Formula shaming

I find it the opposite way round 🤷🏼‍♀️. I feel like everyone I have came accross just expects everyone to formula feed and that breastfeeding is weird / unusual.

Fed is best! I EBF my first daughter till 6 months, this time around I'm combi feeding! I'll never understand why there's such pressure on breastfeeding like if my baby is screaming and I was getting no sleep because of her being on me constantly she's having a bottle with formula screw what people think! 🤷‍♀️ also like you say your partner can get involved, you know exactly how much baby is having etc 👌🏼

Fed is best for sure! I'm at the other end of the spectrum. I'm breastfeeding and it's unbelievably stressful and I keep mentioning formula to my health visitor and they keep encouraging BF. I feel so stuck because I'm aware that switching to formula can be tricky. I don't regret breastfeed, it can feel very empowering but the pros no longer outweigh the cons at this point but I have to keep struggling along until I can get the advice I need to make the switch. I'm one tired and stressed mum and BF has not made the process any easier.

Please do your best to try to ignore any criticism. At the end of the day you do what you have to do. I completely feel your frustration, I’m working with milk supply from one breast and the pressure is insane. I resorted to formula 3 weeks in when my baby kept losing weight. We’re now 2 weeks Into predominantly formula and the odd pumped breastfeed and she’s gained all her birthweight back and is starting to gain further weight. It just proves that breast isn’t always best. X

I think the crazy thing is every type of feeding is met with some judgement and shaming. Breastfeeding mums can get it for feeding in public, expressing mums get it for bottle feeding and as you say formula mums get it too. Today a complete stranger who had been telling me what a beautiful content baby I had, then went on to warn me to wrap her up in more clothes before au left the cafe because babies get cold…! 🙄

@Chloe how did you make the switch to formula? Was it's a gradual process? How has your baby coped with having both formula and BM?

I think my baby was so hungry that she just accepted formula straight away. We had a lot of struggles with it though especially choosing the right milk and she went through a couple of days being very poorly due to my bad choice of milk. We tried her on c&g hungry baby to begin with, this worked for a couple of days but eventually made her very constipated and then she started being sick, then I had a very stupid, sleep deprived moment where I accidentally topped up her formula with tap water to cool it down quickly and obviously that made her incredibly sick, then we switched to kendamil because of the INCREDIBLE reviews but with it being made with whole milk it was far too rich for her and she was violently sick and nearly went to hospital because she hadn’t ate in 24hrs. I got her seen by the doctor and we stripped everything back to basics, we’re now on cow and gate normal first infant milk with gaviscon to help with her reflux and since 13/08 we’ve gained 500g x

Good that she's gaining weight! Glad you finally got the right milk sorted. I have started introducing actimil at 1oz after a feed to introduce formula into his routine. We gave 3oz bottle last week and it was awful for about half a week afterwards, sickness and constipation etc. I've also got an appointment with my health visitor tomorrow to discuss feeding and to get more information on introducing formula, although my HV is very set on breastfeeding but I think I have to do what is best for me, my partner and baby. Hopefully we can find the right balance soon! Thank you for your advice and info x

Do what’s best for you. I wanted to breastfeed and did exclusively for 3 weeks but he wasn’t settling, I was exhausted and have 2 older kids. We started giving him a bottle on an evening then week 4/5 top ups. Now I’ll feed him when he wants but if he doesn’t seem interested he has a bottle. He’s 7 week Friday and is fine with either and at my 6 week check yesterday the doctor said as long as he’s happy and fed she doesn’t care how we go about it.

I originally wanted to breastfeed but I had too many people in my ear with advice and alot contradicted each other but ultimately formula helped take a huge weight off my shoulders.

Only issue we have now is day / night confusion 😂

Everyone needs to do what works for them, it’s your baby your decision

I have formula fed since birth too and I get so annoyed that it says on all the formula tubs ‘breast fed is best’ when actually it’s not always the case.
We shouldn’t be made to feel like a failure or that we aren’t doing a good enough job just because we formula feed, try to ignore all the pressure and negativity around it and just do what’s best for your baby ❤️