Please tell me we’re not the only ones

[Newmum931002]

Hi ladies

I posted on here when my baby girl was only 2 weeks old and you were all so helpful and kind so I’m hoping for some insight again, me and my husband are desperate for some answers and hope that this will get better because at the moment it feels nearly impossible.

Last night was particularly bad - the crying, the screaming.. the purple crying is off the charts at times. It’s every evening without fail. I’ve always referred to her as a ‘moody little mare’ (filled with love I promise) because at the start it always felt like if she wasn’t feeding or sleeping she was crying -day or night. This has improved over the duration of her short little life so far - she’s 8 weeks now.

During the day she’s definitely more contented at times. I can get her on the playmat now without her sounding like I’m cutting her leg off.. tummy time is something she enjoys.. we can go for walks with her in the carrier -she seems fairly happy in it, nods off normally! Still not a fan of the buggy but oh well - it makes a good trolly!
After 5pm however.. completely different set of rules it seems. Nothing will comfort her and once she goes.. SHE GOES!

Doctor told me she has colic.. I’m not convinced. During the day feeding is absolutely fine. She’s EBF and never ever makes a fuss over feeds.. even when she was smaller and more fractious her kick offs weren’t any worse after feeding.. if anything she’d nod off for a couple of hours after looking all angelic.
At night/evening - as far as I’m concerned - feeding is also fine but she can be very very fussy. Grabbing me.. her own face.. scratching.. pulling off and crying like I’ve taken it away.. and this will go on for hours and it just feels like as the hours tick by it’s gradually getting worse before she’s so spent she just KO’s - normally by about 9 she’s not asleep but she’s given up the fight and chilled out some what.. but not 100%. 10pm is the earliest we manage to calm her and get her to bed - she will normally do a 4ish hour stretch (recently we’ve had some 5hrs which have been lovely) before she wakes for nappy change and feed and she is absolutely fine after that and just goes back off to sleep.

Did anyone else go through this and when did it end!? I just want her to be happy and it’s so hard to see her like this every single day.

Book a paediatric physiotherapist appointment so they can check her over always best to out rule tight muscles any pain, before any misdiagnosis or medication.
I had one like this and have advised everyone I know since to do this.

I wonder if it's caused by something like systems joining up in the brain that feels 'weird' to them, so they cry? I only had one like this of the five, the others were sometimes disgruntled during the evening but only one would shriek and cry with no evident cause (all were EBF) and I used to look at her and wonder why she seemed so upset.

Where I am, they describe witching hour as getting out the overstimulation and new things in the only way they can. It's just their little brains overloading

My eldest was like this and things only got better when he started to walk. I spent many evenings in tears calling my mum and sister, crying with frustration and exhaustion. I lost a lot of weight, because of relentless walks outside with a pram/stroller as he napped outside and I was slowly going mad stuck with him at home. I had no time to eat myself. He is now 10 and a very clever and sporty boy. He was a hyperactive/garrulous toddler and calmed down slowly at 5 years old (still talks a lot though). Always very skinny, and weaning was a nightmare. Never any problems at school though, super-intelligent and very quick at maths, beautiful handwriting and a perfectionist. Passed 11+ and going to a grammar.
So don't lose hope, it will pass. Try to take care of yourself and use others' help as much as possible.