Breastfeeding vs. Formula

 

        I thought breastfeeding wasn't as bad as I thought! Boyyyyy was I wrong. Now I know it's not easy, but I was sure I could pull it off. I went through my whole pregnancy with the idea that I would breastfeed. I got everything that I needed, like the breast pump, storage bags, etc. And as soon as I gave birth, I pumped for the first time. It was a weird feeling. The tugging and the tender feeling. At that moment, I questioned everything. But I tried to stay optimistic, so I kept pushing. Once my son got discharged, I was pumping and feeding him by bottle (formula) every 2 hours. I also tried to get him to latch often. Plus, I had to clean the parts that I used for pumping too. The plan was to keep this up until my supply came in and I would breastfeed for months; the amount of time was undecided. Doing this every few hours throughout the day and night, was a lot on me!! I barely got sleep and barely had time to do anything else. After doing all of that, I only had 30 minutes to sleep or squeeze in other responsibilities. I was overwhelmed and exhausted! I tried not to "give up" with everything in me. As time went on, I stopped and bottle fed with formula from then on. I felt like there were more pros than cons with stopping. Yes, I wanted my son to have breast milk, since it has so many benefits. However, I had to make a decision on what was best for US. A tired mama that didn't have the energy to do much, was not healthy for my son. I was cranky as hell, not towards him of course. Bryson deserves a happy mama all around. Formula has been beneficial as well. He is gaining weight, still getting vitamins and nutrients. Some people look at formula so negatively, and some people don't understand mama's that breastfeed. I named this post "Breastfeeding V.S. Formula" but to me there's really no competition. Neither is better than the other. Formula works for some and breastfeeding works for others. All I know is, breastfeeding didn't work for me, and I beat myself up about it at first. When I went for my 6-week appointment, I told the doctor that I "gave up" with guilt in my eyes. She reassured me. I didn't give up, I just stopped because it wasn't for me and it's okay. At least he's still eating right? And that's what really matters. I felt A LOT better after that. Point is, don't feel bad with how you feed your baby, AT LEAST YOU ARE FEEDING YOUR BABY! I solute mama's who breastfeed just like I solute mama's who formula feed. No one is better than the other! We are all strong, powerful and beautiful. I would rather worry and push to be a great mama than be upset that I didn't want to breastfeed. Again, at least we are feeding our babies!