Newborn awake in evenings

Hello! My 2-week old newborn has been pretty good at waking for feeds every 2.5 hours, keeping to 45 minutes wake windows and sleeping for most parts of the day, EXCEPT between 4-8pm everyday where he usually stays awake, is a little bit more fussy and wants to be carried more. He doesn't show any sleep cues (no yawning / closing eyes) and does frequent small feeds during this period of time. Is this normal? Have you done anything differently to your baby's routine if you're experiencing the same? 🙏

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It is quite common for newborns to be awake and fussy during the evenings, especially between 4-8pm. This period is often referred to as the "witching hour" or the period of increased fussiness in babies. It may be due to a variety of factors such as overstimulation, tiredness, or hunger. To help your newborn during this time, you can try the following tips: 1. **Comfort**: Holding your baby close, swaddling, or using a baby carrier can provide comfort and closeness that they may be seeking. 2. **Feeding**: Since your baby is doing frequent small feeds during this time, continue to offer feeds as needed. This could be a cluster feeding period which is common in the evenings. 3. **Routine**: Try to establish a soothing bedtime routine that can help signal to your baby that it's time for sleep. This can include dimming the lights, gentle music, or a warm bath. 4. **White noise**: Using white noise or gentle sounds can help soothe your baby during fussy periods. Remember, each baby is unique, and what works for one may not work for another. It is important to be patient and understanding during this phase as it will likely improve with time as your baby grows. If you have any concerns about your baby's behavior or if you feel that something is not quite right, don't hesitate to consult with your pediatrician for further advice and guidance. It's always best to seek professional help when in doubt. Overall, what you are experiencing with your 2-week old newborn during the evenings is quite common and with time, it is likely to improve as your baby settles into more of a routine. Take care and remember that you're doing a great job as a parent! https://invl.io/cll6she

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I think there could be some possible reasons: 1. Is baby overstimulated in the morning or afternoon? Overstimulation could cause baby to get fussy/have difficulty settling down. 2. Are you directly latching baby? Baby could be preparing to sleep by doing cluster feeding. You can do more skin to skin contact to soothe baby or go for a walk (baby wearing) to see if he could be soothed.

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6mo ago

Thank you for sharing 🥹 I think it might be cluster feeding - just not sure if it happens at 2 weeks old! I'm not too sure but it doesn't sound like overstimulation as he's still getting jaundice out of his system and is mostly a very sleepy baby, usually in the day we can only afford to feed, burp and change in each wake window. Our play time mostly comes in the form of verbal interactions with him as we are doing the essential tasks 😮‍💨 Got it on the suggestions! 🤍

The witching hour haha,u can Google to look it up. Sometimes newborns tend to fuss towards the evening to night for no apparent reason. But sometimes it was gas, so try to burp or massage your baby's tummy.

6mo ago

Thank you for this! We've been actively trying to burp him a little more during this period of time after reading your comment :^)

I faced the same issue when my bb is 2 weeks old. I thought it's colic but it went away in a week. Just gotta push thru!

6mo ago

Thank you for sharing your experience! We've got colic drops from our paediatrician but haven't used them as my newborn is mostly quite easy and non-fussy! Even during this 4-8pm he doesn't cry very much, just pretty much awake and slightly whiny 😂 Appreciate the reassurance and hoping this would pass for us too! 🙏

I think its a phase i remember my newborn barely even sleep during the day 😭

6mo ago

Ahhh, gotcha, thank you for the reassurance haha It's just, hearing all these things about wake windows and sleep hours etc, and seeing your newborn not follow it so consistently sometimes can be a little nerve wrecking! 🤷‍♀️🥹

TapFluencer

hope this phase passes quickly 🙏💕

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6mo ago

Hi, please stop posting these emoticons and not contribute to anything just to be on the leaderboard. These mums are asking real qns with real concerns. Don't give other mums false hope at seeing a notification for a new response just to see an emoji.