Food Network star Katie Lee 'mom shamed' for holding her baby 'too much.' What parents should know.
Food Network's Katie Lee has shut down a so-called "mommy shamer" who criticized how often she holds her child.
Lee, who co-hosts "The Kitchen," recently took part in an Instagram Q&A session with her 856,000 followers. In a now-expired Instagram Story, she posted a direct message from a user.
"I'm sure you'd been told this but it's not good to hold Iris so much," the person wrote to Lee. "She needs time for her back/spine/stomach and muscles to develop ... not a "Karen" just trying to help."
"Mom shame, much?" 39-year-old Lee wrote in response to the user. "Not to worry, my baby gets plenty of tummy time, activity time, etc."
Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez, a primary care pediatrician and assistant professor of pediatrics at Columbia University Medical Center, said there is no such thing as holding a baby "too much."
"Some babies are fussier than others, more colicky, more gassy or simply more used to being close to mom," Bracho-Sanchez told "GMA," adding that her advice includes wearing a baby in a wrap. "Some moms and dads enjoy the snuggles and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that."
Bracho-Sanchez noted that parents should never co-sleep or hold a baby while they're sleeping, which puts children at risk for sleep-related deaths.
"And I start discussing sleep training at about 2 months, which involves setting a consistent bedtime routine and placing the baby in the crib while still awake," she added.
Bracho-Sanchez also recommends supervised tummy time, several times a day, starting at 1 month of age -- something that Lee said she includes in her baby's daily activities.
Lee and her husband, TV producer Ryan Biegel, faced infertility before conceiving their daughter. The couple tried in vitro fertilization, though it did not result in healthy embryos, Lee revealed in 2019.
Despite their struggles, Lee became pregnant and in September, she and Biegel welcomed their first child, Iris Marion Biegel.
As a new mom, Lee has used her platform to engage with other parents on infertility, breastfeeding and her decision to forego a nanny due to the pandemic.
