Breast, Bottle, or Both? Pros and Cons of Different Feeding Methods for Babies

This week's blog post is about the very hot topic of how to keep your baby fed. This is a topic that in my opinion, shouldn't be so "hot", but definetly is. Talk to any new mother right now, and they will likely have stories about different providers, family members, and/or friends giving them their input on how their baby should be fed (intentionally or unintentionally).

Choose to breastfeed? Great job, breast is best and you will get so much quailty time bonding with your baby. But that also means Grandma Sally can't hold your baby as often as she'd like. Or don't you dare complain about leaking and sore nipples. And remember, formula is easier - "my little Mikey" turned out just fine without breastmilk.

Choose to formula feed? Awesome, you have so many people that can help you with feedings! But you must also not be prioritzing your baby's health or care about bonding with your baby as much. You are just choosing "the easy" way out. Don't forget, every upset stomach or hard poop is definetly related to your choice of formula.

And the exclusive pumpers! You found a system that works for you to give your baby the all magical breastmilk, BUT if you are going to give a bottle, you might as well save yourself the time and effort and just do formula. Or better yet, just stick them on the boob, breastfeeding is easy! And have fun anwsering the question "breastfed or formula fed" at every well child visit and needing to explain your situation over-and-over.

All of the above are real comments that I have heard myself, or that I have heard from talking with other mamas. Not only are these comments unpleasent to hear, but they can really effect a new mama's mental health when they might already be struggling. The fact of the matter is, no feeding method is easy. They all come with their challenges, but they all also come with their advantages, or day-to-day little "wins". It is also important to recoginze that being open and aware of all feeding options is important. It is great to have goals for which feeding method you would like to use with your baby, but your body and your baby might think differently right away when baby is born, or even 6+ months down the road.

According to the CDC: "Among infants born in 2019, most (83.2%) started out receiving some breast milk, and 78.6% were receiving any breast milk at 1 month. At 6 months, 55.8% of infants received any breast milk and 24.9% received breast milk exclusively."

Knowing that only ~25% of all infants 6 months and older are still recieving ONLY breastmilk goes to show two things. One, breastfeeding is not as easy as it sounds or looks and two, mamas all over the country and using multiple feeding methods. That is normal. Let's show some compassion and support to all moms using any feeding methods by listening to their stories and viewpoints below.

Jamie S. - Exclusively Formula Feeds

Did you always know you were going to formula feed?

I was going to breastfeed with my first, I didn't even have any bottles because of that. I breastfeed for a week, then pumped for 2 days, then went to formula. Breastfeeding was way more stressful than what social media and friends made it seem. It's one of those things you don't know until you're in the situation. When they were on the boob I was stressing about if he was getting enough and the biggest stressor for me was that I was the food source and his life was 100% dependent on my milk production. So just thinking of leaving the house added to the stress. Then when I was pumping, I would stress about only getting 3oz from one session and how am I supposed to keep up with his needs. 

What do you feel like is one of the biggest advantages to formula feeding?

For me, not stressing about if i'm producing enough milk, or if he was getting enough at each feeding. With formula it gave me the mental freedom to leave the house or leave him with Dad/Grandparents and not stress if they have enough milk. Once I switched to formula I was completely a different person, and most importantly a different/better mom.

Any disadvantages?

Obviously the price - breast milk is 'free' but there is a lot of work the mom puts into producing breast milk. With the shortage the last few years, it was stressful having to go to different stores or switch formulas. 

Did it take you a while to find a formula that worked for your baby (i.e. sensitivities, allergies, etc.)?

For my first we tried about 3-4 different formulas before we found one he could tolerate, for my 2nd he could take about any formula and be fine. 

How much money do you spend on formula per month?

In the first couple of months, about $35/week ($140/month), as they get older you're not feeding as much and introducing solid food so the amount decreases after 6 months. 

Your favorite bottle for a baby?

Philips Avent anti-colic (we use it without the inserts)

What is one stigma that you would like to address/squash about formula feeding? Get all your feelings on it out there!

