I totally forgot/didn’t know that Eddie Redmayne and his wife Hannah had welcomed a second child into their family this year. Eddie and Hannah’s first born was a girl they named Iris Mary (Iris Redmayne is an incredible name), and then eight months ago, they welcomed their son Luke Richard Redmayne. Luke Redmayne is also a great name. Maybe lots of names sound good with the Redmayne surname? Biff Redmayne, Bubba Redmayne… see, it is about the surname. Still, Eddie and Hannah are really good at choosing names, it must be said. Anyway, with two little ones at home, poor Eddie isn’t getting much sleep. He appeared on The Ellen Show this week, and he admitted that he hasn’t been sleeping because of the baby, and:
“I’ve been promoting Fantastic Beasts, and people keep going, ‘What spell would you dream of doing?’ And I’m like, ‘Literally just a two-hour sleep spell.’ People suggest gin,” the actor said in an episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show that airs Tuesday. “For you or the baby?” the host said. “Both,” replied Redmayne.
GIN? For a baby? Alright, Motherhood Industrial Complex, let’s talk about this. Is this a common recommendation among British mums, to suggest a small amount of GIN for babies who won’t sleep? Here’s what I’ve heard among American mothers – that a very small amount of brandy, Scotch or whiskey could be introduced but just once or twice for sleeping purposes. Or teething purposes – I’ve heard moms suggest dipping your finger in brandy and rubbing that finger on a baby’s gums. But I’ve never heard anyone suggest gin? Maybe “gin” is just a British thing? Also, full disclosure: my parents were traveling with me when I was only, like, six months old? And my dad put a little bit of Scotch in my bottle of milk and he always said I slept for like 10 hours straight.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Well I wouldn’t do that but I did let my kids co sleep and they slept on their stomachs so I’m judging no one.
Once your baby can flip themselves over, it’s fine to sleep on their tummies. Idk, I’ve known grandmas who said they put whiskey on their babies gums to relieve pain during teething back in the day. But Gin??? I know this guy is popular on this site, but he seems odd to me. If he is giving a baby Gin, stop it!!
I feel like a baby with the name Luke Richard Redmayne would not settle for anything less than a dry martini.
Bwahahaha! and p.s. I think he was probably joking, I hope.
I thought it was a joke…
It was totally a joke.
I think it was a joke.
My Irish family suggested whiskey when by first was teething. Over and over and over. And in my mind I’m like “um… every one of you is an alcoholic so thanks but no thanks on that piece of advice”.
I feel his pain. My son didn’t sleep until he was about 18 months old. It was insane and horrible and hard to live through. He was up every 90 minutes. A very hard thing to go through!
I called my sister’s son Cujo bc he NEVER stopped crying! Motherhood does have its ups and downs. But he is fine now. In about 8 more weeks, I will have two, one of each, babies to rock to sleep……………..and I won’t use Gin, LOL
Congratulations, Nancy! Wishing you much joy with your new additions to the family 😊 ❤️
🙄 thank you. It’s actually seven weeks, but whose counting! It’s been the best of times and the worst of times for my family this year. Loss and now new lives to come. I know there are quite a few women on this site having babies soon. I wish them all the best!! 👶👶
💐Everything good ,healthy,and joyous-That’s what I’m wishing you Nancy!
My Spice Girl! You’re always a ray of sunshine. I’ve never heard a negative comment from you. I ❤ Spicecake38 and her zest for life!
I had an every hour and a halfer too. I know your pain.
Wtf? Is this a thing? Am I missing on a joke?? Alcohol, really? Im not a mother, so who knows. I just never heard of similar things, maybe its a cultural thing.
When my kiddos (now all in their 30’s) were teething it was suggested putting whiskey on the gums. I never did because I didn’t think it was appropriate but that was me and pretty much never knew when my kiddos teeth were coming in because they were the most laid back babies around. I had it very easy with my three. But I would think that they have a nanny or night nurse to take care of the child at night – maybe wrong (and there is nothing wrong with it).
It is a joke. Here in gemany beer to help kids sleep is a standing joke but I never encountered parents who actually gave their kids alcohol. Same with my italian colleagues and their jokes about red wine for kids and russian friends with jokes about wodka for teething and colds.
I think its a kind of cultural residue that still lives on in jokes.
My 7 month old sleeps 12 hours straight but we follow a pretty set schedule and sleep trained her. I think we have a very good baby though because there really wasn’t much “training” involved. She got use to sleeping in her crib after a couple of nights. She still cries a little at bedtime but never more than 5 minutes.
Mine were the same and slept through the night at 3 months (I was VERY lucky).
