build your baby's attachment and trust in you.