Witching Hour vs Colic

Colic is a word that is often used for a baby who cries for any length of time, but did you know that it’s normal for babies to have a fussy period every day, often called the witching hour?  While it’s distressing for any parent to hear her baby cry, sometimes understanding that the behavior is a normal part of infant development can be helpful.  However, there are times when the behavior may be caused by something else, and even though the cause isn’t always immediately understood, there are measures that can be taken to reduce the symptoms of colic.

 

What is the “Witching Hour”?

The witching hour is described as normal fussy periods that almost all babies go through.  It happens around the same time every day and most frequently occurs in the late afternoon and evening hours.  It will often begin between weeks 2 and 3, peak around week 6, and then fade around 3 months.  During this time, your baby will likely want to cluster feed, which again, is a normal behavior for babies. A baby who may go 2 hours or more between feedings will suddenly want to eat constantly.  He/she may be fussier than normal and more difficult to soothe.  Often it seems like the baby doesn’t know what he/she wants!  The baby will want to feed for a few minutes, then fall asleep, only to wake 10 minutes later wanting to feed again.  Some babies will fuss at the breast, giving hunger cues, but then pull off and cry.  All of this is normal behavior.

What Causes the Witching Hour?

While our babies can’t tell us why they’re so cranky during these seemingly endless hours, we have some theories on what causes it.  As it happens often towards the evening hours, it could be because mom’s milk supply is lower than it was earlier in the day.  What is so important for moms to realize is that her supply is not TOO low, but lower, which is a normal fluctuation that all women experience.  As the milk flow is slower, the baby may grow frustrated, and as the milk volume is lower, the baby may want to feed more often.  Again, this is not a sign that mom doesn’t have enough milk, but a common occurrence in breastfeeding.  Another cause could be overstimulation.  Your baby isn’t able to self soothe, or shut him/herself down at this age.  So by the end of the day he/she may feel cranky and overstimulated and have a hard time calming down.  It’s also often the busiest time of day in a lot of households, when partners are returning home from work, older siblings from school, and mom is trying to juggle activities like making dinner, or helping another child with homework.

What Can I Do to Help My Baby During the Witching Hour?

While you may not be able to 100% prevent the fussy period, there are lots of things you can do to help calm your baby and make your own life a little easier.  The best thing you can do is to offer your breast often.  Wearing your baby and learning to breastfeed in the carrier can be an absolute lifesaver!  Wearing your baby will also help to keep him/her soothed and your hands free, so you can attend to other children or activities that need to be done.  Another idea is to prep dinner earlier in the day so that you don’t feel the stress of having to do that during your baby’s fussy period.  Take a walk with your baby in the carrier, as the fresh air will benefit you both.  As much as you can, don’t plan events during this time.  And lastly, don’t be afraid to ask your partner for help!  A baby’s cry is incredibly stressful for mom and sometimes you may need a break.  Ask your partner to step in for a while to soothe baby while you take a bath, go for a drive or walk, or just sit in a quiet room.

What is Colic?

Colic is different than the normal witching hour and is defined as a baby who cries for 3 or more hours a day, 3 or more days a week, for 3 or more weeks at a time.  Colic can begin in the early weeks and often fades by month 3 or 4.  The behavior of a colickly baby is markedly different than that of a baby experiencing normal witching hour.  The crying is often more intense and the baby is unable to be soothed.  The crying may be accompanied by behavior that indicates the baby is physically uncomfortable - he/she will arch his/her back, or seem to want to change positions, or tense his/her legs up near the abdomen.  

What Causes Colic?

Like the witching hour, there is no hard and fast evidence about what causes colickly behavior in a baby.  There are however, some things that you can definitely rule out if you suspect your baby is colicky.  One common cause for colic is too much milk.  Mom with an oversupply of milk may find her baby exhibiting the symptoms described above.  If mom has a very forceful letdown and fast flowing milk, the baby can take in too much air while feeding which can cause lots of gas and periods of great discomfort.  Sometimes an oversupply can cause a baby to have a foremilk/hindmilk imbalance.  This also means discomfort for the baby as he/she is getting more of the diluted foremilk and not enough of the fattier hindmilk.  The foremilk doesn’t have enough fat in it to help balance the lactose, which can cause it to be difficult for the baby to digest.  

A tongue-tie or lip tie can also cause this type of behavior, even when mom doesn’t have an oversupply of milk.  A baby with a restricted tongue or upper lip may not be able to create a seal while feeding at the breast, which again, like the oversupply, causes baby to take in too much air while feeding.  

A sensitivity to something in mom’s diet can also be a culprit in causing this colicky behavior.  

What Can I Do to Help my Colicky Baby?

