Night two can bring way more crying that the first 24 hours. The theory is that during the second to third day postpartum, your newborn is discovering they are no longer in the comforts of your womb. They are experiencing many new firsts – the feeling of hunger, cold air across their skin, lights and stimulation etc…
“Second night syndrome” is a perfectly normal response to being born, and most babies experience a bit of fussiness on their second night of life. It doesn't mean that anything is wrong or that your baby is starving. It can feel overwhelming, but there ARE some things you can do to help survive the second night!
Second Night Syndrome
Generally occurs about 24 hours after birth for almost every baby. Your baby will want to be on the breast constantly but quickly fall asleep. If you put him down, he will probably wake up. If you put him back to breast, he will feed for a short time and fall asleep.
Feeling hungry, having a wet or soiled diaper, or being too hot or too cold are all reasons your baby may cry and act a bit fussy at night. Feedings and Diaper Changes Although parenting is usually unpredictable, there are a couple of things you can count on: feedings and diaper changes!
Referred to colloquially as the 'second-night syndrome,' this is the time your baby is thought to recognise how much his life has changed. Their idyllic life in utero has been replaced with one that is bright, noisy and feels altogether different.
However, many babies tend to get "easier" around 3 to 4 months old.
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.
Crying may be even more common in these early months because newborns have immature digestive systems, and because they haven't yet learned other ways to communicate with you. Some babies have colic, broadly defined as uncontrollable crying in an otherwise healthy baby.
What is the witching hour, you may ask? It's an intense period of fussiness or crying in the evenings, usually around 5 PM and lasting up to three hours. You'll usually start seeing this when your baby hits 2 weeks of age, but the worst may pass by 12 weeks.
Overtired. Besides being overstimulated, if your infant has become too tired, he might start to get fussy. Your newborn might be tired because he is a bit colicky which causes him to fall asleep when he wants to. This can wreak havoc on creating a sleep schedule.
It's normal for babies to kind of zonk out for the first 24-48 hours after they are born. After that initial snooze-fest, however, babies tend to WAKE UP. And at that point, they are hungry! Many parents find that the evening of the second day after birth is a bit of a cluster feeding festival.
On Day 2, your baby wakes up to the world and roots more frequently. On this day, you might feel she's on your breast non-stop, but that's normal. As long as you're not in pain, keep up with these frequent feedings, because they give your baby much-needed colostrum and help speed your transition into mature milk.
Just as every baby is different, so is their cluster-feeding behavior, which means this can start as early as 2-3 days post-birth (when most infants begin regaining their birth weight) and during growth spurts (3 weeks-1 month of age, 3 months of age, and 6 months of age).
Hold your baby in your arms until they fall asleep. Use gentle rhythmic patting, rocking, stroking, talking, or softly singing before putting your baby into the cot asleep. These repetitions signal relaxation and sleep. If your baby wakes after a baby sleep cycle you may need to re-settle.
It is an imbalance in your baby's very immature circadian rhythm, which basically means that their body clock hasn't set itself yet. This is why your baby may happily sleep for big stretches during the day then wake a lot more regularly at night.
Tips to get through the witching hour with a fussy baby
Many babies will relax and settle down with some non-nutritive sucking. Add some movement. Swaying, rocking in a chair or easy bouncing while walking can be distracting and calming, and just might remind your sweetie of her days in utero. Head outside.
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.
Night two can bring way more crying that the first 24 hours. The theory is that during the second to third day postpartum, your newborn is discovering they are no longer in the comforts of your womb. They are experiencing many new firsts – the feeling of hunger, cold air across their skin, lights and stimulation etc…
It's OK to let your baby cry if the baby doesn't seem sick and you've tried everything to soothe your baby. You can try to leave your baby alone in a safe place, such as a crib, for about 10 to 15 minutes. Many babies need to cry before they can fall asleep. And they'll nod off faster if you leave them to cry.
What Is PURPLE Crying? PURPLE crying is a stage that some babies go through when they seem to cry for long periods of time and resist soothing. Your baby may find it hard to settle or calm down no matter what you do for them. The phrase PURPLE crying was coined by the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Infantile colic can be distressing to parents whose infant is inconsolable during crying episodes. Colic is often defined by the “rule of three”: crying for more than three hours per day, for more than three days per week, and for longer than three weeks in an infant who is well-fed and otherwise healthy.
The pediatrician told me the first 2 weeks at home are the hardest. When I talked with some friends, they said they thought when the babies were 2-4 months that was the hardest..
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. After this, it is normal for infants to feed once or twice during the night.