Usually by week 10, babies are less fussy, start going to bed earlier, and become more peaceful little creatures. Plan for it. Tell yourself it is coming whether you 'fix it' or not. Know that you can get there…even when it is really hard, tell yourself that you will make it to week 10.
Most people find the first six to eight weeks to be the hardest with a new baby. And, although people may not openly discuss many of the challenges in these early weeks of parenthood (if at all), there are a number of common hurdles you may face at this time.
1-3 Months
The first three months with your baby often seem the hardest. Sleep-deprived parents can feel overwhelmed, but that is normal and you will quickly learn how to read your baby's cues and personality. Don't worry about “spoiling” your baby at this stage.
Vision is also improving. To top it off, there is also commonly a growth spurt happening at six weeks. A growth spurt may cause a baby to want to eat more often, day and night. All of these things put together means you will likely experience some extra fussiness and your baby waking even more often at night.
Most babies will have a period of increased fussiness starting at around 2 weeks of age and usually peaking between 6-8 weeks of age. Although, this is a normal developmental stage for infants it can be very stressful for parents and caregivers.
However, many babies tend to get "easier" around 3 to 4 months old. Around this age, infants may begin to sleep longer stretches and feed on a more predictable schedule. You may also start to adjust to your new set of responsibilities as a parent. This being said, every baby is different, as is every family.
As your baby passes through the milestones of learning to self-soothe, outgrowing colic, and sleeping through the night, parenting your newborn will get easier. While it'll get easier with each passing day, you can expect caring for your newborn will be much easier by the time they're about 3 months old.
At 6 weeks old, you are still in a phase with your baby marked by increasing crying, fussiness, and colicky symptoms. In fact, 6 weeks is a peak week of colic.4 Your baby is probably doing most of their fussing and crying in the evening hours, which are often known as “the witching hour.”
In fact, age 8 is so tough that the majority of the 2,000 parents who responded to the 2020 survey agreed that it was the hardest year, while age 6 was better than expected and age 7 produced the most intense tantrums.
The neonatal period (the first 28 days of life) is the crucial period for child survival; as this period carries the highest risk of deaths per day than any other period during the childhood.
Sleepless nights are common in new parenthood, but they do not last forever. Most babies will begin to sleep for longer periods at night from the age of 6 months old. Newborn babies need to feed every few hours until the age of 3 months.
This is normal. And you're still a great mom. I encourage you to voice what you might be feeling or thinking to your partner, mom, friends, or family so that they can help and support you through the transition.
The good news is this sleep regression and growth spurt does not last long! The growth spurt only lasts a few days and the peak of fussiness will last a week or two before you start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
The witching hour is a time when an otherwise content baby is extremely fussy. It typically occurs daily between 5:00 pm and 11:00 pm. It can last a few minutes to a couple of hours. For most babies, the witching hour starts to occur around 2-3 weeks and peaks at 6 weeks.
Even happy, healthy babies cry. Healthy infants typically follow a crying curve, which gradually increases from birth until five to six weeks old. Fussiness may peak or plateau at this point until crying typically begins to decline around three months of age.
The Period of PURPLE Crying® is the phrase used to describe the time in a baby's life when they cry more than any other time.
Conclusion. The newborn stage is difficult for most parents, whether you're a first-time or seasoned mom. The abrupt change to your lifestyle, the sleep deprivation, and the demands of a baby make these weeks and months one of the hardest for any parent.
There are no set rules about how long to wait before taking a newborn out into the world or when to let people near the baby. Some doctors recommend that parents wait until their baby is a few months old before going to crowded public places (like malls, movie theaters, and airplanes).
All babies cry, but some cry more than others. Healthy newborns start to cry more around 2 weeks of age. They will cry even more until they're about 6 weeks old. After that, the crying usually gets better.
For some parents, infancy is the hardest. For others, it's toddlerhood. Some parents feel that the preschool years present special challenges.