Formula for bris | Imamother

amother

Wed, Jun 08 2022, 2:50 pm

So BH I just had my first born over shabbos. The mohel came to check him and said that I have to give him an oz of formula at the end of every feeding. I really don't want to give formula or introduce bottles yet. I had his first doctor's appointment today and she said that she doesn't think I need to give formula unless he seemed on Friday that he was yellow/orange then to give him on Friday and continue until Sunday or Monday when I should make an appointment if he is. So I told the mohel that and he got very upset and said is the doctor doing the bris or him? He said he didn't have wet enough diapers and that I need to feed him an ounce of formula at the end of every feeding and that I need to start now. Is this normal?

accountantmommy

Wed, Jun 08 2022, 2:53 pm

I think there are stricter halachic parameters for the baby's health to do a bris than general medical standards. If this is an experiences mohel, I would go with what he says. It could be your son isnt yellow enough to warrant medical intervention, but the mohel is trying to advise you on how to make sure he is heslthy enough for the bris in a few days

amother

Dustypink ↓

Wed, Jun 08 2022, 2:54 pm

First of all, Mazel Tov!

I never heard such a thing from a mohel. I would not give formula either. Does the mohel think that all mothers have been supplementing newborns before their bris since Matan Torah? With what?

Has your milk come in?

amother

Snow ↓

Wed, Jun 08 2022, 2:55 pm

Two of my sons were yellow, so the mohel suggested giving formula and I said absolutely not. Their brissim were late but they probably would have been late regardless because they were very yellow. If the numbers aren’t going down then baby needs a bili blanket, not formula. I would find a new mohel.

amother

Forestgreen ↓

Wed, Jun 08 2022, 2:55 pm

I don't think this is the norm. DC#1 was the only baby who I nursed. I definitely did not give formula before the bris and the mohel did not care at all.
Its really not the mohel's place to be getting involved in this. Just because he knows how to do brissos does not mean that he is an expert in baby feeding. I think you should listen to your ped.

amother

↑ Snow ↓

Wed, Jun 08 2022, 2:57 pm

accountantmommy wrote:

A mohel is not a doctor and shouldn’t be giving medical advice. The mohel is the one who decides whether baby can have a bris and one of my son’s mohel was more cautious than the doctor, but it’s not the mohel’s place to decide if baby needs supplemental formula. I would be so angry if a mohel told me that. They can suggest it, but not more than that.

amother

Daisy ↓

Wed, Jun 08 2022, 2:57 pm

ABSOLUTELY NOT!
As a matter of fact I was told to breastfeed more to get the bilirubin level down when I was still in the hospital.

Skin to skin, which is achieved by breastfeeding, helps, too.

If you are producing enough milk, there is no reason you need to introduce bottles or formula, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Better yet, do your own research do you can be Informed.

mfb

Wed, Jun 08 2022, 3:09 pm

She says mohel said not enough wet pampers.
Sometimes a mohel that does this all the time might be more intuned than a busy doctor .
I wouldn’t just disregard without asking him why…
And yes my baby got dehydrated cuz I didn’t know by my first that I didn’t have enough milk in the beginning.

amother

Tan ↓

Wed, Jun 08 2022, 3:13 pm

Is everyone deliberately not reading the part that OP said that the baby does not have enough wet diapers??? A good mohel can know better than a doctor. If the baby doesn't have enough wet diapers, it means that he might get dehydrated and I'd definitely supplement with formula.

Sesame

Wed, Jun 08 2022, 3:27 pm

While he is an expert in his field and must have lots of experience, I’d follow the suggestion to do your own research as this is a big deal for some mothers. If you do choose to give an oz formula, it doesn’t have to be permanent.

amother

NeonPurple

Wed, Jun 08 2022, 5:09 pm

If you baby doesn’t have enough wet diapers you need to do something about. Your mohel getting upset about you not heeding his medical advice sounds weird. Speak to your doctor about the diapers and see what he recommends.

monseymom25

Wed, Jun 08 2022, 5:20 pm

Umm I wouldn’t use any mohel that gets upset with you and talks to you that way. Or that is unhappy that you consulted with your baby’s doctor. I don’t think someone who is so full of himself can be trusted to have good judgement.

amother

↑ Dustypink ↓

Wed, Jun 08 2022, 5:30 pm

amother [ NeonPurple ] wrote:

Presumably the mohel is not worried about baby getting dehydrated (every pediatrician is also aware of the concept of dehydration), he just thinks that there isn't enough output to wash out bilirubin.

As OP's milk comes in more fully, the diaper output will also increase.

In my experience, it is the LESS experienced mohalim who get all worked up about any amount of suspected jaundice and think they know the only way to get rid of it. The times we had a more experienced mohel they didn't drive us nearly as crazy.

amother

Pansy

Wed, Jun 08 2022, 5:53 pm

I think there are two separate issues here.
1. Dehydration - this is between you and your doctor. If your doctor is not concerned I wouldn’t be either about his dirty or wet diapers. If he is then I would do what they say
2. Jaundice - There are some that’s say that you should give either formula or water bottles to the baby to make them have more dirty and wet diapers and that kind of pushes the Jaundice out. I’m not sure if there’s any scientific basis but supposedly it can work. There’s also the concept where some tell you to stop nursing and to use only formula because of anti-body issues between mother and baby that causes jaundice

We were also told by Mohel to supplement with formula and I didn’t. And the bris was delayed but it was my choice. My baby had feeding and latch difficulties and giving bottles would have probably ended the nursing then and there. We did do the blanket but that didn’t help

amother

↑ Forestgreen ↓

Wed, Jun 08 2022, 6:09 pm

amother [ NeonPurple ] wrote:

She did speak to her doctor. And her doctor is fine with it.

amother

↑ Forestgreen ↓

Wed, Jun 08 2022, 6:11 pm

monseymom25 wrote:

This exactly. A mohel needs to know his place. He can do a bris. That's it. He doesn't have a medical degree in pediatrics and should not be advising on feeding (and certainly not contradicting a pediatrician).

amother

IndianRed

Wed, Jun 08 2022, 6:17 pm

Some mohelim know WAAAAY more about newborns than pediatricians do. Mohelim only deal in newborns and watch them closely for a week and then sometimes check up after a week. Doc sees the newborn once every few months. I got a lot of good swaddling and feeding and burping advice from my mohel.

amother

↑ Dustypink

Wed, Jun 08 2022, 6:23 pm

amother [ IndianRed ] wrote:

True, and some mothers know more than both mohalim AND pediatricians about newborns.

However, a mohel's limited knowledge of anything that happens PAST a month old means that they are probably unaware of things like nipple confusion and formula allergies. So they really should be careful about giving advice like this.

Also, it is questionable to say that we should undertake heroic measures (some of which may be harmful to the baby) to rid baby of every drop of jaundice in order to have the bris on time. The reason we postpone is for baby's health, so we should certainly not be trying things like formula (for an exclusively breastfed baby) which may have unintended results.

fatso gal

Wed, Jun 08 2022, 6:35 pm

Yes, I have had the mohel thay he is not getting enough. The dr said nothing to me at the first appointment. At his one month appointment he was only a little over his birth weight. It was then the dr told me I had to supliment since he wasnt gaining enough. The amount of wet diapers is a good indication. If you absolutly dont want to give formula you have to push thw nursing even if they are conastantly falling asleep on the job.