The Witching Hour
In folklore, the “witching hour” is the time of night when supernatural activity is high. For parents of newborns, it’s the time of day they wish they had supernatural calming powers. During the witching hour, babies display colicky symptoms like crying and fussing and seem utterly inconsolable. First time parents are often blindsided by the severity of this behavior, which typically begins around 4pm and can continue well into the evening. Nursing moms have the additional challenge of literally being attached to their infant much of the time. When a mother is already experiencing hormonal changes and sleep deprivation, the shrieking cries of the witching hour can make her feel like she is going mad and that she isn’t doing a good job. Rest assured, new moms (and dads), there is nothing you did to cause this! The witching hour is a common phenomenon, and we know some things about why it happens and how to get through it.
In the first three months of life outside the womb, a human is in many ways like a still-developing fetus. Relative to most other mammals, human babies require an enormous amount of support and care during this period. Newborns seek the comfort they felt inside their mothers. Harvey Karp, medical doctor and author of The Happiest Baby on the Block, calls this period in development the “fourth trimester” and attributes colicky symptoms during the witching hour to the difficult transition from the womb to the world. “All infants are born with an ‘off’ switch for crying,” Dr. Karp explains. “Inside the uterus they get constant holding and rocking, and the noise in there actually is louder than a vacuum cleaner. Then suddenly they are born and it’s quiet and still. So the best way to activate a baby’s calming reflex is to emulate the movements and noises that babies experience inside the uterus. But you have to do it exactly right.”
Dr. Karp developed the Five S’s for dealing with colicky symptoms: Swaddling, Side/Stomach Position, Shushing Sounds, Swinging, and Sucking. These techniques work to recreate the womb environment. For example, running a vacuum cleaner would imitate the shushing sound heard in the uterus. For more information about his method, see www.happiestbaby.com. Another common parenting practice, tummy time, is also effective for soothing babies during the witching hour. According to pediatrician Dr. Chris Tolcher, supervised tummy time often can begin right after birth and definitely by one month of age.
Parents love their children, but they also experience feelings of frustration, sadness, and even anger towards them at times, particularly during the witching hour. It may be taboo to admit to these feelings, but they are common and understandable reactions. Hormonal imbalances also contribute to the challenge of parenting a newborn. One such example is D-MER (dysphoric milk ejection reflex), a condition that often feels psychological but actually is physiological in nature. More on D-MER in a future article.
It might feel like forever, but know that the witching hour phase typically ends after a few weeks. Give the Five S’s a try. In addition to helping with the witching hour, these techniques can strengthen the bond between you and your baby. Just note that some techniques work better for some than others, so don’t get discouraged if your first attempts fail. Learning to communicate with a newborn is hard work. They can’t talk to you, but they can show you in other ways. And talking with other parents and professionals is key. Know that you are not alone.
Jaime earned her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Yeshiva University. She works in a private practice doing psychotherapy and evaluations. Jaime’s specialty is in working with individuals of all ages on the autism spectrum. www.spectrumservicesnyc.com. JaimeBlackPsyD@gmail.com. (914)712-8208.
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