I feel like it's getting better, but every baby and every mom is different and not one way of feeding is better. Also I really, really despise the social media trend "what 3 months of breastfeeding did to my baby" - I could go on a tangent with this one, babies are supposed to fill out and grow no matter if you feed them breastmilk or formula. It just makes me boil when I see those videos. It's just putting that stigma of "breast it best" on topic again. 

What is your biggest piece of advice to mamas choosing to formula feed for the very start? 

It's your decision and no one else's. Do not let the stress of social media/family/friends influence you on that decision. Yes, it is an added expense - but it's not for a lifetime. Mom's have to still keep themselves #1 - if you don't take care of yourself how can you take care of someone else? For me that was taking stress away - which was breast feeding. Good luck Mama, you'll do great! 

Laureen K. - Exclusively Breastfeeds

Did you always know you were going to breastfeed? Either way please explain. 

Yes I always planned to exclusively breastfeed, I thought it would be SO EASY! It was definitely a huge challenge learning and dealing with everything as a first time mom! But it was SO worth it in the end for me and my baby! The anxiety of “not making enough” for your baby because Drs push for you to feed formula (at least in my scenario) when I had more than enough milk! 

What do you feel like is one of the biggest advantages to breastfeeding?

The bonding for sure! It feels so rewarding being able to give birth to your baby from your own body and then to be able to provide food as well for your baby! 

Any disadvantages? 

Getting clogged duct, raw nipples or leaking all over the bed hahaha 

Once you got past the newborn phase, about how long do you spend per day feeding your baby? 

About 30 minutes possibly, my son would always fall asleep on my breast when he was smaller!

How much money do you spend on breast feeding supplies (including dietary supplements if applicable)?

Zero honestly , unless I chose to pump then it was still zero because insurance covered a pump for me!

What is one stigma that you would like to address/squash about your feeding method? Get all your feelings on it out there! 

That breastfeeding makes your breasts saggy. Like definitely no. Regardless if you choose to or are able to breastfeed or not, you always have the possibility of having “saggy breasts” after pregnancy because your breasts grow in size when you’re pregnant and your genes have a lot to do with it as well!

What is your biggest piece of advice to mamas choosing to breastfeed?

Definitely push through it all! It is SO challenging but SO REWARDING in the end! I felt like I was on-top of the world being able to feed my son whenever wherever whenever he wanted! It is not easy AT ALL, there will be some challenges ahead like biting, sore nipples all of that, but it’s not permanent. They are only a baby once ! So soak it all in now! 

Heather M. - Exclusive Pumper (by choice)

Did you always know you were going to be an EP? Either way please explain.

I have 2 kiddos that I pumped for. With my first, I planned to breastfeed, but we had problems latching, being lethargic from delivery, too much weight loss early on, so I decided to pump. My second baby latched right away, but I did not like how the inital latch felt, and I liked knowing exactly how much my baby was eating. For this reason, I decided to pump again!

What do you feel like is one of the biggest advantages to EP?

You still get to give your baby breastmilk, but you have the freedom to allow others to help with feedings. You also do know exactly how much your baby is eating which was a huge piece of mind for me. From my expereince (granted I did create an oversupply for myself), you can also build a big freezer stash a lot quicker than with breastfedding to allow you to be done at a sooner time or to donate to others in need.

Any disadvantages?

While I loved pumping, I will admit there are lots of disadvantages. There are so many parts that need to be washed several times per day for bottles and pump supplies. You cannot just whip out your breast and feed your child on demand, so you have to plan your social activities/errands around your pump schedule. Or, you have to become comfortable pumping more in public. Pumping also does not empty the breast as efficently as nursing, so a lot of the time in order to establish a good supply, you have to pump a lot more often that one would have to nurse (this can also put you at increased risk for mastitis - OUCH!). Lastly, pumping did take a little toll on me mentally. It can be very hard to keep a newborn baby and a toddler occupied while you are attached a breast pump for 30 minutes. This, in combination with obessessing about numbers (oz pumped, oz in the freezer, oz my baby was eating) caused me to have some increased post partum anxiety and I felt as though it took me a little longer to truly bond with my baby. I will say that a lot of these "disadvantages" were only present in the beginning. Things got a lot better after baby was 3+ months old.

