Understanding this first major emotional storm
The famous Java night usually occurs around the 2nd or 3rd day after birth, sometimes a little later and sometimes it is not experienced.
It often coincides with the onset of lactation.
While the baby had seemed to be sleeping peacefully, recovering from birth, he suddenly becomes very awake, demanding, restless, crying, and constantly wants to nurse. This rapid change may be surprising, but it is perfectly normal.
Behind this agitation lies a phase of intense adaptation.
Baby leaves the enveloping softness of life in utero for a world filled with new sensations: light, noise, cold, smells.
He instinctively seeks contact, warmth and security, which explains his need for skin-to-skin contact or frequent breastfeeding.
For a non-breastfed baby, crying and the need to suck are also present. Offer them a bottle or something to suckle.
Her sucking also stimulates milk production: it is instinctive, necessary and perfectly physiological.
This is not a sign of a lack of milk , but a natural stage in the meeting between its rhythm and that of its mother.
For parents, this night can be disorienting. The calm of the first few hours gives way to a baby who cries a lot, is restless, and seems inconsolable. And this can go on for hours, even the entire night!
You might then doubt yourself, wonder what's wrong, or if you're doing something wrong. Fatigue often amplifies this feeling of being overwhelmed. Yet, this reaction is common: many parents go through it, and it usually only lasts a night or two .
To get through the night of Java more serenely, the key is to respond to the baby's need for closeness : keep him close, multiply skin-to-skin contact, offer breast or bottle on demand, ask for help from the co-parent or the care team.
It is also a time when the mother must remember that her body knows how to do things, and that she and her baby are simply learning to adjust.
It is important to listen to yourself and trust yourself.
The Java night is a brief, intense… and profoundly normal storm.
You are not alone!
