Wife of 'Bringing Up Bates' star shamed for 'underfeeding' newborn son

Lydia Romeike, the wife of “Bringing Up Bates” alum Trace Bates, was shamed for "underfeeding" her newborn son, Ryker, after she shared his eating schedule on social media.

“He has basically gained a pound this past week, so he is now good on all his weight,” Romeike, 25, said in an Instagram Story that has since expired. “He’s eating a ton and we can finally let him sleep through the night, which we are very excited about.”

Romeike, who gave birth on Sept. 12, said she was advised by a doctor to feed Ryker every 2.5 hours after he lost “good amount” of his birth weight. According to the American Pregnancy Association, it is normal for a breastfed newborn to lose up to 10% of their birth weight.

Ryker weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces at birth. He is currently 7 pounds, 6 ounces.

When Ryker was eating every 2.5 hours, Romeike said she and her husband, Trace, 26, enlisted the help of family to help with nights. “So that we can at least get a little bit of rest,” she said, adding that feeding every 2.5 hours, “basically drains you out.”

Romeike did not elaborate on how many night feeds her relatives helped with.

Though Romeike’s Instagram Story is no longer visible, reality TV blogger Katie Joy Paulson saved the clip, and posted it on her account Without a Crystal Ball. In her YouTube bio, Paulson describes herself as being known for her coverage of fundamentalist Christians. The Bateses, like the Duggars from TLC's "19 Kids and Counting," are fundamental Baptist Christians.

“Some people should not be parents — feeding your child is literally the bare minimum,” Paulson wrote in a lengthy and scathing post. In her caption, she also claimed that breastfed newborns and infants up to 4 months need to eat "every 2-3 hours."

“For those claiming this is mom shaming, please exit left,” Paulson continued. "This is 100% neglectful and the baby will end up underweight.”

Romeike did not respond to a request for comment, but Trace contacted TODAY.com on Instagram.

"We are doing exactly what the pediatrician told us to do," Trace wrote in a direct message. "He has gained a ton of weight and they say he’s a very healthy baby.”

“This breaks my heart. I absolutely loved when my babies woke up at night. They need to eat and to be held. They eventually find their way and fall into a schedule. If you don’t like waking up with kids, don’t have kids,” one person commented.

Another person responded that Romeike “clearly is not ready to be a parent.”

Dr. Jay Lovenheim, a pediatrician in West Orange, New Jersey, tells TODAY.com that Romeike has done nothing wrong.

“I tell parents to feed the baby every two to three hours in the daytime and every three to four hours at night for the first two weeks,” Lovenheim says. “And then after that, if the baby gets back to their birth weight and is sleeping at night, we let them sleep."

Romeike and Bates shouldn’t get too excited, though.

“Once a baby gets back to their birth weight, they have more energy and starting waking up more to tell you, ‘Hey, I’m hungry,” Lovenheim explains.

"Bringing Up Bates" was a faith-based reality show that aired on UPtv from 2015 until 2021 when it was cancelled. The series followed the lives of Gil and Kelly Bates as they raised their family of 19 children.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com