"Evening Colic" Anyone?

[Kelly1101]

For the past week, Ozzy has wanted to scream for an hour every night. I've tried it all-- swaddling, bouncing on the birth ball, sling, swing, rocking in the chair, back-patting, white noise, nursing, singing and humming, different ways of holding him, etc, etc, etc.

*sigh*

One night rocking worked, one night a heartbeat-rhythm back-patting worked, last night doing a firm back rub while he was laying on his side next to me worked for about 30 minutes.

It's always right before bed.

The rest of the day, he's the easiest, most chilled out baby in the world. He never cries. Then, usually right around the time I'm putting Em down to bed (7-8 PM), he goes into this really alert time, then around 8-9 PM starts howling at me. Will NOT nurse-- acts like I'm trying to murder him with an axe when I put my boob near his mouth. Inconsolable. Then after about an hour, suddenly, abruptly quiets up, will usually nurse for a minute or two or suck on my pinkie finger, and then passes right out.

I've tried making sure he gets plenty of sleep during the day-- he napped GREAT yesterday and I was hoping that it would calm the crying, but nope, no difference.

I remember reading in the Dr Sears book that this type of thing is "evening colic" and not true colic.

Whatever you call it, it sucks.

Emma was the same way at this age, and the only thing that helped was that she turned three months old and then abruptly was all done with screaming at night.

So does this mean I have two more months of this? *sigh*

[LovnMyBoys]

Oh the witching hour...btdt here too.
There is no magic fix, as you said its whatever works in that moment. It does end though.
Luckily here nursing will work most times (with all three), there is just screaming between nursing.

[Lit Chick]

YES. We have it too. I thought at first that maybe he had some allergy, or who knows, but then I read the section on colic in the Baby Book. Tal has a fit from 4 - 6pm pretty much every day now, but during the day he is sweet and happy. It does suck, but I'm glad it seems to be a common thing and that it will pass.
Better than having true colic.

[RedOakMomma]

dd was doing this for about a week, and now has given us a couple of days without it. Not sure which pattern is going to stick, but my best method of coping was just to give dd to dh after a while. He isn't as affected by her screaming as I am. I hold her and pat her, then dh holds her and pats her, and after he's had her for 20-30 minutes, he gives her back to me to see if it's nurse-to-sleep time yet.

And yeah...just like you said...only before going to sleep for the evening, and after a normal alert time has passed. It's like she's too exhausted to nurse, and too overwhelmed by the day to sleep?! Totally stressful, but thankfully she seems to get through it eventually.

[lach]

The Witching Hour... yup, happens to most babies. It's pretty awful! Lots and lots and lots of naps throughout the day help. Other than that, the only thing you can really do is whatever it takes: walking, bouncing, singing, putting baby in the swing, whatever. Try to cook dinner in the morning so you can just reheat it when needed

It usually phases out after 6 weeks.

[Lit Chick]

Originally Posted by RedOakMomma

It's like she's too exhausted to nurse, and too overwhelmed by the day to sleep?!

I think that's exactly it. My 3 year old acts the same way when he skips his nap - gets fussy and tantrum prone. But because we know why he's acting like that, it's easier. With a tiny baby that does nap plenty and cannot speak... it seems worse. But I think it's just the same overtired and cranky that happens to all kids. I think by our witching hour is a bored baby that is not yet ready for sleep.
Maybe they grow out of it as they get more body control, and thus can physically tire themselves out. Also, the more control they get, the easier it is to play with them, so less boredom.

[Lit Chick]

So, I just got my hotsling in the mail, and whooo... don't want to totally jinx myself, but perhaps we've avoided tonight's witching hour? kidlet passed right out.

I am going to aim for naps around now. I think I was making a huge mistake, fearing that nap now meant less sleep for me - I wanted him to go down when I do. But hopefully he will still have a good night sleep ahead. Fingers crossed!

[RedOakMomma]

I hope that works for you!

I've had the opposite luck in the past couple of days. I can now get dd to sleep through the witching hour, but in the past two nights she's been doing more nighttime waking (which, seriously, since birth she has NEVER done before). Last night she was awake for almost two hours in the middle of the night, doing a smaller version of the witching hour behavior.

That can't happen! We need our other kids to sleep, and we're in an old house with all the bedrooms crammed together upstairs...if ONE kids is crying, we ALL wake up.

She gets plenty of naps and deep sleep through the day...I'm going to try waking her up soon, seeing if she'll get a little alert period in, then nurse her back down.

