Six-week old screamer

[DesertDweller]

My little boy has started being really 'fussy' in the evenings. It usually starts at seven and can go on easily until 11 or longer every night. First he starts by refusing to latch, and it just gets worse and worse as he works himself up. His face goes bright red and he screams and screams. He 'punches' and kicks, and literally nothing can placate him. I change him, wind him, walk him around, swaddle. For a change of scene I try walking him around... As I'm typing this he is lying on the bed with me on the duvet - was screaming when I held him and when I put him down he stopped. But I know this will only last a few minutes while he works up the energy to start screaming again. It's completely soul destroying. He must be hungry but won't stay latched. One night when he was like this I gave him a bottle and it seemed to work, but I'm really keen to not do that unless I'm not around to feed him myself as I'm worried it will interfere with my supply if done every night, plus I'm struggling to express enough to start building up a supply for when I go back to work next month. Any ideas?? He is pretty chilled during the day, if a bit needy, and feeding and gaining well.

Poor you! This is very common though I think, sounds like he is a bit colicky/over-tired. Both my DDs were terrible in the evenings. DD1 screamed for hours every night from 6 weeks until about 9/10 weeks IIRC. Think getting her in a bedtime routine with bath helped, as did a dummy - even though she would wake and cluster feed, she was more settled in between. He might be a bit overstimulated and exhausted by the end of the day, especially if you're out and about lots.

DD2 was much the same but what worked for her was being in the sling for most of the evening. She was still difficult to settle though and could be up until 1am some nights with me bouncing her on my knee which was the only thing that would stop her howling!

Both improved as they got older - I know its not much comfort now but it will improve - although by then you'll be on to another phase and worrying about that!

If you want to give a bottle, why not express at that time as well and let your OH do the bottle - if you can double pump especially it shouldn't negatively affect your supply.

How long is he awake before bedtime? I don't think they can last much longer than an hour between naps at this stage and does sound extremely overtired?

7-10 were the witching hours for all of mine. I suspwct it was wind. I can rememberwalking them round and round whichever room I was in. It does get better, but for mine it lasted a few weeks.
Try a feed if you think he bis hungry, and don't feel bad about handing him over to a relative to pace around with for a little vwhile to give your nervesca break.

My daughter was like this also and she had reflux and would get even more sick. I would keep trying to feed her and the lights were on and activity. One day I decided to lay in bed with her while feeding. She fell asleep and was not sick. I put her in her crib and she woke at 10 for a feed. It was amazing as I had been struggling for a couple of weeks. I just hadn't realized how tired she was.

it does get easier. I found by 12 weeks we had a different child.

Could it be colic? I had this with ds, you could set your watch by him every evening he would cry and cry and cry. In the end we used Colief and it worked wonders, he was a different boy.

With both mine 95 % of their troubles as tinies have been trapped wind. Lie them on back, knees up to tummy, wait a little - should get results and restore order!

Both of mine were like this- was wind/tummy related and got much better by 12 weeks.

sounds exactly like my ds (now 6m) he had silent reflux as he wasn't being sick it was harder to tell . from being at the doctors twice a week for the first 6.5 weeks of his life he finally was prescribed infant gavisgon and within 48 hours was like a totally different baby! now he still had his moment t but nothing like he was . my dp would drive up and down the motorway at 2 am to try and get him to sleep but nothing would work and it was always towards the end of the evening that it would start properly .