Take a big deep breath mama, you’re going to get through this!

Once you have experienced witching hour you will understand why it can be so overwhelming. You've tried everything to settle your baby & stop them from crying but they wont let up! You may start to wonder if your baby is broken. Let me reassure you they're not.

Typically, witching hour begins at the same time everyday & usually in the late afternoon. This period of fussiness can sometimes last a few hours, so it is important you feel best equiped to deal with it and remind yourself it wont last forever. Witching hours usually peak between weeks 2-3 and then again at 6 weeks.

There are a few causes for this period of upset, some of which you can have a positive impact on:

Overtired: If your baby is overtired they are far more likely to experience witching hour for longer. Make sure you try and stick to your awake windows and have at least one longer nap during the day.
Overstimulated: A full day of being awake in the world is a lot for you newborn baby, even with naps! By 5pm they may have experienced all sorts of hustle and bustle, so it is not uncommon for them to just become a little overstimulated. Witching hour is a good indication that they need some downtime in a quiet and calm space.
Lower Milk Supply: If you are a breastfeeding mama you may have noticed that those afternoon feeds are a bit more tricky. This is when your supply dips which can frustrate a hungry baby. If you have introduced a bottle the afternoon feed is a great time to offer a bottle feed of expressed milk.
Growth Spurt or Leap: Your baby's first growth spurt or 'developmental leap' happens between 2-3 weeks and then again at 6 weeks. This is also where we typically see witching hour peak. During these times, remind yourself that your baby is growing and changing. The world is becoming newer & more intense as they begin to become more aware. As you can imagine this is super overwhelming for them. They may want to cluster feed during this time, so just try to go with the flow and let them feed continuously if that is what they need.

Some tips for making it through witching hour(s):

First off, a big deep breath - if your baby is crying and nothing you do seems to be helping, there is nothing wrong with you popping them down somewhere safe and stepping into the other room for a minute to ground yourself.
Positive affirmations and mantras can really help when you are in the thick of it - 'I am all my baby needs, I am doing the best I can and that is enough, this time will pass, I love my baby and they love me’.
White noise and a dark room can really help to calm a fussy baby. Sitting in a dark room with the white noise going even for 15 minutes whist you feed can help.
Give baby a warm bath with the lights down low. Water can be so calming for babies and can do the trick in many cases of witching hours.
Feed, feed feed - Although witching hour often happens around the time when your milk supply may be lower, using a bottle of expressed milk or formula during this time can help. Alternatively let your baby stay on the boob for as long as they want and prepare to sit and chill for a while with the TV on.
Skin to skin is hugely calming for your baby - pop their head on your chest so they can hear your heart beat and gently sway.
Get outside - sometimes just popping baby in the carrier or the pram and getting some fresh air will do the trick!
Hand baby to someone else - Yes baby’s love cuddles with their mum but sometimes handing them off to someone else can hit reset for everyone.

I hope you found this useful! Witching Hours tend to fade away after 8 weeks, but if you feel like your baby is inconsolable for more than 3 hours a day beyond this, please speak to your GP or Health Visitor to rule our Silent Reflux, Colic or anything else.

If you would like more newborn tips and advice on how to get the most from your newborn’s sleep - head to the Newborn Support page of my website and download my Halcyon Sleep Support: Newborn - 3 months guide!

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