Newborn night time fussiness? Did all your kids have it?

[Hillarysz]

I have 20mo DS, 19weeks pregnant with DD

DS was exclusively bottle/formula fed. I remember evenings from when he was like 3-5 weeks old He was so fussy and had hours of crying then eventually settled. But during that time nothing worked. No dummy no bottle nothing except outdoors. He’s a winter baby too so me and DH would take him out in the pram all wrapped up at like 8 at night it was pitch black!!(apart from street lighting of course ahah)

I know this is common, mild colic or witching hour etc. I just wondered do all newborns get this?

I do want to try breastfeeding for a bit with DD, not sure if the way you feed affects This?

but yes just curious out of all of your kids did they all experience this or some did some didn’t?

Both of mine have had it to varying degrees and I think most newborns are fussy in the evening, but again to be varying degrees. DC1 screamed the house down every night from 5pm until 9/10/11/12 for about 10 weeks. It was absolutely awful and nothing stopped it. Main driver of my PND. DC2 (currently 6 weeks) is fussy in the evenings from about 5 or 6pm and doesn’t quite know what he wants. Wants to be on the breast but then gets cross at the breast and pops on and off/headbuts. Cries on and off. Settles outside in the pram but then cries again when home. We figured out early he needs to be ready for bed and breastfeeding in a dark room by 7:30 pm and quite often is down for the night by 8:30pm. Still difficult but nowhere near as bad as DC1. DC1 was EBF and DC2 is combination fed with 1 bottle of formula a day. I don’t think feeding choice matters but generally breastfed babies take their frustration out on the boob, which can be difficult. Equally boob can be a great tool to settle them, so pluses and minuses.

Both of mine were like this. They'd start about 4pm and then would feed and whinge, all night until about late. We used to watch the TV with the subtitles on as we couldn't hear it! Both of mine were FF so at least I could hand them to DH for a feed.

DD1 settled down after about 3 months but DD2 who is a much easier child overall was still being an evening dickhead* until about 6 months (she slept through from 8 weeks so I took it on the chin). I used to pop her in the sling and pace round constantly so I could do dinner and bedtime with DD1!

*Official term in our house.

Never ever put mine to bed until we went to bed....they had their moses baskets in living room .. breast fed for 2 years. We would watch TV.. I'd sit and breast feed then they would fall asleep until next feed... sometimes hubby would put the baby to my breast and we would sit comfy and content like this.. once we went to bed about 10pm they would be put in the moses basket in the cot at side of me and just wake for a feed / change.. hubby would help.. once they hit about 18months they went to bed about 7 pm after last breast feed and wake at 7 am. I actually think too many parents want the babies into bed and to sleep all night until morning .. separated from them. Make no wonder they don't settle.. they have been next to your heartbeat for nine months. They still need you..

Well mine was an all round grumpy baby with a lot of colic and reflux. But he wasn’t particularly worse in the evening.

My DC have both become massively overstimulated in the evenings by lights/TV/chatting and it’s pretty widely known that overstimulation is a major contributing factor to colic/witching hour. I’d love to keep DC2 down with me until 10pm - id far rather spend my evening in the living room than watching TV with headphones in my bedroom in the dark. But turns out every baby is different and I’m meeting his needs. Keep him downstairs = screaming. Dark, cool, quiet bedroom = no screaming. I can’t actually believe you’ve experienced a colicy baby if your evenings are as you’ve described - colic wouldn’t exist if it was as easy as hold them and breastfeed them. We tried that. A lot.