About how long do you spend per day pumping (total)?

For the first month, I was pumping about 6-7x per day, each session 30 minutes so about 3.5 hours of my day. Then, due to having a good supply, I was able to drop down to 3-4x per day, so about 2 hours. Pumping felt a lot more managable when I was able to drop some pumps!

What is your favorite breast pump? Wearable and plug in.

I love my Spectra! I struggled to find a wearable pump that emptied me well and had a good battery life, however my favorite one that I found would be the Freemie Independence.

How much money do you spend on pumping supplies?

My breast pump was free through insurance. Breast milk bags cost me about $40 every other month. I regularly purchased nipple butter and pumping lubricating spray which was maybe $20 a month? I also had to purchase the correct size flanges to use and some replacement pumps parts which was another $60 for my entire pumping journey.

Your favorite bottle for baby?

Dr. Brown!

What is one stigma that you would like to address/squash about your feeding method? Get all your feelings on it out there!

A lot of people sound sad, or feel bad when I would share that I exclusivley pump. They assume that pumping is horrible or something was wrong that forced me to have to pump. I take pride in pumping for my baby and wish people would automatically be more accepting of this feeding method as a primary choice for mamas and babies.

What is your biggest piece of advice to mamas choosing to EP?

Try not to stress out about numbers. Whether that be number of oz pumped, # of pumps being slightly different day to day. Just show yourself grace! And be so proud of your body for what it can do for your baby.

Allison T. - Exclusive Pumper (not by choice)

If you feel comfortable sharing, please share your story that led you to be an EP. Please include your feelings and emotions around your journey.

Oh boy! What a journey EP has been for me personally. Our baby boy was born healthy via c-section in early May. We spent the morning admiring our son and soaking up all the snuggles. Around 2:30 pm our son randomly stopped breathing and was whisked away from husband and myself. To save time, our son ended up in the NICU for the next ten days with numerous episodes/spells of not breathing over those days. During his stay, I was encouraged to pump so he could get my breastmilk. We did try nursing numerous times during his NICU stay, but with the cords and tubes all over my son getting comfortable for me was difficult.

I also knew right away that he had oral ties right away ties. After a horrible experience during the first month with our first son, I could tell our second son's latch was similar and that the ties would need to be released. This affected our breastfeeding journey more than I knew at the time as he would learn to drink from the bottle and grow to prefer the bottle as it was more instant than the breast. He did get his ties released and nursing was still difficult. We were referred to Speech and Language Pathology because my son didn't correctly know how to suck which was another added layer.  We did a couple sessions with the Speech Pathologist, but again he preferred the bottle over the breast. 

Unlike the first time around I didn't have the luxury of sitting and reteaching my second  son as I also had a toddler home with me that needed tending to, and it wouldn't have been fair to him to always make him wait while mommy tried to nurse his brother - especially since he needed extra time that I just didn't feel was there.  I felt torn. I wanted to nurse my son, as I longed for that bond that I had created with my first, however, he wasn't grasping it and I was starting to get frustrated at how long it would take to try nursing with little success to just end up pumping to then feeding him a bottle. I found myself getting short with my oldest and upset with my baby because I was being pulled in different directions due to each of their needs.  After numerous talks with my husband I made the decision to exclusively pump. Let it be known this decision came with numerous tears, as I knew our feeding journey would look different and it was a change I didn't want. I also hated how tied down pumping made me feel. Pumping requires you to be near your pump numerous times a day. You're not holding your baby while it happens and feels cold and isolating to me. My life felt/feels so scheduled around pumping times. I felt like I had NO freedom. Don't get me wrong, nursing requires a lot of the same just with a baby, but holding the baby and looking into their sweet face made nursing different for me. The freedom of just for a lack of better words whipping it out and nursing, rather than sitting tied up to a pump was for me more enjoyable. I felt deflated, but reminded myself that he was getting the food from me and that was important to my husband and myself. I cannot tell you how many times I cried because I wanted to quit, but the guilt that I was producing so much and that he would be getting my breastmilk kept me going. And here are 6 months into exclusively pumping, eagerly counting down the days till I am done. 

