MIL suggesting SIL give newborn water - wtf??

[moulesfrites]

That's it really. SIL is bottle feeding newborn who is now 2 weeks old. Apparently she is being sick and MIL's advice is to stop feeding her so often and give her water as she is "thirsty not hungry"?? Any advice on how SIL can politely respond to MIL?

I am newly secretly pg with #1 so have all this to look forward to!! Am planning to breast feed though so maybe it will be different

She needs to smile sweetly and ignore her completely

iuf she persists, she needs to politely tell her that the baby is 2 weeks old and needs to keep feeding, not filling up on water.

This used to be the official advice back in the olden days.

My MIL and Grandma both suggested this with DS1 - I just said no, they advise now that all babies need is milk. This was fine for MIL, but my Grandma kept 'helpfully' mentioning it every bloody week. Eventually, I said fine, give him a spoonful of water if you're so keen on it, but she never did. And I was BF. DS2 is 5 weeks now and she was asking me last week if they still make the special tiny teat/dropper things for giving babies water - I just said I didn't think so and left it at that.

Your SIL should just keep saying no, they don't advise that any more. MIL isn't doing it out of any spite or malice, though, it's probably just what she was advised to do with her DC.

My gran asked did I dip DS's dummy in anything? Like SUGAR!! He was a week old at the time! She is 87 but FFS! I just said no & didnt give it another thought

It was my Mum who suggested that I give dd water when she was exclusively breat fed so I imagine the 'advice' back then was forcefully given.

Congrats on being pregnant by the way.

Pregnancy brings with it the most unsolicited advice you will get in your life.

Just politely say that the advice has changed and only milk is needed.

To be fair to MIL, I was bottle fed and my mum was told to give me water between feeds in the 80s, so she probably thinks she is being helpful - doesn't stop it being bloody annoying though!

Tbh I still think it's sound advice. Breastfed babies
don't need additional water but formula is thicker and doesn't change with the weather/ for the babies needs and bottle fed babies can and do get dehydrated and
constipated in this weather. Nothing wrong with offering an ounce of cooled boiled water.

I was told to give DS1 water, this was only 14 years ago so not really back in the day

This was the standard advice in the 70s and 80s, for babies who were bottle fed, in particular in very hot weather. In the heat wave of 1976 (I think it was) there were some deaths of young bottle fed babies due to hypernatraemia, so all the health professionals, TV and radio were giving advice to give cooled boiled water.

She probably means well.

I am the same generation, so I remember it very well.

I dont think her advice is quite sound. Bottle fed babies can get dehydrated, and boiled water is suggested especially if the weather is very hot and baby is being sick, as in this case.

Sorry - I DO think...

Must say, I agree with offering a little water too in this weather for FF babies, especially if they are constipated.

Does your SIL know who to stop if the baby is dehydrated?

BFing is different as your breastmilk alters with the temperature and can come out clear at first in hot weather, looking a lot like water.

Sorry, that should be how to spot. Must learn to preview before I post