Damn. I’m a bit jealous. I have a 2 year old who has never slept through the night no matter what we’ve tried.
Mine sleep trained herself. Went to bed at 7, woke up at 6. Then we took her on vacation and she got 4 teeth in a month and her heart burn medication stopped working…. up every hour for 2 months.
Now, I’m sleep training with a schedule and it’s on week 2 and still going just ok. She wants to go to bed at 9 now which is awful, slowly trying to bring her closer to 8.
I believe he was joking. Though there are some old school remedies for babies that include certain types of alcohol.
Whiskey on the gums for teething is a thing people still do.
It numbs the gums.
Another thing that numbs the gums better and more safely is baby oragel :p
I was told not to use baby oragel because it’s a choking risk for the baby. What can you do? No one knows anything.
I think some people joke about it and they did in fact do it back in the day but I’m pretty sure it’s not a thing anymore. People freak if you give your baby oatmeal at four months so alcohol?? No it’s not really something I’ve come across as more then a joke.
I think that it is really common for people to joke about this. More common than it is than to actually act on the idea…
What is this thing with taking jokes and turning them into fodder for judgement and arguments?
I don’t understand it either Wellsie.
Most British peoples answers to anything is Gin, or booze generally:
What time’s the bus? Ages, let’s have a gin.
The babies teething? Put gin on her/his gums.
Brexit is a nightmare, what shall we do? Drink. All. The. Gin.
I got fired. Gin.
I got promoted. Gin.
I got pregnant because of gin! Have a Gin.
We’ve got a global reputation for being boozy, so now we’re just rolling with it 🙂
It makes most of my Caribbean work mates very confused, which just adds to the fun of it.
Hurrah for Gin!
exactly. they love G/T here. I was on a flight once and they said oh we ran out of gin the uproar… lol
My love of a good G&T runs deep.
The flight back home to England from here is around 10 hours, that’s a lot of gin to be drunk … I think if the flight ran out of gin there’d be chaos!!
My grandma told me that did this back then. A thimble full of schnapps or whatever. No way would that be recommended today. Not that I’m not tempted sometimes …
Funny enough but I was advised to put tequila or rum on my babie’s gums for teething which I never did because we ate helicopter parents and will never give alcohol to our babies. I am lucky that my 12 months old is a good sleeper. In fuzzy days I just need to bring her with us to the bed or put one or two drops of lavender oil in the difusser and it works like a charm.
My mother put brandy on our gums for teething. All five of us kids have completely different interests, preferences, and personalities — but when somebody breaks out the brandy bottle at Christmas — we all get excited! I did the same for my son when the baby Orajel wasn’t cutting it. He’s also fond of the sip of brandy that he’s allowed at Christmas…
This is a very common joke over here. I have heard of older people using alcohol on baby’s gums but have never come across anyone who actually does it. Everyone jokes about it with sleeping babies though, so I’m pretty sure he was just passing on the joke.
Back in the day pregnant women smoked and drank and then gave their baby whiskey. How ugly is that? Some older Brits might still be thinking it is a good idea but NO! I once met a couple who were still giving their 3 year-old whiskey at night. Really?
I am sure Eddie and Hanna were told to do this by some well meaning old fashioned Brit grandmas. NO! Go online there are tons of alternatives — frozen carrots (under watchful eyes) during the day, frozen wash clothes at night, etc.
It’s very much said with tongue firmly in cheek and in jest these days.
It is. My dad said it when my niece and nephew were babies. 😀
I think this must be a joke. My babes are 1 and 3 and luckily both great sleepers but tormented by teething! I was tempted to swipe whiskey on the eldest’s gums once but drank it instead which was for sure the right solution.
It’s just a joke, no one in Britain would seriously suggest giving alcohol to a baby. (Brit here.)
When my kiddo was teething, my mom told me to rub some Southern Comfort on his gums! (I stuck with Anbesol)
Yep. Gin. Rum. Whiskey. For sleep, for teething, General fussiness. I personally don’t do it and I don’t know of a local pediatrician who’d recommend it. It’s one of those “home remedies”. But yeah. No.
My dad always said whisky, lol. He’s Scottish.
Not a parent myself but I’ve heard cough syrup works wonders to put your baby to sleep. Just a little in their milk at night and they’ll be asleep in no time.
He’s probably joking, but doing so sounds one step away from Casey Anthony and using her “Zanny the Nanny” as a coping mechanism. Unfortunately no nanny involved, just a ton of xanax given to that little girl to keep her calm and quiet.
To make her pass out so that bitch go out and party. I loathe Casey Anthony. The devil is waiting patiently for her arrival. One of the saddest crimes I ever heard of. Poor little Caylee.