[sere234]

Originally Posted by lach

The Witching Hour... yup, happens to most babies. It's pretty awful! Lots and lots and lots of naps throughout the day help. Other than that, the only thing you can really do is whatever it takes: walking, bouncing, singing, putting baby in the swing, whatever. Try to cook dinner in the morning so you can just reheat it when needed

It usually phases out after 6 weeks.

DS is 6 weeks now and recently started screaming around 8 each night. BUT if he has a long afternoon nap, he is fine at night. So afternoon I MUST MUST MUST be home for the nap

[Laurski]

Originally Posted by lach

It usually phases out after 6 weeks.

I'm laughing b/c the only alternative is crying...

E's 6 weeks tomorrow--I will make sacrifices to the baby gods if it does pass after 6 weeks, b/c she goes ballistic from about 8:30-9:30 every night. Usually DH wears her in the pikkolo, and she'll actually stand up in it while screaming. She sometimes pounds her tiny fists against him as well, which would be funny if the whole experience wasn't so upsetting.

We live in an apartment building, so our neighbors are really loving us right now...

[Just1More]

Originally Posted by RedOakMomma

That can't happen! We need our other kids to sleep, and we're in an old house with all the bedrooms crammed together upstairs...if ONE kids is crying, we ALL wake up.

I've bounced more than one baby outside for hours in the middle of the night for that very reason. The older ones HAVE to sleep. Whew...sorry neighbors. It's every man for himself.

[RedOakMomma]

She didn't have her witching hour last night, but was awake and fussy for two hours in the middle of the night. Again.

Honestly, I prefer the witching hour. By far.

[Lit Chick]

Yeah, we traded the witching hour for pretty much constant fuss at night yesterday. Not fun. But hopefully, it was him being sick. He was grunty and crabby, was spitting up a lot, and just now had diarrhea which I assume was my bug working its way out of him. Now he's passed out, so I am going to nap too.
I hope tonight is more peaceful.

[xekomaya]

It wouldn't be "evening colic" if its 11-4am right? <sigh> Our new drama is reflux. 3 hours of sleep and a non-napping toddler does not leave for a happy mama.

[lach]

Originally Posted by xekomaya

It wouldn't be "evening colic" if its 11-4am right? <sigh> Our new drama is reflux. 3 hours of sleep and a non-napping toddler does not leave for a happy mama.

Oh no, I'm so sorry Do you have a swing? Even though it's bad for their back, it can really help babies with reflux to sleep sitting upright, either in a swing or in a bucket seat.

[gabbyraja]

In the Np Cry Sleep Solution she says that babies NEED to go to sleep early. Between 6 and 7. And that people who experience the crying fit later in the eve/night are experiencing it because baby is up too late. I read this when ds1 was doing this and putting him to sleep by 7 solved the problem. However, it also made him wake earlier.

Now that I have 4 other children that need to go to sleep I haven't started putting lo down early, I just deal with it, but I've got to get on board soon...

[jee'smom]

the only thing that helped my dd2 was to put her to bed (my bed, we co-slept) by 7pm, before the witching hour started. it worked like a charm!!! God help us if we were out of the house around then... wow... but yes, she got up a few more times through the night, and got up a little earlier, but she (and so us) were much happier people!!! good luck!!!

[sattygirl99]

is it 'evening colic' if it's from 5-10/11? NOTHING works during this time but constant nursing which with yeast, poor latch and inability maintain latch while sleeping.... yeah, I introduced a paci.

I'm getting a carrier today in hopes it will help because my older kiddos go to bed around 6:30 andd poor DH has been having to get up and do bedtime (he works graveyard so he's asleep at that hour).

[Kelly1101]

Originally Posted by sattygirl99

is it 'evening colic' if it's from 5-10/11? NOTHING works during this time but constant nursing which with yeast, poor latch and inability maintain latch while sleeping.... yeah, I introduced a paci.

I'm getting a carrier today in hopes it will help because my older kiddos go to bed around 6:30 andd poor DH has been having to get up and do bedtime (he works graveyard so he's asleep at that hour).

I wouldn't call that evening colic, I'd just call that straight-up Colic.

Sorry you're dealing with this



This past week Ozzy has been much better.

[heatherRN]

We are right there too, and I think it got better at 6 weeks with my first two. I just keep telling myself this too shall pass and since it is our last baby try not to sweat it too much.
However, last night was particularly awful since my dh went out with our oldest and I just couldn't find anything that helped for over an hour and my 2 year-old fell asleep on his own during the whole thing. Made me feel so sad.