MIL fed baby water

kimmee1997 · October 2010

I let my MIL keep ds this afternoon. Now she has made comments to me before about just feeding him water when he acts like he wants to eat more. I haven't and just told her we feed him another ounce of formula til he's full. Well I guess she decided she knew best and fed him2 oz of water after he had finished his 3 oz of formula. He kept crying so she fed him another oz of formula. Now she called and said he's fussy and spitting up. He's just 3 weeks. From my understanding you don't usually feed babies water until they are older. Plus 6 oz seems a lot for a baby that young. I've been having issues with my MIL lately so this is just another to add to the list. I'm just worried that he's had too much water. And now he's screaming and fussy.

WishLuckyStar · October 2010

and that would be the last time MIL watched my LO. Angry

6 ounces is a lot, hopefully he spit up most of it to ease discomfort. My 9 week old eats 4oz.

I'm sure the water didn't harm him, just filled his belly with non-nutritious liquid. You could give him a tummy massage with olive oil or baby oil. Look up "I love you massage" on youtube to learn the method that helps them with gas.

rodiesmum · October 2010

i just don't understand why some people would think they know what's better for another person's child. personally, if that was done to my kid, my MIL would never hear the end of it.

mr&mrswelch · October 2010

that would really piss me off, and I would make sure she knew it.

JJ1973 · October 2010

I would be extremely angry...

kimmyt09 · October 2010

MIL would get a smackdown if she didn't listen to me and did that! Lucas is 3 months and eats 6.5 oz, so 6 oz for a 3 week old is definitely a lot. I hope you lay down the law with her.

grnshdw · October 2010

OK- I understand why you are upset and agree with where you stand on the issue. I will also share something our nanny shared with me when I was really upset about something with another person's behaviors- most likely it won't harm the child. I would tell her what you normally do and suggest that has been more effective in getting him to settle down. Another thing you may want to consider is a pacifier. It may be helpful in times like these.

amalloy1 · October 2010

I've been dealing with inlaw boundary issues too & I think your MIL overstepped her bounds. I don't know this for sure, but there's a reason babies aren't supposed to get water. Could it throw off their electrolyte balance by diluting their blood too much? Or maybe it's that the water takes the place of nutrition?

Your MIL should have checked with you though. Ask your pediatrician the details about why a newborn shouldn't have water so you have some facts & then bring up your concerns to your MIL.

baconandpancake · October 2010

O.M.G. I would be so pissed! You can give an older baby 1 to 2 ounces of water, but at this age, too much water can dilute a baby's blood, causing them to lose really important electrolytes. It could potentially cause seizures! That is entirely way too much fluid in general for a 3 week old, and I would never let her watch my LO again. My grandparents asked if DS could have water because he kept crying. I said no. They looked really puzzled. I picked him up, and covered him up with a blanket and he fell asleep. It's like hello?!?! Babies cry for more reasons than just hunger!

ilovetolaugh · October 2010

aaaannnddd that would be the last time MIL watched my LO. That is absolutely ridiculous that she went behind your back with your child. I'd have a hard time not yelling at her, honestly.

ebmartin · October 2010

I would be very angry with my MIL. YOU know what is best for your LO and she should have enough respect for the both of you to follow your orders for your child!!! My MIL gave DD a paci at 3 days old when I specifically asked her not to....long story short, that (and many other big issues) led to a BIG fight when DD was just 11 days old. We went to visit her this weekend (they live 4 hours away) and everything was great; she was very respectful of how I want to raise DD...I think that fight was a real eye-opener for her that this was MY child and I know what is best for her. You should confront her about it and hopefully things will get better for you!!!

crows1920 · October 2010

my MIL asks about giving her water everytime she's here... and that's why she hasn't and won't be watching her anytime too soon!

sorry she did that.

snansley · October 2010

Eh, saying that MIl can't ever watch LO again seems harsh. Ever? Like for 18 years?

The water thing seems to be generational, especially since so many moms at that time formula fed. My mom asked the same thing (repeatedly). I explained to her that breastfed babies don't need additional water and that older formula fed babies can have small amounts, but that the doctor doesn't recommend it and here's why. Etc.

I think you should have a calm sitdown with you MIL and explain all of this. Also explain that this isn't the same as denying a cookie before dinner, it's a potential safety issue. It is frustrating to cover the same ground over and over. GL

chach916 · October 2010

snansley:

Eh, saying that MIl can't ever watch LO again seems harsh. Ever? Like for 18 years?

The water thing seems to be generational, especially since so many moms at that time formula fed. My mom asked the same thing (repeatedly). I explained to her that breastfed babies don't need additional water and that older formula fed babies can have small amounts, but that the doctor doesn't recommend it and here's why. Etc.

I think you should have a calm sitdown with you MIL and explain all of this. Also explain that this isn't the same as denying a cookie before dinner, it's a potential safety issue. It is frustrating to cover the same ground over and over. GL

Totally agree. My MIL just asked me about water the other day too. She used to be a nurse back in the day and said they always gave newborns water. Things change!

CodyGH · October 2010

kimmee1997:
I let my MIL keep ds this afternoon. Now she has made comments to me before about just feeding him water when he acts like he wants to eat more. I haven't and just told her we feed him another ounce of formula til he's full. Well I guess she decided she knew best and fed him2 oz of water after he had finished his 3 oz of formula. He kept crying so she fed him another oz of formula. Now she called and said he's fussy and spitting up. He's just 3 weeks. From my understanding you don't usually feed babies water until they are older. Plus 6 oz seems a lot for a baby that young. I've been having issues with my MIL lately so this is just another to add to the list. I'm just worried that he's had too much water. And now he's screaming and fussy.

I would be pissed and call my pedi just in case. Too much water in a very young baby can be harmful. I wouldn't risk it especially if he's being fussy and that's out of the ordinary.

MrsSteelerTeacherLady · October 2010

crows1920:
my MIL asks about giving her water everytime she's here... and that's why she hasn't and won't be watching her anytime too soon!
sorry she did that.

This is exactly what has happened at my house. I've told DH I don't trust his mom for this reason- a sore spot in our house, but oh well- I could so see this being my MIL if I ever left her alone with DS

Gypsie_spiryt · October 2010

You need to get out the research and show her the danger she put your child in. There are a few reasons you dont give infants water. 1. It's non-nutritive. Baby is expending calories to suck down the water and not getting any benefits from it. 2. Too much water can cause jaundice and water intoxication.

monimonimoni · October 2010

Yeah. I'd be pissed. Not cool MIL, not cool!

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