Change up your breastfeeding position.  If you feel like you may have a forceful letdown, try using the laid-back position.  This can help slow down your flow, making it more manageable for your baby.

If you suspect that something in your diet may be causing your baby discomfort, try keeping a food journal for 48 hours.  Record everything you eat, the time you ate it, along with the times your baby is exhibiting the colicky behavior.  If you start to notice a trend of discomfort following a certain type of food, you can eliminate that food from your diet for a few weeks to see if the behavior improves.  The foods most likely to cause sensitivities are dairy, soy, gluten, eggs, and nuts.  

Most importantly, seek the help of an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) as she can help you identify oversupply, forceful letdown, tongue/lip tie, as well as a food intolerance/sensitivity.  Lastly, contact your pediatrician to rule out any serious conditions.  

And most of all, remind yourself that this will pass!

I’ve Had My Baby - Now What? Breastfeeding During Weeks 3-6

Welcome back to our new series, I’ve Had My Baby - Now What?  This is a guide with basic information to help you navigate the first days, weeks, and months of breastfeeding your new baby.  

Today we’d like to talk about weeks 3 through 6 of your baby’s life, and what breastfeeding looks like.  What can you expect for normal behavior from your new baby, and when do you know there’s a problem that you should seek professional help for?

What does normal breastfeeding look like in weeks 3-6?  How often should my baby be eating, and how long should feedings take?

It’s extremely common for babies at this age to still want to feed frequently, every 2-3 hours.  Some *may* become more efficient and take in more at feedings and start to space them out a bit more, but don’t fear if your baby hasn’t done this yet!  Feedings may start to speed up as mom’s milk volume is higher and baby has had good practice breastfeeding, but again, don’t worry if your baby still feeds at the breast for as long as he/she did in the early weeks.  It can take some time for mom and baby to really get their groove and you may still be working out some kinks during weeks 3 through 6.

How much weight should my baby be gaining at this age?  How will I know if he/she is getting enough when I’m not seeing my pediatrician as frequently for weight checks?

Up to 4 months of age, we expect babies to gain .5-1 oz/day, or 4-7 ounces a week.  There are many ways other than weight to be sure that your baby is getting enough milk.  If your baby is having plenty of wet and soiled diapers each day, and generally seems content after feedings for two hours or more (outside of growth spurts and cluster feeding periods), you can feel good that he/she is probably getting enough.  If you want a little more concrete evidence, a great way to track your baby’s weight is by attending a free weekly breastfeeding support group.  There will often be a scale there to weigh your baby, you can do test weights to see how much baby is taking during that feeding, get help from a lactation consultant or educator, and, the BEST part, meet and connect with other moms.

Can I give my baby a bottle now?  If so, who should give it and how often should they do so?

 Once breastfeeding has been established, weeks 3-5 are the perfect time to introduce a bottle to your baby if you’d like them to take one.  It’s normally best that someone other than mom gives the baby the bottle, as babies often associate mom with breastfeeding and may refuse a bottle from her.  Plus, often times, partners and grandparents have been waiting for their moment to participate in the feeding of the baby.  We recommend that mom start pumping after week 3, once a day or so, to start to save up milk for that first bottle.  2-3oz is an appropriate amount to start with.  Be sure that the bottle is fed to the baby in a breastfeeding friendly manner.  If mom is going back to work, we recommend that baby receives a bottle on a somewhat regular basis, a few times a week, so that he/she remains familiar with it.  Plus, mom should pump every time baby receives a bottle to maintain her milk supply.

My baby is inconsolable for a few hours in the evenings.  Why is this happening and what can I do?

Many babies have a “witching hour”, or as I like to call it, “an unhappy hour”.  The term is a bit misleading as the behavior normally lasts for more than an hour!  It occurs most frequently in the late afternoon/evening hours.  Babies are often fussier than normal during this time, and want to eat often.  And while they want to feed often, they may pull off more frequently as well.  There are a number of theories as to what causes this fussiness at this time.  They may be feeding often to “tank up” on calories before taking a long sleep (sounds wonderful!).  They may be overstimulated from their day and having a hard time winding themselves down.  This is often a busy time for the entire household, as partners are home from work and older siblings may be home from school.  Best thing that you can do during this time is to offer the breast often.  Learning to nurse in a baby carrier can be a lifesaver as it will allow you to be hands-free while the baby is snuggled, fed, and comforted.

How will I know if my baby is colicky?  Is this the same as the ‘witching hour?’

