by Erin Medovich

Created on: July 01, 2009

Being a mother who chooses to exclusively formula feed her child after birth doesn't make you a bad mother. There are many reasons why moms pick formula over breast feeding. Most moms feel a little guilty at first to go straight to formula, but after realizing the benefits, you won't be disappointed in yourself.

Several reasons for choosing formula over the breast are as follows: inverted nipples, wanting the father to bond with the baby equally, being on certain medications that can transfer from milk to baby, and mastitis. Poor breast feeding education from the hospital where you gave birth can also lead to a mother feeling frustrated enough to switch to formula. It takes a good nurse with extra time to support you in your decision as a first-time mom. I know when I had just given birth to my daughter, I had a very difficult time feeling guilty for not learning how to breast feed properly. My husband and I went back to the hospital two days after we came home, and after learning correctly how to pump milk, I chose to continue formula feeding my first baby.

You will find that not only does it include your husband in the process of feeding baby, it also relieves a lot of anxiety that comes with strictly breastfeeding. You don't have to worry about covering up while you're out in public feeding your child, bottles and formula dispensers are extremely handy, and where you go to visit with your new baby never becomes a problem if you are self-conscious about covering up. As a new mom, I thought it was wonderful and also beautiful that my husband could take part in one of the best new duties as a parent. He loved getting up with our daughter for a night's bottle and making sure she was tucked back in bed. It made him feel closer to her and also helped us to take turns sleeping easier.

As a mother choosing to formula feed will make you happier and carefree. I thought it was so much more fun to get a bottle and measure out water to formlua, (one scoop to every two ounces of water) than it was to whip out a breast and try to figure out how long I had been feeding, how at not even a month old, it could possibly hurt so much to have my daughter attached to it, and never did I have to worry about where it would be the most private to feed my baby when we went out for family dinners. I would not go back on my decision, nor would I want to breast feed another baby in the future.

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