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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is tea for newborns madness?

92 replies

Situp · 30/01/2018 08:37

Cards on the table, I am living in Austria and have already had some differences of opinion with my midwife about some of her recommendations.

A lot of them turned out to be irrelevant as I ended up having an emergency c-section last week because my old c-section scar was at risk of rupture and the baby was in distress. She was quite a bit smaller than either of my other 2 babies.

Anyway, she is now 6 days old, EBF and has not quite regained her birth weight. Midwife came on Saturday and Monday and weighed her, she had gained 100g in 2 days.

The midwife told me that she is gaining weight too fast and that I should be replacing a feed with fruit tea.

Does anyone else do this or has anyone heard of this?

I will be honest that I have no intention of actually doing it so not really AIBU but am interested to know if this is actually a thing?

My next DC is nearly 5 so wanted to check that I haven't missed some seismic shift in breastfeeding ethos Confused

OP posts:
Original poster
Situp · 30/01/2018 09:37

Yeah, she is the no bath and no husband at the birth lady.

They are really into tea here. Kids have it freely available in kindergarten etc. But I should specify that it is not black tea. There are loads of herbal and fruit infusions available for children and babies here. I guess it is a cultural thing.

Interestingly they have a Bf rate of 80% and at the hospital they gave me foam donuts to protect my nipples from rubbing against my clothes, laser pen treatment to heal lesions on my nipples which seems to have worked wonders as well as an array of herbal supplements to help my supply.

I wondered whether it was a hydration thing with it being hotter here but it is January and 3 foot of snow so not sure that can be right Hmm

Anyway, best get back to feeding my fat baby Grin

OP posts:
Imsorrynow · 30/01/2018 09:37

It’s worrying that the next person she passes this ‘advice’ on to might be an inexperienced, first time mum.

HappyLollipop · 30/01/2018 09:38

I think your HV is absolutely barking mad! I've never heard of gaining weight fast to be a bad thing, my DS was EBF and never lost weight after his birth only put on and my HV seemed pleased with his progress. Babies that young dont need weight management unless they are underweight, don't give your baby this tea to lose weight she's fine I'm sure.

diddl · 30/01/2018 09:39

Those in Germany-why were you advised to give it?

Op is being told to give it to control weight gain in a 6 day old!!

tiggytape · 30/01/2018 09:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ginslinger · 30/01/2018 09:40

I was advised for colic as were many of my friends and family

VileyRose · 30/01/2018 09:40

I have given mine chamomile tea for colic but not because putting on weight to fast or a replacement...that's outrageous.

Ginslinger · 30/01/2018 09:41

My main concern was feeding a tea with a bottle would hinder breast feeding but it didn't although I may just have been lucky

BertrandRussell · 30/01/2018 09:43

I don’t think anyone is objecting to using fennel/chamomile tea as an alternative to gripe water or something. I’m a bit foreign myself, and would have done this if it had been needed. It’s the idea of giving a new born a bottle of it to slow down weight gain or to space feeds that is so utterly outrageous.

AdalindSchade · 30/01/2018 09:43

But it is insane advice because it's actively harmful for the baby and for the milk supply. It's not just a 'cultural difference'.
Camomile or fennel tea isn't sweet either whereas fruit tea is.

BigBoy420 · 30/01/2018 09:43

Situp, I'm concerned
Caffeine addiction is a real problem and it may lead to heroin addictions in the future, I used to give my DD tea when she was younger and now she votes labour
Do not and i repeat do not, give your child tea

AdalindSchade · 30/01/2018 09:44

What was the advice about a bath?

goodbyestranger · 30/01/2018 09:44

diddl you asked me why DS1 was given it and the answer was I've no idea! He was whisked away to the nursery soon after he was born and had a first feed and then given fennel tea. I was told rather than asked. Anyhow, he was an incredibly contented baby and has been a delight ever since. I've always put this down to the fennel tea rather than any input from me.

