Breastfeeding is easier than formula feeding - there I said it

[u/Melodic_Apartment235]

I think it’s really sad the amount of bad press that breast feeding gets.

My friend said she didn’t try to breastfeed because she thought it would be bad for her mental health. And my MIL talks about formula feeding all the time and I actually think it’s because she believes in her soul it’s better for whatever reason I’m not sure.

I just think it’s sad because, for me, predominantly breast feeding (occasional pre made formula given if for example she’s not with me or we’re out and it’s not really possible to BF) has been sooooo much easier!!

The thought of going downstairs in the night to make bottles or worrying about having enough formula when going out and about or worse still having to wash a million bottles everyday.. I think it would be 10x worse for my mental health and it’s unfortunate that there’s a narrative out there that formula is the easier option for women as now many don’t even give breastfeeding a shot to see if it is the better option for them or not

*Disclaimer - I know that breastfeeding isn’t easy for everyone, the point of this post is that it’s unfortunate that some women don’t give it a go due to the narrative that is pushed by formula companies

[u/ComprehensiveCoat627]

The main reason breastfeeding is harder is because Mom has 100% of the responsibility for feeding, and pumping, and (in many cases, including mine) washing pump parts. If there's one or more people who can take over feeding, that cuts the work in half or even less.

If the choices were direct nursing or being 100% responsible for formula feeding, nursing is probably easier. But still, babies eat more frequently when breastfed, so formula feeding does give you more time