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Original poster

Should a Brain Surgeon be up at night with a baby doing night feeds ?

388 replies

Mondaytuesdayhappydays · 11/05/2025 00:12

Should a surgeon working full time, operating on patients each day be up with a baby at night doing 2/3 hourly feeds.

If they were operating in your child and had had only 3/4 hours sleep each night over the last fortnight would this be acceptable to you?

OP posts:
Theunamedcat · 11/05/2025 00:20

Like everything else it depends my ex used to do first feed and change before he went to work to give me a bit longer in bed my friends husband would do the first wake up for the same reason they both got enough sleep and it helped out a lot

IwasDueANameChange · 11/05/2025 00:20

There are plenty of jobs where you need tobe well rested to make critical decisions.

This.

But also a neurosurgeon doesn't spend all their time in theatre. There are quite a lot of chunks of time doing other things that aren't operating.

Also... is it safe for a woman with sole charge of a tiny baby, to be up doing night feeds all night?

UpJacksArseAndRoundTheCorner · 11/05/2025 00:20

No, they should be getting enough sleep to enable them to do their job safely and properly.

HundredPercentUnsure · 11/05/2025 00:19

Are you a new parent and brain surgeon, @Mondaytuesdayhappydays ?

Readytohealnow · 11/05/2025 00:19

Absolute no chance
I know a couple where it was the mother who was a surgeon (not brains but still…). She was very strict on rest. Could kill a patient at worse, lose her job at best if any mistakes are made.

Star81 · 11/05/2025 00:17

At the end of the day surgeons have lives like the rest of us and I Would expect them to know the minimum amount of sleep they require to function normally. Surgeons results are all monitored so any increase in problems would be noted and investigated. Doctors know what they signed up to and want help not harm people so I expect they do their very best at all times. With the hours they commonly work I doubt night feeding a new born is that different to the crazy shifts they work.

DancingHippos · 11/05/2025 00:17

No they shouldn't be doing that. If anyone needs to be well rested, it's anyone medical

redcord · 11/05/2025 00:17

If the baby is having 2/3 hour nightly feeds, I would hope the brain surgeon is on maternity leave.

Tiswa · 11/05/2025 00:16

How much sleep do they normally get though the average surgeon sleeps less than the 7-8 hours with 4-5 hours whilst on call be long aberage

but no I wouldn’t expect it to be every night

4forksache · 11/05/2025 00:16

Not acceptable but the partner would be justified in being disgruntled.

ClareBlue · 11/05/2025 00:16

Or someone driving your bus, or your plane or making a decision whether the armed response unit should fire, or opening a gate with a crowd surge. There are plenty of jobs where you need tobe well rested to make critical decisions.
My view, no. But its not explicitly brain surgeons.

gattocattivo · 11/05/2025 00:15

No

WhateverYouSayDears · 11/05/2025 00:14

Why don’t you tell us your thoughts on the brain surgeon, the night feeds and the child’s operation first, OP?

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