It's Not Easier

The impression I was always given was that bottle feeding was easier. Maybe it was because of my struggle to nurse Jake when he was born, people who suggested I just go to formula thought it would have been easier on me mentally; but this is the impression I was given. 

I breast fed Jake until he was 10 months and we started to wean him. He was a struggle in the beginning, but we got there. Brock, nursed immediately, I was determined to not struggle again and immediately after he was born, I just went straight for it. I couldn’t hold my own head up, but I was nursing him. At 6 weeks, we introduced a daily pumped bottle. At 7 months, my little independent man decided he wanted to hold his own bottle and not have anyone feed him. This is when we had to switch to formula. 

While I was emotionally struggling with this (sobbing and crying out “I’m not ready for this to be over” or “he was the easy one, this isn’t fair), I tried to use logic. Logic would make me feel better right? Bottles are supposed to be easier; this should be a sigh of relief…no bottles are NOT easier!

I’m not saying nursing is easier either, believe me, I struggled in so many freakin ways. I would call them equal.  If you bottle feed, you have to buy bottles, and formula, and you have to use those things EVERY time you feed your child, you aren’t processing their food with your body for free and having a built-in feeding mechanism. And cleaning, you have to clean those bottles, for nursing, that’s called taking a shower, and you still take those, if you’re nursing or bottle feeding.  

You don’t always have to be the one to feed baby. That’s fair, but there are times I miss getting up in the night with Brock and just feeling him holding onto me…now he just wants his bottle (I cried typing that). 

Feeding in public. Ok, I’ll be honest, I never got comfortable with this, though it was better with Brock. I have mad respect for women who do not care and straight up feed their kid wherever. I did twice with Jake, and both times got crapped on for it, that might play a role, but I when into both times really self-conscious too. I am so much more comfortable whipping out a bottle. 

I’m not here to crap on either one, both have pros and cons. What I am here to say is, one is not easier than the other, they both come with stigma, they both come with potential guilt, and both come with their own headaches. “Breast is best” is becoming less and less true. I have listened to podcasts where it’s been said that formula is so close to the real thing now it’s crazy. Parenting is not one size fits all, I realize that more now having two kids, because what Jake needed at this age is not what Brock needs. This has been a post I wanted to do for a couple months, Brock’s transitioning from breast to bottle has come with a lot of ups and downs, but ultimately, I think it was the right call. Any struggle has been mine, and most of the time now I’m good with it, but I have my moments (see above). The biggest thing is, he is happier, it is visible. He’s absolutely still my little grump, but it’s more selective now.

Mama Bear Out