If struggling with a newborn wasn't difficult enough, Bringing Up Bates vet Trace Bates and his wife Lydia Romeike are now having to endure bitter online backlash after being accused of under feeding their newborn son. 

The uproar began when Lydia, 25, took to Instagram to celebrate the fact that her son, Ryker Cruise Bates, had gained one pound - after she was told by doctors at his first check-up appointment that he'd 'lost a good amount 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 in order to get his weight, which had dropped to less than seven pounds,  back up.

Having followed this feeding schedule for a short while, Lydia said her son's weight rapidly improved - prompting her to drop his night feeds so that they could all sleep through until morning.

However her admission sparked uproar from one lifestyle blogger, who accused the couple of being 'neglectful' and of 'underfeeding' Ryker - while slamming their decision to stop the 24-hour feeding cycle that doctors had recommended. 

Bringing Up Bates vet Trace Bates and his wife Lydia Romeike, pictured, have been criticized for their child's feeding schedule 

Lydia detailed how her firstborn, who is now 7lbs 6 ounces, had lost weight prompting their family to step in to help feed him at night so she could rest. 

Speaking on Instagram Stories, she said: 'Yeah, so we came home from the hospital and then went to his first pediatrician appointment, found out that he had lost a good amount of weight, which I know is normal, but since he was already pretty small, so anything under seven pounds I guess is considered small and premie.

'We ended up having to go back every week and we have to feed him every two and a half hours, 24/7, so that has been a lot. 

'So we've had a lot of family come over and help, especially at night, so that we can at least get a little bit of a rest since two and a half hours basically drains you.'

She continued: 'So today we went back and he is weighing seven pounds and six ounces and has basically gained a pound this past week, so he is now good on all his weight, which is amazing. 

'He is eating a ton and now we can finally let him sleep throughout the night and not have to wake him up which we're very excited about.'

The video caught the attention of Without A Crystal Ball blogger Katie Joy, who accused Lydia and Trace of 'under feeding' Ryker.

'Trace & Lydia Bates have been under feeding their newborn so badly that he lost a ton of weight. She took him to the pediatrician and they told Lydia to feed Ryker every 2.5 hours,' she wrote in a since-deleted post on Instagram.

'He was born on September 12, 2023. Lydia complained that waking up at night and having to feed a baby every 2.5 hours is really hard so they need family to help.

'He gained a pound in a week, so now Lydia is going to again stop feeding him overnight. Newborns and infants up to 4 months, especially those that are breastfed need to eat every 2-3 hours.

She appeared to lambast them for allegedly taking advice from 'fundie circles' who she claims follow a book called Baby Wise which 'pushes feeding and sleep schedules that are not practical or safe for infants'.

She continued: 'This has led to severe failure to thrive in babies. Infants do not have a big enough stomach to hold enough food to sleep overnight at 2 weeks old.

The couple welcomed their son Ryker Cruise Bates on September 12, 2023

Lydia described how they learned their child had lost weight shortly after birth, and how their family stepped in to help feed Ryker at night

They increased Ryker's feeding frequency after learning he had lost some weight

The ultimate guide to baby feeding: How much experts say you should feed your child 

According to experts, newborn babies should be fed as and when they are hungry, with Jennifer Trachtenberg, MD telling The Bump that parents should learn to look for warning signs that indicate hunger. 

These include: 

• Licking lips 
• Rooting 
• Fussiness
• Bringing their hand to their mouth

Breastfeeding babies will typically nurse as often as eight to 12 times per day, or every two to three hours, while babies who are being fed formula tend to eat every three to four hours. 

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'Lydia is facing deportation and is openly discussing neglecting her child. Some people should not be parents - feeding your child is literally the bare minimum. Ryker was born with Jaundice and she has been taking him out publicly. He’s already been sick and needed to go to the ER.

'For those claiming this is mom shaming, please exit left. This is 100% neglectful and the baby will end up underweight.'

The American Pregnancy Association reports some weight loss is 'expected' in newborns in their first week of life. 

Responding to the accusations, Lydia's husband Trace told Today that they were following doctor's orders and have been told their child is 'very healthy'.

'We are doing exactly what the pediatrician told us to do,' he said. 'He has gained a ton of weight and they say he’s a very healthy baby.'

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

'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,' she said.

However, once a child's weight increases, so will their energy and the amount of times they wake up for food.

'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,"' he added.

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

Trace and Lydia tied the knot last year in Jefferson City, Tennessee following a six month engagement.

'Today our lives changed forever!' the newlyweds told People at the time. 'We move from being best friends to being husband and wife — so surreal! There are no words to describe how excited we are! We have waited for this day for so long.'

Trace and Lydia welcomed documented their pregnancy and birth on Instagram  

 The couple tied the knot last year in Jefferson City, Tennessee following a six month engagement

Bringing Up Bates was a show which followed Gil and Kelly Bates and their 19 children. The show premiered in 2015 but was cancelled after 10 seasons.

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

In their own statement, the Bates family told UsWeekly: 'As the next year begins, our family will be experiencing a lot of new changes. One of the biggest changes for us is that the network will be moving toward producing more scripted family shows and will not be renewing a contract to film new Bringing Up Bates episodes.

'We realize God's timing is always perfect, and we are looking forward to what the future holds for our own family, as well as the network!'

They added: 'The last 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 of the friendships we have formed as a result.

'Filming and opening up our home has been both rewarding and challenging, but there are not enough words we could say to show appreciation for the amazing film crew and all of the staff who have invested so much time into making this show possible.

'They have become family and have impacted us forever. We are also grateful for all of the encouragement we have received over the years from those who have watched the show and have reached out to message us or pray for us.'

They finished their statement by writing: 'Most of all, we are thankful to God for the experiences we've shared together as a family and for the lessons we've 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 lots of new adventures. We promise to keep you updated on our lives in the days ahead and pray that God will richly bless each of you. Our greatest desire is that we would each strive to learn more about God and to grow in His grace.'

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