Recommendations for hands free colic relief!

[Llamasally]

My 4 week old baby is suffering with colic/witching hours every evening between around 6-11. At the moment my DH and I take turns to soothe her and sort out our toddler, then I go to bed earlier as I am doing most overnights.

DH has a period coming up at work where he will be working 7-11 most days for a few months and I’m really going to need to employ any gadgets I can get my hands on to get some time with baby settled to do bath and bed for toddler, sort my own shower, eat dinner etc. We have a BB bouncer but baby is too little to make it move so it has to be bounced by us, which won’t work during this time to come. Baby does seem to like a jiggle best, car rides and bumpy pram rides are magic!

I have been looking at second hand electric swings like the 4moms Mamaroo. Does anyone have any more suggestions that might help get through it on my own??

She does go in a sling but I can’t do everything needed until bedtime with that option.

Anyone? To add, we already do swaddling, dummy, white noise etc

Sorry no hands free tips here I'm sorry but could you try to have the shower earlier? Eating dinner and putting the toddler to bed is doable in a sling, my DH was always at work so this is how it worked for us.

With DC2, the most invaluable "gadget" we had was a 15yo girl who came over from 5.30 - 7.00 every night. She'd either walk the baby and soothe him whilst I did bathtime etc with toddler DC1 or I'd feed and rock the baby whilst she did all of the stuff with DC1. Most evenings, we'd mix and match depending on what DC2 was like. She was also happy to put away toys (with DC1's help), empty this dishwasher, pick the washing in .. just the sort of basic chores you'd expect any 15yo to do. It was great as DC1 loved her so had fun and would go to bed happily and, once she was down, I could focus on DC2. It also meant I was a lot less stressed and emotional so we were all in a better position.
Obviously it was expensive but we knew DH wouldn't be around as he was working on a project but we were lucky as he knew he'd get a bonus and so we used that to pay for this.

I'd agree with moving your shower. If you do it in the morning would the baby be happy in a bouncy chair in the bathroom with you and the toddler could watch 15 minutes of cartoons? Or also play in the bathroom if there's room? Even shower with you if you feel up to it!

I also used a sling, and cut down DS1's bedtime routine - didn't do bath every night. I like the idea of getting a teenager in to help if you can afford it.

A helper would be just amazing - however I think the chances of getting this arranged more than once in a while might be unrealistic unfortunately. Something I can look into though...

I could look at doing shower when the baby is in a better mood or napping during the day and maybe when the toddler is napping. Although that then wipes out any chance of me also napping 😭

Any more suggestions very welcome!

I'm not sure if your response means you couldn't afford it regularly or wouldn't be sure who could do it. I was really lucky as a 15yo on the next street put a note through the door saying she was looking for babysitting work just as DH found out about his project.
As I wanted it to be a regular thing, I met both the girl and one of her parents. It suited the girl much better as it was a natural gap between immediate after school clubs and when she might start her homework/do evening activities and her parents loved it as it meant that they didn't have to stay up and sober to drive & collect her from an evening babysitting job.

What about a rockit? Clips to the prams and jiggles it?

We got a “joie serina swivel swing“ when my daughter was about 6 weeks and it was the best £100 I’ve ever spent she was so happy and soothed in it! It is quite bulky and takes up a lot of room but so so worth it. And much more cost effective than the mamaroo.

This is a genius idea!!

More that we live very rurally, so not easy for anyone of non-driving age to get to us :(

Sorry last post was meant to reply to @Whoateallthechocolate