Skip to Content

Breast Is Not Always Best, And We Need To Stop Telling Women That It Is!

Breast is best. Almost from the moment you see those beautiful double lines, you start hearing that mantra. And you’ve seen research. Listened to friends. Had plenty of doctors tell you the same. Offices have lactation rooms.

Breastfeeding is legal in literally every single public space in America.

So why would so many people go through so much effort to educate you on the benefits of breastfeeding if it truly wasn’t the best option? And what about formula? Is it even safe to give babies formula? Why would any good mom give her child chemicals when breast is best?

Think baby formula is poison? Think again! The truth is chemically it isn’t much different than breastmilk, and when it comes to feeding babies, fed is truly what’s best.

Breast Is Not Always Best, And We Need To Stop Telling Women That It Is!

For most of mankind breastfeeding was the only option available for newborns. There was no debate on whether it was best, because it was all that was available. And while some advocates will tell you that what’s worked for thousands of years is still the best option today, that’s not actually the case.

For those thousands of years, there were still babies who couldn’t breastfeed. Those who didn’t die from starvation usually grew up malnourished or sickly. Their lives sucked because they couldn’t eat.

And I’m not saying breastfeeding is bad. Not at all. What I’m saying is that fed is best. 

Sometimes women don’t produce enough milk, or the act of breastfeeding is so excruciating that it raises stress hormones in mom (which are also bad for the baby). Or in cases of foster children or adoption, breastfeeding isn’t an option. There are some babies who can’t tolerate breastmilk (I was one of them) and alternatives have to be found.

Because when we don’t look at alternatives, the unfathomable will happen.

We’ve indoctrinated our society into believing breast is the only option to the point that sometimes new mothers can’t even tell when their own baby is suffering.

Jillian Johnson is a mom who experienced that first hand. When her new baby Landon was born, she wanted to do everything right for him. And that meant breastfeeding. At the hospital the lactation consultant assured her his latch was great. She fed constantly, did everything she was told to do. But Landon cried. All the time.

Within 24 hours of being discharged from the hospital, Landon went into cardiac arrest. He was severely dehydrated and as a new mom, Jillian had no way of knowing that her son truly was not receiving Any milk during all the times he fed. Landon died at 19 days old from starvation…one bottle…one single formula-filled bottle would have meant the difference between life and death for a little boy who would be five years old today.

But formula is poison, right? Truly, it is not.

The chemicals that make up baby formula are as closely paired to the chemicals found in breastmilk as possible. And while there are some benefits to breastfeeding, those benefits do not outweigh the need to make sure a child is fed and growing. Ultimately shouldn’t that be the big goal?

Over the past couple of decades breastfeeding has become big business, and corporations have cashed in by not only promoting products and supplements to make breastfeeding easier, but also by regurgitating hand-picked pieces of data to support their stance, rather than educating women on the full picture.

So women have done everything they could to fall into rank. There have been women who fed around the clock, women whose exhaustion caused them to fall asleep on top of their babies.

There have been women who spiraled into post-partum depression due to not being able to give their children their basic birthright.

And women like Jillian whose children suffered unnecessarily because they believed breastfeeding was the only option.

Breastfeeding isn't always the best way to feed your baby, and it isn't fair that we make women feel like it's the only way! #babies #parenting #advice #breastfeeding

Again, I’m not saying not to breastfeed. I’m not in anyway advocating for formula-only feeding. What I’m saying is that fed is best. Babies need to grow. For some women breast is best. For some formula is best. We need to take a step back and remind women that we will support them no matter which road they take. Their babies lives depend on it.

Conner

Sunday 28th of March 2021

This article should have been a no comment article. Every mom is TO EACH THEIR OWN!! We’ve all had different experiences and as long as your child is fed and being taken care of, That’s what matters.

Jess

Tuesday 12th of January 2021

Love this! You are so smart!

Jamie

Tuesday 12th of January 2021

Wow Thanks! :)

EXACTLY!

Saturday 14th of September 2019

I totally agree!

Lauren Hall

Saturday 14th of September 2019

Ma'am you are way to aggressive with your opinion. There is not a soul on the planet that would listen to you with the way you come across.

Mariola

Friday 12th of July 2019

This is ignorance and stupidity...breast is best, fed is required...only 1% of women cannot breastfeed..Rest of it is due to lack of education, support, help, and some women being selfish and lazy about it..and no a baby cannot be allergic or intolerant or breastmilk but they can be to what the mother eats, etc dairy, eggs, peanuts..There are also tongue and lip ties that can be revised that do contribute to a mother having issues with breastfeeding as well that most people are not getting educated about either..And you are always told to look for diaper output to make sure baby is eating so im sure there is more to that story of that baby..

So thanks for spreading more bullshit and making people who already lack knowledge about shit they should be educated on know even less...Great job..

Joan Heney

Monday 29th of March 2021

@Mariola, so it worked for you. Congratulations ? and hope all your problems are little ones ☘️?

keri

Wednesday 23rd of September 2020

honestly this article is spot on , and apparently you are the one that is uneducated

Myha

Saturday 28th of September 2019

I had my baby prematurely and my milk production didn’t come in for 10 days and at that point only on one side and still didn’t produce enough to maintain my baby’s weight. I whole heartedly agree that “FED” is best. I now have 3 beautiful bright kiddos and all had to be exclusively formula fed by 2 weeks of age because even after trying with each one I never produced more than 27ml out of one side. My youngest spent over a month in the NICU and I cried when they told me that we had to do formula and that she didn’t qualify for donor milk anymore to supplement. I still pumped and tried to latch and feed her for weeks after with no change.

Stephanie Weatherford

Saturday 14th of September 2019

Thank you for this bc I had no support of any kind with my oldest 4 kids I did not breastfeed at all bc my family had me scared to death about it my youngest son I pumped for 3wks of his life and the last WK of his life the doctors placed him on formula bc he was born with a heart defect my youngest I breastfed the whole first month n a half up intell I had to have 6 teeth removed and most of the meds I was on were not breastfeeding friendly so me n her pediatrician decided to move her to formula and she has only been sick once since I had her it's bc she got the liquid gold and she is very healthy my oldest four were sick all the time and my now angel son he was moved bc he wasn't gaining weight and he needed to gain for his next heart surgery but he didn't make it tho and he had a gtube bc he couldn't get his sucking down but I'm so happy I got to be able to breastfeed my youngest baby even if it wasn't very long my next baby I'm breastfeeding intell a yr old and I'm going on 7wks with my next baby and it will be my 7 baby

Fran

Wednesday 17th of July 2019

Mariola, I totally agree with you! I said Ann Marie, but I DO NOT agree with her comments but now I cannot delete it. Just wanted to let you know