We know that pumping was not your first choice as far as feeding methods go, but why not formula?

There is no "correct" way to feed your little one. Nursing, Pumping or Formula there is no hierarchy of one is better than other. It is just really what works for you and your baby. I chose it because my nursing journey the first time around was important to me. When that journey didn't work, I pivoted because I was producing a ton of milk and truthfully didn't really know how to stop. My clogs in the beginning made me want to pump to keep them from happening, but was also the reason I wanted to quit so many times. The thought of having engorged, painful breasts sounded awful to me that my pump became my secret best friend.  I would tell myself often if I get ONE more clog I will stop and change to formula.  However, that day didn't come because I finally turned a corner with my pumping.  I was not getting clogs as often or maybe I should say for as long. I also feel like because I was making so much I felt like it was what I should be doing, some mom guilt around the topic. So many women would die for my supply. "How could I just stop?", type of thoughts would creep into my mind.  However, I also think that this was part of my postpartum journey and helped me wrap everything around what had happened to my baby. So much of those first days were taken from us and I just wasn't ready to not keep trying for him. I wanted to do it for him and for me because I wasn't able to do my original plan. For me it gave me purpose which is what I NEEDED in my postpartum voyage. My husband and I also talked about how we personally liked the antibodies benefits and complexity of breastmilk. I do think it needs to be said that Formula has come such a long way since its creation and is a wonderful choice as well. It often contains more vitamins than breastmilk and has so much flexibility. But there is a stigma out there about formula fed that I feel needs to be addressed more often in society. And there is also a lack of education and resources for moms choosing to do EP. Nursing is definitely pushed on moms and it shouldn't be a one size fits all model. In the end it goes back to what works best for you, your baby and your mental health. It is important to keep an open mind to be flexible and remember that a fed baby is a HAPPY baby. 

What do you feel like is one of the biggest advantages to EP?

Hands down, the biggest advantage is ANYONE can feed that baby. It is not solely on the mom to be the one and only who can feed the child. 

Any disadvantages?

As mentioned above, I hate the time commitment it takes. Your life becomes so regimented. I feel like your life has to be scheduled and IS scheduled around pumping. Most cases you need to have access to an outlet, make sure you have adequate milk storage on the go and and at home.  Don't forget about cleaning up! It is not just pumping, but the washing and cleaning of the bottles and pump parts. It is not quick and easy! Again it is truly a TIME COMMITMENT and labor of love.  Which is something I didn't know before until I decided to exclusively pump. Personally, I get clogs often, which I rarely got breastfeeding. During a clog, I am in pain physically and after much reflection it affects my mood negatively. I am less patient and grumpy. This is because pumping does not empty the breast as efficently as breast feeding does.

About how long do you spend per day pumping (total)?

Ugh, I am awful at math, but in the beginning I was pumping every 4 hours for 15 minutes at time. Now I am down to 4 times a day and trying to cut out the midnight and noon pump. During those times I only pump 9 minutes at a time. Mainly to take the edge off. My 5:30 am and 7:00 pm pumps are 13-15 minutes each. 

What is your favorite breast pump? Wearable and plug in.

I have only used Medela products. I do like my Pump in Style (plug in). It does have a battery pack so if you are not by an outlet you can take it on the go. The few times I used the hands free one the pump worked well, however, I cannot give a true review on it as I have not used it enough to establish an opinion. 

How much money do you spend on pumping supplies?

Although I got a hands free pump through insurance, I was making more milk that the storage bottles could hold. My first pump ended up dying so I had to by a new Medela Pump in Style for $200.00. I have roughly spent an additional $300-400 on pumping supplies from parts, bras, milk storage, coolers, ice packs, etc.  

