Many of us formula-feeding moms have been criticized, shamed and even condemned by overly zealous breastfeeding advocates. But there's no need to apologize for relying on formula. In fact, it has quite a few advantages.
Read more ¿Qué más?: WATCH: 4 Things you should NEVER do with breastmilk
Image via David Precious/Flickr
It's more convenient for the working mom
If you work outside the home, formula feeding will free you from spending countless hours pumping in order to have a large enough stash of breast milk–never mind figuring out how to store all that milk in an already packed fridge.
Your partner can pitch in during the first few months!
When moms breastfeed, they tend to be the ones getting up in the middle of the night to feed their hungry newborns. If you rely on formula, however, you don't need to shoulder the entire responsibility of night feedings.
Benefits of breastfeeding may be overstated
The journal Social Science & Medicine published a study that analyzed siblings who were fed differently (one was breastfed and the other was formula-fed). The study determined that siblings within families, regardless of how they were fed as infants, shared many of the same personality traits, cognitive skills, and health profiles.
You can have some semblance of a personal life!
When you formula-feed, you don't have to worry about pumping and dumping after having a Margarita with the girls. Also, you don't have to stress about taking an aspirin to cure that headache and having it seep into your bloodstream.
You'll avoid a common ailment of breastfeeding moms
It's fairly common for thrush, a fungal infection, to develop on a nursing mother's nipples or even inside the breastfed baby's mouth.
Your sex life can resume in all of its freaky glory!
Some mothers experience vaginal dryness as a result of breastfeeding, which can make sex painful. Formula-feeding moms, however, don't have to tackle these sexual hurdles, making the path to post-birth intimacy with their partners that much smoother.
No need to buy extra stuff
You won't have to spend on nursing bras, disposable nursing pads, and nipple creams. Sure, formula is expensive, but so is all the equipment necessary for breastfeeding. Some of those pumps alone can cost $300!
No need to buy extra stuff
You won't have to spend on nursing bras, disposable nursing pads, and nipple creams. Sure, formula is expensive, but so is all the equipment necessary for breastfeeding. Some of those pumps alone can cost $300!
Leaky boobs will not be a source of embarrassment
If you choose to bottle-feed your baby and you don't express the milk in your breasts within two weeks after delivery, your body will shut down milk production. It means that you won't have to worry about your lactating breasts dripping in between feedings and leaving embarrassing wet marks on your clothes, which can lead to some rather red-faced moments.
