Mother-in-Law Pushes New Mom to Feed 6-Month-Old a ‘Stick of Butter’ to ‘Help Him Sleep’

A new mom is feeling stressed over her mother-in-law’s unusual advice about feeding her baby.

In a Reddit post, the woman explained that her baby’s grandmother keeps telling her to feed the 6-month-old “a stick of butter” to help him sleep better at night.

The mom said her baby just started eating solid food last week and has been enjoying it so far. She’s given him bananas, papayas, strawberries, chicken, squash, and eggs. But when she shares photos and videos with his grandma, the only comment she gets is that the baby “looks sugar addicted” from eating fruit and should be given pure butter instead.

According to the grandmother, the baby “needs the fat” and butter will help him sleep longer. The mom agrees babies need some fat in their diet, but she’s tired of the constant pressure.

She also said her mother-in-law keeps sending Instagram videos from a “meat-based nutritionist” who claims babies should eat mainly meat. The mom disagrees, believing babies should have a balanced diet with a variety of foods. Even after politely explaining her view, her mother-in-law won’t drop the subject.

“I told her that babies often like sweet flavors because breastmilk is naturally sweet,” the mom wrote. “She replied, ‘I think steak can be pretty sweet.’”

The mom admitted the comments make her feel like she’s not doing enough for her child, even though she plans to add meat later. She asked other parents if feeding babies pure butter is actually recommended.

Many Reddit users told her to be more direct about setting boundaries. One wrote, “You don’t have to explain your food choices. If her comments upset you, tell her to stop. And if she doesn’t, stop sending pictures or videos.”

Others suggested getting her husband involved. “Tell your husband to talk to his mom—or you will, and it won’t be pleasant,” one person commented.