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OK, so what is the witching hour?
No, your newborn is not going to be making potions but they will be crying in a predictable pattern.
The witching hour usually happens in late afternoon until bedtime… so it usually lasts more than one hour despite the name…. And it’s when baby cries more, is fussier than normal, and requires more soothing and feeding.
The witching hour often begins when a baby is around two to three weeks old, and usually peaks when the baby is around six to eight weeks old. Thankfully, it’s usually just a phase—most babies start to outgrow the witching hour around three months.
We don’t know 100% what causes this phenomenon but it could be due to:
Overstimulation
Exhaustion
Or a dip in milk production if baby is breastfed
If you think about it, baby is so new to this loud, bright, unknown and stimulating world and their brains and nervous systems have a lot to process. I think of the witching hour as a short circuit when baby just needs to reboot. No doubt, getting through the witching hour is something. But, there are some things you can try that may help to soothe baby through this bumpy time.
So try these tips the next time baby won’t stop fussing:
Offer the breast/cluster feed: When all else fails, you can always offer the boob if you’re nursing baby or a bottle if you are not. Sometimes breastfed babies are fussier because mom has a natural dip in prolactin and milk during the afternoon. Cluster feeding, or allowing baby access to breast frequently, can be a great remedy. It might get annoying when baby pops on and pops off the breast 15 times in an hour but trust the process. Cluster feeding will help to stimulate breast milk production for his growing body and also provide the comfort and closeness that he wants.
Try babywearing: Babywearing can offer many benefits to a fussy baby: closeness to mama or papa, soothing rocking motion, and a warm, safe place to nap. In fact, in one study, regular babycarrying reduced babies crying and fussiness by 43% and 51% less during the evening hours… aka during the witching hour. Avoid forward facing baby carriers as this can continue to overstimulate your baby.
Skin-to-skin: This has several benefits including: reduced crying, improved mother-baby bond, and stabilized vitals for the baby. During skin-to-skin, the body naturally releases stress-reducing hormones and as a result, baby’s vitals (i.e. temperature, breathing rate, heart rate) stabilize. It can literally calm your baby from the inside out!
Baby massage: Infant massage helps soothe a colicky baby. Research also showed that baby massage lowers cortisol levels, the stress hormone, and stimulates melatonin production, helping babies fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. YAY!
Limit stimulation: try reducing household stimuli by dimming the lights, turning off TVs/music or external noises and creating a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere.This not only helps your baby unwind during the witching hour, but also helps prepare baby for bedtime.
Draw a warm bath: A warm bath, especially with a drop or two of lavender or cedarwood essential oils, can reduce crying, promote more restful sleep, and calm baby. Some researchers actually believe that human touch and interaction is part of what makes a bath so relaxing for a baby so hop in the bath with baby.
Go for a walk: Nature is good for the baby as it provides a soothing and calming effect. So place your baby in a baby carrier and take a stroll around the block. Your baby will benefit from human touch while listening to the sounds of nature.
Play white noise: If baby’s witching hour is triggered by overexertion or exhaustion, a white noise machine may help. The repetitive, hypnotic sound can put baby in a trance like state.
Rock the baby: Babies experience a lot of movement in the womb and might be used to that. So it's best to mimic those movements through.
Keep in mind that you also need to take care of yourself when dealing with a crabby baby during witching hour.
Some tips that may aid you in this process are:
Reaching out for help, whether it be your partner, friend or family member so that you don’t go it alone every afternoon.
If you are breastfeeding and baby is cluster feeding, put healing nipple balm on after each nursing session to prevent irritation and cracking.
You can try supplemental magnesium to help with the stress and some of the soothing benefits might help baby via your breast milk. Talk to your healthcare provider to see if it’s right for you.
Make sure to eat well and get some daily exercise so that you feel good physically. Be sure to sleep when baby sleeps so that you don’t struggle with major sleep deprivation, which makes everything worse.
