“She Lied”: Dad Tells Pediatrician The Truth About What His Wife Has Been Feeding Their 2-Month-Old Daughter
Your child’s health should be your priority. Many parents feel like they will always know what’s best for their kid, however, it’s also vital that they listen to professional medical advice. For instance, when it comes to what they should and should not be feeding their baby. Ignoring recommendations can be very dangerous.
A dad turned to the AITA online community for their advice after dealing with an emotionally complex situation. He had ‘ratted out’ his wife to their daughter’s pediatrician for feeding her food other than formula, which was recommended. They got into a huge argument. You’ll find the full story, in the OP’s own words, below. Bored Panda has reached out to redditor u/Apprehensive_Pop_363, and we’ll update the article once we hear back from him.
A dad turned to the internet for help after a complicated and emotionally draining situation with his wife
Image credits: Lucy Wolski (not the actual photo)
He shared how she had gone against the doctor’s recommendations on what they should feed their baby daughter
Image credits: Rachel Loughman (not the actual photo)
The dad had finally had enough and decided that it was time for a heavy dose of the truth
Image credits: Francisco Venâncio (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Apprehensive_Pop_363
Most doctors agree on how long babies should be breastfed or given formula
Image credits: stevanovicigor (not the actual photo)
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization, it is recommended that mothers breastfeed their babies exclusively for the first 6 months of their lives. It’s recommended to do this until at least they’re 12 months old, as breastfeeding helps defend against infections, allergies, and chronic conditions, as the mom passes on her antibodies through the milk. Formula is a viable alternative, though it provides fewer benefits.
Generally, it’s recommended to wait until your baby is 6 months old before starting it on solid foods. As always: speak to your doctor or pediatrician before making any major nutritional changes. And don’t give your 2-month-old oatmeal when you’ve been specifically told to feed her formula.
The couple got into a massive argument over what happened at the pediatrician’s office
Image credits: damirkhabirov (not the actual photo)
The entire family drama came to a point at the pediatrician’s office after the dad told them about what his wife had really been feeding their then 2-month-old daughter. The woman had lied to the doctor before, claiming that she’d been giving the baby only formula, which was the initial recommendation.
“I was angry because she lied,” redditor u/Apprehensive_Pop_363 shared with the AITA online community. His wife was incredibly upset that he had told their baby’s pediatrician the truth. But probably any parent reading the story would have done literally the same thing: you should never lie to your doctor. Not when it comes to your health. Not when it comes to your child’s health. Medical professionals are not mind-readers, they need specific information.
Some internet users thought that there might be some bigger issues at play here
Image credits: Farknot (not the actual photo)
In a few additional comments underneath his post, the dad shared some more worrying news about what happened next. What he shared about his wife’s behavior and how she “went ballistic” led some redditors to theorize that she might have been suffering from postpartum depression or even postpartum psychosis.
The NHS explains that 1 in 500 mothers suffer from postpartum psychosis after giving birth. This is a serious mental health illness and should be treated as a medical emergency. It is imperative that you reach out to medical professionals immediately.
“Symptoms usually start suddenly within the first 2 weeks after giving birth—often within hours or days of giving birth. More rarely, they can develop several weeks after the baby is born,” the NHS explains that postpartum psychosis is different from the so-called ‘baby blues’ which can last a few days.
Some symptoms of postpartum psychosis include delusions, hallucinations, a manic mood, a low mood, the loss of inhibitions, feelings of fear or suspicion, restlessness, feeling confused, and behaving in a way that is completely out of character.
The dad revealed some more sensitive information about his family in the comments of his story
The vast majority of readers were sympathetic and were in the dad’s corner. Here’s what some of them said
However, some internet users called the dad out for not reacting to what was happening earlier
The updates are scary. Sounds like full psychosis. Dad takes the baby though it seems and called a crisis hotline for mom. https://www.reddit.com/user/Apprehensive_Pop_363/
Mom's behavior is extremely scary right now and I can imagine it's been incredibly difficult for dad to work out what to do. I'm sure he's terrified of the thoughts of taking his child away from her mom even though it's the right thing to do right now. She needs to be evaluated and the baby needs to be fed and cared for properly. Her behavior towards the baby's diet is madness right now. Two very small bottles of formula are not adequate for the nutrition and development of an infant. A two month old just doesn't eat enough at one time in a bottle to get enough nutrients. This is so disturbing and I hope that mom gets the help that she needs. Who knows what has been going on while he's at work and sleeping as far as feeding and stuff goes. They're so lucky that the baby hasn't choked or aspirated on any of the foods that she's been giving her. I can't even wrap my head around it, it's so scary.
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What is it with people who think that producing a baby immediately makes them an expert? So she is ignoring the (very valid) concerns of the doctor because for some magical reason "she knows better" but still wants to keep it a secret? Sorry, she knows she is messing up and the poor baby is suffering bc of that. Tell the doctor and ffs make her feed the baby properly.
Wife was mentally ill. Husband took the baby and called the crisis hotline, who were sending people over to deal with her. He didn't update after that, unfortunately.
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For once, do exactly what she said: Go stay with your parents, AND TAKE THE BABY WITH YOU!
The updates are scary. Sounds like full psychosis. Dad takes the baby though it seems and called a crisis hotline for mom. https://www.reddit.com/user/Apprehensive_Pop_363/
Mom's behavior is extremely scary right now and I can imagine it's been incredibly difficult for dad to work out what to do. I'm sure he's terrified of the thoughts of taking his child away from her mom even though it's the right thing to do right now. She needs to be evaluated and the baby needs to be fed and cared for properly. Her behavior towards the baby's diet is madness right now. Two very small bottles of formula are not adequate for the nutrition and development of an infant. A two month old just doesn't eat enough at one time in a bottle to get enough nutrients. This is so disturbing and I hope that mom gets the help that she needs. Who knows what has been going on while he's at work and sleeping as far as feeding and stuff goes. They're so lucky that the baby hasn't choked or aspirated on any of the foods that she's been giving her. I can't even wrap my head around it, it's so scary.
Load More Replies... What is it with people who think that producing a baby immediately makes them an expert? So she is ignoring the (very valid) concerns of the doctor because for some magical reason "she knows better" but still wants to keep it a secret? Sorry, she knows she is messing up and the poor baby is suffering bc of that. Tell the doctor and ffs make her feed the baby properly.
Wife was mentally ill. Husband took the baby and called the crisis hotline, who were sending people over to deal with her. He didn't update after that, unfortunately.
Load More Replies... For once, do exactly what she said: Go stay with your parents, AND TAKE THE BABY WITH YOU!
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