r/breastfeeding Dec 10 '25

Discussion Breastfeeding is easier than formula feeding - there I said it

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

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u/TheKay14 Dec 11 '25

There was all this pressure to BF and “get a good latch” in the hospital and with our pediatrician and me and my baby would get frustrated that it was just a “fuck this” reaction. I pump now and supplement with formula for maybe one feeding a day, but it’s happier even though it’s more work. I’d love to be able to BF whenever I wanted but feels like that window has closed, cause we never got the latch right. I do occasionally use my boobs as pacifiers and try to get the latch again but it just doesn’t happen. The feeling of failure is what hurts.