https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 15 Apr 2026 18:26:34 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hours-and-dinner-time#post-2408114 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 22:22:40 +0000 Foodnerd81 2408114@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsSRS: man do I wish we had a table and chairs right now- we just have a kitchen island counter and backless stools. I did nurse sitting at it today but a real chair would be better. Oh well, this is short term. </p> <p>@Kemma: he actually goes in a little late, so we have extra time with him in the morning, which is also nice, but a lot of the people he works with are on the west coast so it's harder to get out early. That said- this week he is planning to come home early, and will work from home Thursday and Friday, probably. So really we will be fine, just trying to figure how to make the best of it. </p> <p>@MrsSRS: yeah I know the cluster feeding helps with the night sleep so I don't want to short change that! Mama needs sleep too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hours-and-dinner-time#post-2408099 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 22:04:32 +0000 MrsSRS 2408099@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I second the swaddle. Or swaddle and then pop into a SSC. I doubt it will impact night sleep any at 2 weeks old. I know DD'S witching hour was all about eating and that cluster nursing was why she gave me longer night stretches...so DS watched a lot of cartoons for a few weeks so I could nurse endlessly. And I nursed at the dinner table every night forever. But, I set DD down, even if she cried, to do the last bit of bedtime with DS so he could have a moment of full attention. Our bedtime routine is short, so I would hold/nurse DD and hang out with DS for bath, then set her down in the swing to fuss or chill while I popped DS into jammies and bed. This too shall pass! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hours-and-dinner-time#post-2408059 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 21:42:30 +0000 FannyMae 2408059@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: I hear ya, we are having "freezer food" dinners quite a lot! absolute life saver.... when I go shopping I buy whatever is on special or looks good. </p> <p>@Corduroy: my life at the moment, babe seems to know the EXACT time I sit down to eat my meal and starts bawling hysterically. boobs out at the kitchen table :shocked: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hours-and-dinner-time#post-2408045 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 21:36:33 +0000 Kemma 2408045@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Is there any chance your husband could possibly start and finish work earlier? My husband starts at 0700 so he's home shortly after 1600 and I can honestly it makes a HUGE difference having him home! I know it's a long shot but I thought I'd throw it out there.</p> <p>Another option is to do a cold finger food dinner that requires minimal prep, I'm thinking some sort of meat, cheese, a slice of bread and a piece of fruit or veg?</p> <p>Hang in there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hours-and-dinner-time#post-2408010 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 20:38:42 +0000 Foodnerd81 2408010@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: nursing does make her happy, but if it's just me and the two kids I can't sit and nurse for four hours! </p> <p>And now of course she is sweetly sleeping in her rock and play. At least I got to eat dinner with two hands! (I usually eat after the toddler goes to bed). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hours-and-dinner-time#post-2407983 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 20:15:07 +0000 Corduroy 2407983@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I used the carrier while I prepped dinner and nursed at the table while we ate dinner. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hours-and-dinner-time#post-2407980 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 20:12:47 +0000 ShootingStar 2407980@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No experience with two yet, but DS's witching hour was always right at 5/6:00. I tried everything to make him happy and nothing worked - nursing, getting him to sleep at that time, waking with him, wearing him, you name it. Even if he was peaceful and sleeping it was like an internal alarm sounded and he'd be howling. So anyways, my point is sometimes baby's gonna cry and you can't soothe them out of it. I'd probably put baby in a swing or bouncy seat and try to get dinner for the toddler as fast as I could. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hours-and-dinner-time#post-2407972 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 20:08:30 +0000 NovBaby1112 2407972@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: I wouldn't worry about that at 2 weeks old...babies love that tightness and secure feeling like they did in the womb, for most babies it's really comforting! We stopped swaddling like that when the witching hour ended, but it really helped make it through that period </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hours-and-dinner-time#post-2407932 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 19:39:09 +0000 Foodnerd81 2407932@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@NovBaby1112: so I'm probably overthinking this, but I'm hesitant to have her in the swaddle too much during the early evening, because I'm afraid she won't sleep at night. But, that's crazy because I'm talking about a 2 week old, right? I just feel bad having her swaddled so often, if I'm not trying to get her to sleep... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hours-and-dinner-time#post-2407930 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 19:34:44 +0000 NovBaby1112 2407930@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I solo parent pretty much all weekday evenings so it was very difficult when the baby had witching hour, but what helped the most were the 5 Ss. I would swaddle him really tight, put him in swing, blast white noise, and put paci in and that helped buy me about an hour or so. The witching hours passed somewhere around the 9 week mark though thank goodness! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hours-and-dinner-time#post-2407928 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 19:33:54 +0000 Foodnerd81 2407928@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh I should have added I have LOW standards for dinner- everything pretty much is what frozen or prepared food am I giving you tonight? I'm not whipping up a fancy home cooked meal at the moment. </p> <p>I'm hoping things settle into a routine quickly, in the meantime, frozen dinners are fine. </p> <p>@regberadaisy: I got very good at doing things one handed when C was a constantly nursing baby (I could pick out the easiest entree to eat one handed from any restaurant menu!) but wiping toddler poop is definitely a new one! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hours-and-dinner-time#post-2407925 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 19:26:33 +0000 FannyMae 2407925@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm kind of in the same situation with my 6 week old, she wants to feed for hours in the evening. All I can suggest is try do dinner prep earlier in the day (maybe when baby is asleep), so that at least half of your work is done by the time dinner time comes around. if you can get you LO to help you with some tasks its a bonus! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hours-and-dinner-time#post-2407919 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 19:18:29 +0000 knittylady 2407919@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I always say having 2 kids lowered (or got rid of) my standards and that it was so liberating! I think once you get past one or both of the kids crying in order to accomplish the task, be it dinner, bath, or bed, it gets easier.</p> <p>Good luck! Some of the times and tasks I worried the most about solo parenting my two LOs ended up being such a breeze or confidence boost that I ended up enjoying doing it alone. Well, sometimes :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hours-and-dinner-time#post-2407914 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 19:12:14 +0000 regberadaisy 2407914@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had to basically cook dinner with her in the carrier, do things one handed, let her cry in the bouncer while I give big sister a bath. I have even held her one armed nursing while wiping a toddler poop butt!!! The things you can do one handed are pretty amazing!!!!</p> <p>Those first few months DH worked nights 3x a week so it was pretty rough. :( </p> <p>hang in there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hours-and-dinner-time#post-2407908 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 19:03:02 +0000 skipper2010 2407908@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH gets home around 5/6 so I usually wait for him. M's fussy time doesn't typically start until around 7 so if I do start dinner beforehand I stick her in the swing or bouncer and give DS some screen time so he stays out of my way. Could you maybe prep dinner earlier in the day so that it's ready and all you have to do is serve? I need to take my own advice and maybe use my crockpot more. It would make for a lot less evening stress. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/witching-hours-and-dinner-time#post-2407907 Sun, 03 Jan 2016 18:56:44 +0000 Foodnerd81 2407907@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How do you handle a newborn's witching hours when they overlap a toddler's dinner and bedtime hours? Baby is a 2.5 weeks old and we are settling in, but she pretty much wants to nurse between 5 and 9, being held in between. So far that just means DH has handled dinner for our toddler and most of the bedtimes, since he's been home on leave, but he goes back to work tomorrow. He should be home early this week but I'm nervous! Tried popping the baby in the carrier tonight during dinner time and she was not having it. </p> <p>So how do you handle it? Carrier? Nurse one handed? Baby just has to cry for a few minutes? Too bad DH isn't Mark zuckerberg with a nice long leave! </p>