FizzyGreenWater · 30/01/2018 09:45

The main problem though is not actually the tea itself.

It's advising someone with a DAYS OLD baby to replace milk with something else, when supply is still becoming established, baby is nowhere near settled onto a centile and no-one, especially the midwife, actually knows how well BF is going to go. That is potentially absolutely DANGEROUS advice.

haba · 30/01/2018 09:45

Fennel tea is a thing in Germany for babies. But a newborn surely cannot gain too much weight when ebf?

AdalindSchade · 30/01/2018 09:46

goodbye I can't work out whether you are pisstaking or not
You put your adult child's nature down to being given tea from birth? You highly recommend it despite having no idea what it was given for or whether it had any positive effect?
Your posts are weird and if they are a pisstake they are missing the mark

MissDuke · 30/01/2018 09:46

I don't think it is right to be dismissive of what other cultures do. I am a mw in the UK and don't ever suggest anything like that, at 6 days I would never be concerned that weight gain is excessive, especially in a smaller baby. It is well known that those smaller babies do gain quickly to catch up, however there is some evidence out there linking low birth weight babies with obesity and cardiac disease in later life, so maybe she is onto something here, who knows?? I certainly would love to read the research around it.

I am not suggesting this midwife is right - just saying there are other ideas out there outside of the UK train of thought and given how dire bf rates are here compared to Austria - you have to wonder if they know better than us! Anyway, I am off to do some research on this!

goodbyestranger · 30/01/2018 09:47

Ah good point. He does vote Labour.

He's actually just qualified as a doctor five days ago so I might get him to recommend fennel tea to all new mums, if he gets near any.

ExConstance · 30/01/2018 09:54

I had my first son at The Garden Hospital in Hendon, the unit later moved to Lizzie and John's. He was very alert when he was born but became very fractious overnight and the midwives there gave him camomile tea to settle him. Maybe it is something that used to be in favour?

BaffledMummy · 30/01/2018 09:57

I remember your other thread. She is utterly bonkers. I’d worry what damage she is doing to poor unsuspecting new FTMs and their babies under her care. Is there any way you can report her?

CaMePlaitPas · 30/01/2018 09:59

I'm in France and I had a very constipated newborn baby. I went to the doctor who recommended Aniseed tea (about an ounce or so) - did the job and daughter was no worse off for it, at the time she was about 2 weeks old. I've never heard of replacing a feed with tea though, that doesn't sound right, if baby is hungry feed them! The weight thing will balance itself out later.

Melamin · 30/01/2018 10:00

There was a fashion for milupa herb stuff when DS was born in 91. You used to get sachets of it in your bounty bag. It was mainly flavoured sugar. People using formula used it in the summer when it was warm until they realised the sugar content.

If bf babies need a 'drink' the foremilk is enough. There is plenty of it - I pumped enough of the stuff out. It is amazing how you get let down, then suddenly a whole bottle of milk is transformed.

FWIW, DS gained loads of weight in the first 4 weeks, then stopped.
You could try the fennel tea yourself?

bigtissue · 30/01/2018 10:01

OP I think it's time you reported this person to your GP service or equivalent and get a replacement. From what you say here you and your baby are not getting good or indeed normal care.

ShanghaiDiva · 30/01/2018 10:08

When I read the thread title I knew you lived in Austria or Germany! Ds was born in Germany and dd in Austria and tea was recommended -fennel, I think - but I did not use it - smells vile.
Most of my friends gave their children fruit teas, but some did (perhaps still do) contain sugar and one kid ended up with serious dental issues - her milk teeth were rotten.
I breastfed my two, no teas, and they turned out fine!

Elocutioner · 30/01/2018 10:14

Oh god fennel tea!! The German cure all. I just ignored it as it's gross and DD wouldn't have it anywhere near her.

When they recommended sitting in black tea as a cure for nappy rash I realised all German midwives are bonkers and then everything kind of made more sense. They also love a suppository!

I've been here years but still buy calpol and infacol from the UK.