Your favorite bottle for baby?

We loved Avent. Avent (normal) and Avent Blue bottles. I did try Dr. Browns and they worked well and that is actually what we used initially with my second, but I hated all the parts. Again it goes to time and cleaning and I felt like I was cleaning bottles more often than not, which would make me upset that I was exclusively pumping. 

What is one stigma that you would like to address/squash about your feeding method? Get all your feelings on it out there!

Oh this could be loaded. The first one is that pumping is quick. Again it is not. I think there is a lot of misperception that you pump and that is it. Until you are doing it and not just pumping because you are going back to work or to pump to start a stash it is a lot more work. I think people all have opinions and we all focus on the negatives of each feeding method, but at the end of the it doesn't matter. Moms should do what works for them and their baby(ies) and every other opinion shouldn't matter. A fed baby is a happy baby! 

What is your biggest piece of advice to mamas choosing to EP?

Be ready for the time commitment. Reach out to others who have exclusively pumped as it can feel isolating. Make sure to put yourself first. It is important to still put your needs number 1 or you can't be the best mommy for your kids. And don't let others tear you down. You got this! You are amazing! Also, invest in some good hand lotion for all the washing you will do :) 

Angelia W. - Combo Feeder

What was your original plan for feeding? If this wasn’t the original plan, how did you feel when you had to modify your plans?

My original plan was to exclusively pump, but the instinctual urge to breast feed right after I gave birth to my son took over. We started off strong with exclusively breastfeeding but cluster feeding took its toll so I began to pump as well. Eventually my supply was unable to keep up with my sons demand and I had to supplement with formula. At first I felt like I was failing my son while simultaneously letting myself down. The decision to combo feed weighed heavily on me for a while, it actually took a toll on my mental health. The pressure is very real when it comes to feeding methods. But when I saw how much more satisfied my son appeared to be after a formula feeding it helped ease those feelings.

What do you feel like is one of the biggest advantages to combo feeding?

The feeding responsibilities can be shared, there’s a greater independence for myself, and the baby is still getting the vital nutrients from breast milk. It’s a win/win in my opinion.

Any disadvantages?

Possible digestion problems can occur in your baby. Baby can potentially develop a preference to the bottle which could cause latching issues during breastfeeding. And the massive amount of bottle washing and sanitizing is a struggle to keep up with at times.

Did it take you awhile to find a formula that worked for your baby (i.e. sensitivities, allergies, etc.)?

I got super lucky in this department. I found the right one for my son on the first try, but that’s definitely not the case for everyone.

How much money do you spend on formula per month?

$250

Your favorite bottle for baby?

Definitely the Philips Avent Anti Colic Bottle

What is one stigma that you would like to address/squash about your feeding method? Get all your feelings on it out there!

That somehow you’re lazy because you decided to combo feed rather than strictly breastfeed or that somehow you don’t care about the health and well being of your baby. - insert eye roll here-Let’s face it, being a mother is the furthest thing from being lazy regardless of how you feed your baby. The last thing that moms need is to feel shame and guilt especially in regards to feeding their baby. Fed is absolutely best. It’s obvious that moms regardless of feeding method care a great deal about their baby’s health and well being. In fact it’s because I cared so greatly that resulted in my decision to combo feed.

What is your biggest piece of advice to mamas choosing to combo feed?

Maintain a consistent feeding schedule that way baby knows when to expect breast and when to expect a bottle. And from one mama to another, you do not need a reason to choose this feeding method, if you think this would be an ideal fit for you and your little one, then go for it! Don’t let anyone make you feel guilty for doing so because at the end of the day as long as your baby is being fed that’s all that truly matters.

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I want to thank each and every one of these mamas from the bottom of my heart for being vulnerable and open to sharing their stoies with me. I hope this blog was insightful in providing new mothers with informatiton regarding each feeding method so they can make an educated decision on what might be best for them, helps makes current mothers feel more supported, and helps encouarge others to be a little more aware of how they talk to a new mom trying to figure out just exactly how they are going to keep their baby fed.