8 Things I’m Not Gonna Do For My Baby Because Dr. Sears Said So

Dr Bill SearsDr. Sears, Parenting Guru. Kind of like Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman””only worse. I don’t know the man personally, but I’ve heard through the grapevine (i.e. from Mommyish commenters) that he is a “judgey judgey dude.”

Since I’ll believe anything I read, that’s the opinion I’m going with. If you’re a Sears fan, #sorrynotsorry. And just to add insult to injury, here is the personal experience of another reader from the same post:

I agree-Sears sucks. In retrospect I think his books were at least partly to blame for the PPD I suffered after my daughter was born. She was low birth weight and had had issues with nursing, and after reading his section on BF’ing I was convinced that unless I got her to nurse I was condemning her to a life of being stupid and obese.

Dr. Sears makes his living giving parents advice. Here are eight things that I’m not going to do, just because he said so:

1.    Beware of sleep trainers.

Sorry, Doc, sleep training worked well for both of my kids, and now I have peace and quiet for 12 hours a night. #humblebrag.

2.    Don’t substitute with mechanical mothers.

The language on this one is so”¦ icky. Dr. Sears is basically referring to mechanical soothing products that put a baby to sleep instead of a parent. My baby loves his lamb sound soother. I’m not worried that he’ll call it “mom.”

3.    Look at a picture of your baby while you pump.

This sounds sweet and all, but when I’m pumping, it’s business time. I need a break from reality and a chance to rest””without thinking about a baby waiting for my sweet, sweet milk.

4.    Wear your baby several hours a day.

Baby wearing may work for many moms, but I don’t like it, and it hurts my back. Both of my kids have learned how to entertain themselves and be content without being strapped to my body.

5.    Try work and wear.

It’s cool that Dr. Sears is giving advice to working moms, but I’m not sure what kind of job will allow you to serve customers while wearing a baby. I work at home, and I don’t even wear my baby because he’s always swiping at my keyboard.

6.    Schedule work visits from your baby.

Dr. Sears suggests that dad or grandma bring the baby to work throughout the day or on lunch break. This idea sounds absolutely adorable, but IMO, it’s not going to happen for most working moms.

7.    Get baby used to the bottle but not too soon.

Dr. Sears encourages working moms to introduce a baby to the bottle, but not right away. At this point in my “mothering journey,” I say do whatever works for you. My second baby was exclusively fed bottled breast milk, and it made my life much easier.

8.    Don’t put a baby to sleep with a bottle.

I don’t put my kids to bed with a bottle, but sometimes I’ll leave my son with a cup of juice if he’s being particularly ornery before his nap. Meh.

Similar Posts