There is a special kind of evening every mother knows. Somewhere around 6pm, your peaceful baby turns into a small storm — crying that no breast, no rocking, no “sorry, sorry” can stop. It lasts for what feels like forever. Your arms ache. Your ears ring. And somewhere under the exhaustion, a cruel little voice asks: am I even a good mother?

Let us quiet that voice first. A crying baby is not proof of a failing mother. Crying is the only language your baby has, and in the early weeks, some babies simply cry more — their nervous systems are brand new, their digestion is learning, and the world is loud. Doctors even have a name for the pattern of evening crying that peaks around six weeks and eases by three months: colic, when a healthy, well-fed baby still cries for hours. It is a phase with an exit, even though from inside it, the exit is invisible.

What might be going on: trapped gas after feeds, overtiredness from a missed nap (tired babies cry MORE, not less), overstimulation from a busy day of visitors, or normal gut development. What you can try, gently: feed her upright and burp patiently, halfway through and after; hold her tummy-down along your forearm; try the quiet-dim-room reset when the evening wailing starts; carry her in a wrapper so your warmth and heartbeat do the talking; and let the rhythm of the day protect the night — a fed, napped baby cries less at 6pm.

Now the line every honest guide must draw: if the crying comes with fever, refusal to feed, vomiting, unusual quietness and floppiness, a swollen tummy, or anything that makes your spirit uneasy — stop reading and go to the hospital. This article does not diagnose anything, and no online article should. A medical professional is the only one qualified to tell you it is “just colic.”

And one more permission you need: a crying baby in a safe cot while you step out to breathe is not neglect. Take twenty minutes, drink water, cry if you need to, and come back. Your calm is part of her treatment.

When the crying starts and you’ve tried everything, search MomCircleNG — moms in our community have shared what got them through the 6pm storm, from wrapper tricks to survival honesty. Post your own question and real Nigerian mothers will answer, tonight.

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