Bringing Up Bates star Trace and his wife Lydia are accused of ‘NEGLECT’ after opening up about their newborn son’s weight struggles – prompting critics to slam them for ‘underfeeding’ their baby

As if struggling with a newborn wasn’t hard enough, Bringing Up Bates vet Trace Bates and his wife Lydia Romeike are now facing bitter online backlash after being accused of underfeeding their newborn son.

The commotion started when Lydia, 25, took to Instagram to celebrate the fact that her son, Ryker Cruise Bates, had gained a pound – after doctors told her at his first check-up appointment that he had ‘lost a good amount of weight’. of weight’.

According to Lydia, she and Travis, 26, were advised by their pediatrician to feed their son – who was born on September 12 – every two to three hours around the clock to maintain his weight, which had dropped to less than seven pounds hold. , backwards.

After following this feeding plan for a short time, Lydia said her son’s weight quickly improved, prompting her to stop his nighttime feedings so they could all sleep through until morning.

However, her admission caused an uproar from one lifestyle blogger, who accused the couple of ‘negligence’ and ‘undernourishing’ Ryker – while slamming their decision to stop the 24-hour feeding cycle that doctors had recommended.

Lydia told how her firstborn, who now weighs 2.5kg, had lost weight, prompting their family to help feed him at night so she could rest.

Taking to Instagram Stories, she said, “Yeah, so we got home from the hospital and then went to his first pediatrician appointment. We found that he had lost a fair amount of weight, which I know is normal, but considering he was already quite small, so anything under seven pounds I think is considered small and first class.

‘We ended up having to go back every week and feed him every two and a half hours, 24/7, so that’s a lot.

“So a lot of family has come over to help, especially at night, so we can at least get some rest, since two and a half hours basically drains you.”

She continued, “So today we went back and he weighs seven pounds and six ounces and has actually gained a pound in the last week, so he’s right on his weight now, which is amazing.

“He eats a lot and now we can finally get him to sleep through the night and not have to wake him up anymore, which we’re really excited about.”

The video caught the attention of Without A Crystal Ball blogger Katie Joy, who accused Lydia and Trace of “malnourishing” Ryker.

‘Trace and Lydia Bates fed their newborn baby so poorly that he lost a lot of weight. She took him to the pediatrician and Lydia told her to feed Ryker every 2.5 hours,” she wrote in a now-deleted post on Instagram.

‘He was born on September 12, 2023. Lydia complained that it is very difficult to wake up at night and have to feed a baby every 2.5 hours, so they need family to help.

‘He’s gained a pound in a week, so now Lydia is going to stop feeding him overnight again. Newborns and babies up to 4 months, especially those who are breastfed, should eat every 2-3 hours.

She appeared to criticize them for allegedly seeking advice from “fundie circles” who she said follow a book called Baby Wise, which imposes “feeding and sleep schedules that are not practical or safe for babies.”

She continued: ‘This has led to severe growth retardation in babies. Babies don’t have a stomach big enough to hold enough food to sleep at night when they’re 2 weeks old.

‘Lydia faces deportation and openly discusses the neglect of her child. Some people shouldn’t be parents; feeding your child is literally the bare minimum. Ryker was born with jaundice and she publicly challenged him. He has already been sick and had to go to the emergency room.

“For those who claim this is mom shaming, go left. This is 100% neglect and the baby will end up being underweight.”

The American Pregnancy Association reports that some weight loss is ‘expected’ in neonates in the first week of life.

In response to the allegations, Lydia’s husband told Trace Today that they followed the doctor’s orders and were told that their child is ‘very healthy’.

“We’re doing exactly what the pediatrician told us to do,” he said. “He’s gained a lot of weight and they say he’s a very healthy baby.”

Pediatrician Dr. Jay Lovenheim told Today that Lydia has been feeding her child properly.

“I tell parents to feed the baby every two to three hours for the first two weeks and every three to four hours at night,” she said.

But as a child’s weight increases, so does the child’s energy and the number of times the child wakes up to eat.

“Once a baby is back to his birth weight, he has more energy and wakes up more often to say, ‘Hey, I’m hungry,'” he added.

The Bates family announced Ryker’s arrival on their blog earlier this month. “Trace and Lydia Bates welcomed Ryker Cruise Bates at 11:54 PM on September 12, 2023. He weighed 6 lbs 8 oz,” they wrote.

Trace and Lydia got married last year in Jefferson City, Tennessee after a six-month engagement.

‘Today our lives have changed forever!’ the newlyweds said People at the time. ‘We evolve from best friends to husband and wife – so surreal! There are no words to describe how excited we are! We’ve been waiting for this day for so long.’

Bringing Up Bates was a show that followed Gil and Kelly Bates and their 19 children. The show premiered in 2015 but was canceled after ten seasons.

UPtv announced last year that they would not be moving forward with the program, despite previously announcing that the show would return for season 11.

The Bates family said in their own statement UsWeekly: ‘As the next year begins, our family will experience many new changes. One of the biggest changes for us is that the network will be producing more scripted family shows and will not be renewing a contract to film new Bringing Up Bates episodes.

“We realize that God’s timing is always perfect, and we look forward to what the future holds for our own family, as well as for the network!”

They added, “The past ten seasons of filming with Bringing Up Bates have been an amazing journey for our family. We never expected or aspired to be on TV, but we are forever grateful to UP for all the friendships we have formed as a result.

‘Filming and opening up our home was both rewarding and challenging, but there are not enough words we can say to express appreciation for the amazing film crew and all the staff who invested so much time in making this possible this show.

“They have become family and have had an impact on us forever. We are also grateful for all the encouragement we have received over the years from those who have seen the show and contacted us to send us a message or pray for us.”

They concluded their statement by writing, “Most importantly, we are grateful to God for the experiences we have shared together as a family and for the lessons we have learned along the way. We feel very blessed to have these memories.”

‘We look forward to the next chapters of life unfolding before us, with many new adventures. We promise to keep you updated on our lives in the coming days and pray that God will richly bless each of you. Our greatest desire is that we all strive to learn more about God and grow in His grace.”