Many parents confuse normal fussy behavior for colic.  Colic is defined as 3 hours or more of crying, 3 or more times a week, for 3 or more weeks in a row.  It normally resolves itself around month 4.  If your baby’s crying looks like this, he/she may have colic.  There are no definitive cause for colic, but it could be related to gut issues due to food sensitivities.  The “witching hour” is the period of time of day when your baby may seem unusually fussy, normally lasting for a couple of hours. This behavior peaks around 6 weeks and then often starts to fade.

If I am still having a challenging time building up my milk supply at this time, have I missed the window for increasing my milk supply?

Not at all!  Depending on the reason for mom’s low supply, there are plenty of things that can help boost  supply at this stage.  The most important thing is to learn why mom is struggling with her milk supply.  As always, lots of good breast stimulation is best - either from a baby or a hospital grade pump. There are also herbs and medications that are available that can help boost supply as well.

There may be times when things aren’t going the way they should.  If you find this, please contact an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant to help you.  Some signs that you might need some additional help:

• Sore, cracked, bruised, or bleeding nipples.

• Baby is gaining less than 4oz per week.

• You suspect your baby may be tongue-tied.

• Painful, recurrent engorgement.

• Oversupply.

• Baby is having problems stooling.

• Overly gassy, fussy, or colicky baby.

• Breast infection - mastitis, abscess, or thrush.

For  more information about what normal breastfeeding looks like in the first few weeks, check out our article,What Every Mom Should Know About Breastfeeding During the Early Weeks, which highlights our brand new brochure!  Also, check out Ashley as she discusses more tips and tricks for breastfeeding during weeks 3-6 on the Boob Group episode, New Mom Breastfeeding Manual: Weeks 3-6.

Help a Mama Out: Surviving Your Baby’s Witching Hours

‘Help a Mama Out’ Topic of the Week: What are Your Best Tips for Surviving Your Baby’s Witching Hours?

Ashley: Wearing the baby during the evening hours.  Prepping dinner earlier in the day so that I didn’t have to do it during my baby’s fussy time.  Setting aside special activities for my then 3-year old that she could do on her own or with little help from me, just in case I needed to be sitting on the couch, constantly nursing the baby.  Reminding myself that this was temporary and would pass!

Karen: Feeding a little at a time, more frequently.  I read when #4 had HORRIBLE colic that there are some cultures where babies never experience colic.  In all of these communities, babies are worn and are on and off the boob all day, so they eat small meals very frequently.  

Kat: Support from my husband was really crucial during this time. I would nurse my son and concentrate on him while my husband got dinner ready.  Holding and wearing baby helped the most.  Also, fresh air worked wonders!

Lori: Babywearing…. I would also batch cook on the weekend when Daddy was home so that come dinner time, all I had to do was heat it up.

Catie: Remain calm…. Baby seemed to sense the angst and it only made things worse.  Often baby and I both needed a breather.  My husband was deployed when my son went through the worst of it so handing him off wasn’t an option.  I would set him down in a swing or bouncy chair with a toy, walk to another room and take 30 seconds minimum to breathe, drink some water, etc.  If baby was happy, I took a break away from him since we were obviously over-stimulating each other.  Then, back to nursing, rocking, wearing, walking, etc…. until we could both get a good nap!

Janina: Babywearing, smaller feedings, burp a lot, white noise, gripe water at the first sign of crying, rocking, and time. 

Christina: Wearing and then walking – close to mom, plus amazing fresh air and rhythmic movements.  Sometimes getting into a warm bath with my daughter helped, too.

Shelly: Lowering my expectations.  Fussy babies meant nothing was getting done except baby care.  Going for a walk helped clear my head and the change of scenery almost always calmed them down.

Kathryn: Bouncing on the exercise ball and the vacuum was a lifesaver.

Grace: Adjusting my diet (cutting out gluten and dairy because those were his colic culprits).  Make the day less chaotic by staying home or no visitors, low lights, soothing music.  Skin to skin.  Take a warm bath with baby on my chest.  Baby massage with some coconut oil and lavender oil.  Colic Calm if it lasts more than an hour.

Turath: Our baby’s witching hour turned out to be a dairy sensitivity, so after I cut out dairy we haven’t had any problems.  Definitely babywearing!  This article has lots of great tips…. It’s sleep related, but I think many of the tips will work for calming a fussy baby.  http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/parenting/fussy-baby/31-ways-get-your-baby-sleep-and-stay-asleep

Rhianna: Try putting them to bed earlier.  Once we instituted a 6pm bedtime, it was MUCH easier!

Kenyatta: Wear them!  Familiarity (routine, music, lighting, smells) and calm.

Here are a few of my favorite articles:

A Checklist of 36 Time-Tested Baby Calmers 

The Phenomenon of Late Afternoon/Early Evening Infant Crying: Part 1

The Phenomenon of Late Afternoon/Early Evening Infant Crying: Part 2