It’s Okay to Formula Feed

Breastfeeding is the most common way to feed your baby after they are born. It’s a natural part of having a child that they will need to eat and be fed after being born, and there is a lot of pressure put on new mothers to breastfeed their child. There are classes offered at the hospital and training to help a mother breastfeed. While breastfeeding is certainly the most economical option, there’s no reason it has to be the only option.

Before going any further in this article, I would like to make it abundantly clear that I am male, and I have never had to make this decision myself. While I’ve supported my wife in this decision with our own children, and I’ve discussed this topic with her as well, the opinions are mine based on everything I’ve learned over the course of two children and seeing many other kids born.

You are not a failure if you’re either not able to breastfeed your child or if you choose not to breastfeed your child. Breastfeeding may come very naturally for some while others may struggle with trying to get their baby to take to it. Even others may not be able to physically produce the milk that their baby needs. After having been through 9 months of pregnancy, and then a very demanding birth, you may not be up for breastfeeding - this is especially true if one of the above scenarios applies to you.

If your new baby takes easily to breastfeeding, and your body is able to physically handle it, then that’s great. For those where this isn’t the case, you don’t need to beat yourself up and force yourself to go through a bunch of additional physical and emotional pain to breastfeed your baby - your mental and physical health are far more important.

You’ll find lots of articles out there about how breastfeeding is best and how it’s essential. Many of those articles make great points - however, if they’re trying to shame you into breastfeeding or saying it’s the only choice, then they’re wrong. Breastfeeding is generally the best option, but it’s not worth beating yourself up over.

Plenty of kids are bottle fed from birth, and you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between them when they get older - your kids will grow up and be healthy and normal children if bottle fed. They will be successful if they put in the effort. Being breastfed isn’t going to change how far they progress in life - how you raise them, the effort they put in, and their genetic background will all have significant impacts on their success in the future. Feeding them from the bottle will not.

One of the biggest benefits to bottle feeding from birth is the ability for mother to get back to a normal sleeping routine much faster than a mother who breastfeeds. Not only will kids tend to sleep for longer periods of time when they are bottle fed, but you will also be able to let your partner help with feeding the baby as well - you don’t always have to be the one to wake up and feed your child at night.

Perhaps the biggest downside to bottle feeding is the cost involved. It’s definitely more expensive to bottle feed - baby formula isn’t cheap and if your child needs any of the speciality formulas, then you’ll be paying a lot more. However, that price can definitely be worth it to save your physical and emotional health.

Don’t beat yourself up if you are bottle feeding your baby instead of breastfeeding. While breastfeeding is a great option, it’s not the only option, and you should feel good about whatever choice you make.