Help! Does this sound like overtiredness? 5 weeks old

[tatree]

Hi,

Wondering if I can get some help as I'm struggling with DD in the evenings. She will be six weeks on Sunday which I know is too young for routines or bedtimes, but I can't suss why it seems I have two different babies - the happy baby I wake up with in the morning and the relentless crying baby in the evenings!

She's mixed fed - about 80% breastfed and bottle top ups or when I need a break. She currently sleeps from anywhere between 7:30 - 9:30 in the evening to somewhere between 5:00 - 8:00 in the morning. She's entirely breastfed in the night and wakes up roughly 4 times and feeds for 10 - 25 minutes and then either has about 20ish minutes awake time kicking or falls straight back to sleep. In the mornings she's so happy - smiles constantly and really chilled out. Normally has about sleep about 10 of another 1.5 - 2 hours. Will sleep in the sling or buggy, sometimes in the car. Will try to soothe her to sleep after every feed , she sleeps after everyone but will wake up anywhere from 15 minutes - 2 hours so just letting her lead.

For some reason, regardless what has happened in the day or night, she gets miserable about 5/6. It doesn't seem to be linked to feeds at all and it's not a pain cry. Just relentless whimpering and crying. She'll ramp it up and then almost stop and then start again. She's distracted from it by bouncing or a change of scenery or me singing or talking, but will start again a minute later. Dummy works briefly but she'll push it out her mouth and start again. Bouncy chair, gym and prop up cushions don't help.

The only thing I can think of is over tiredness, or is this just what babies do?

Have health visitor and doctors Monday so will check nothing physical then.

It's horrible her being miserable for the last few hours of the day. It makes me stressed and upset and is making me dread evenings. The only time my partner sees her is during this time and it's horrible she's always crying, I feel responsible.

Any suggestions welcome.

This sounds like classic colic symptoms. It usually starts up at around 6 weeks, peaks at around 12 weeks and then starts to ease off again. I really do sympathise. My DD1 had awful colic and it drove me insane. Infacol helped massively, so I'd recommend you give it a go. But do remember that this will get better and it's nothing you've done wrong.

www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Colic/Pages/Introduction.aspx

The evenings are often a tired, hungry, moany time. For babies as well as us
You've done nothing wrong, hang in there, make meals you can eat with one hand and wait it out.

It's the witching hour - lots of babies do it. Ours did it until about 12 weeks then it just went away!

I would agree it sounds like colic. My daughter used to start crying at 4pm everyday and it would continue for hours. Nothing we did could console her until we tried Infracol and it worked wonders.

It could be colic - but I would also avoid your baby being awake for more than an hour at this stage. 2 hours is a long time for a 5 week old.

My DS had some very fussy periods, and keeping an eye on his awake time really helped me. I use an App called Glow Baby to monitor all of his feeding and sleeping - makes it really easy to keep track.

Congratulations

Sounds like 'the witching hour'. Could be colic, and a number of other things hence the name. We had it and it was really tough, but it passes! We found dancing with some good music on hells (skin to skin with daddy was good) x

I remember it well! Both kids fed non-stop from around 4/5pm-10/11pm.

Sounds normal. Can you settlemher with feeding? My dd1 wanted to cluster feed from 5pm onwards and was always grumpy in evenings. It doesn't really sound like colic to me. Lots of babies do this. Just feed her as much as you can, that would be my advice. Your partner can google the witching hour if he's upset. It's not your fault

I would say it's the witching hour too, both of mine did it until 3-4 months. Around this age they start getting more aware of their surroundings and find it hard to switch off. By late afternoon / early evening, everything becomes too much and they go into meltdown. I suggest you put her in a sling and walk around singing or with some white noise. Or take her out for a walk.

Also if you're are doing a lot during the day maybe it's getting too much? Some babies don't respond well to being out and about all the time, in which case try doing stuff in the mornings and spending the afternoon at home.

It will pass but I know how tough it can be!