Did you ever regret formula feeding from birth?

[Needsomeguidance103]

I say from birth but I’m considering ff as soon as we get home from the hospital after giving baby colostrum in the hospital.

With DS I tried, and tried, and tried to get him to latch but due to a rough start in nicu and latching issues we stopped at 9 weeks and I went onto formula. I think I have a bit of trauma from it all… I’m thinking will it be easier, especially with a toddler at home to do bottles/formula from day one?

Did you ever regret not trying breast feeding or are you happy with your choice?

please no arguments or nastiness in the comments, happy for discussions and opinions though

I’ve had three…my eldest (formula fed) is the healthiest and brightest of them all (not that I would ever tell them that lol). He is also very sporty and tall. He is a poster child for breastfeeding…except he wasn’t lol.

middle child was exclusive breastfed for 1.5 years and has lots of dietary / digestive issues.

youngest EBF for 2.5 years and has asthma and rashes, also is a picky eater and doesn’t eat a great diet (loves junk food).

same story myself and my brother (I was FF, he wasn’t).

I have no regrets FF my eldest. Apart from
breastfeeding being incredibly painful with him, the FF meant my partner could get much more involved and bond with him. I could get a break. That didn’t happen with the other two, I was on my knees by the end with all the sleepless nights

Do whatever you want but both my kids had CMPA and formula made them extremely sick. The dairy free formula is full of crap, it's thin and causes reflux and tastes like gym socks so I was glad I had started BF so I could continue to that (I wanted to combi feed at first).

It sounds like this baby isn't here yet so maybe don't rule it out yet.

I found BF with my second easier than formula as toddler needed a lot of attention. It was much, much easier to whip a boob out when/wherever needed.

I’m so sorry for everyone who had bad experiences from MW’s or HV’s about formula feeding.

I actually found more people commented on me trying to pump and bf over formula, but I do think I’m 2026 it is crazy how judgemental some people can be. I think for some it is such a simple choice from the get go as to what they’d like to do and is up to the mum.

I found my MW’s quite understanding and when my son wasn’t latching a midwife asked if I had ready to feed on me to offer to baby.

No.

I believe you. I had a full term 8 pound healthy baby who refused to bf. Literally pulled away screaming. Not one single mw could get him on the breast properly. After a long journey to conception I was devastated.

In the blue file for DS2 I wrote ‘baby will decide’ in response to the question on feeding. He was born by cs and although he tried to latch there was little help and I just ff almost right from the start.

The two of them (25 & 17) are walking adverts for formula. No regrets at all.

Just go with the flow. If he has a bit of boob in the hospital and it goes smoothly then you can always just take it one day at a time and see how you feel, take the pressure off.

I think “baby will decide” is so lovely.

Our experiences seem similar, my DS was almost 9 lbs, but just hated the breast from the get go. He was a bit poorly so was in nicu for 8 days. I blame myself actually, although he was initially born poorly and no one picked this up. I felt that because I wanted to bf and he wouldn’t latch properly or for long that I starved him and that’s why we ended up in nicu. I guess that trauma and “was it my fault” is part of the reason I don’t know if I want to give it another go with baby 2.

I regret it still - because I entirely internalised the message that I had failed if I couldn't.

But in terms of nutrition, not at all. And I LOVED the fact that DH and DM and anyone who wanted to could feed them, that I could be away from them if I needed, that I could sleep through the night as needed. And all mine were happy and calm and thriving. I loved all of that bit of it, I was sad for myself, even though I technically understood it's not actually true.

I think you've nailed it here, do whatever works for you.

Literally no one looks at their children and thinks "I breastfed/formula fed them".

We as humans remember negatives more than positives in general so we will most probably remember the hardships if triggered. A lot of people here remembering the hard times they had.

Do what is best for you, considering a fed baby is the best baby. Don't be a martyr and push on because your loved ones also want you happy. Aim for what's right for you and baby will be happy with whatever decision you make. In a couple decades there will be so many more things to think about when looking at them, what they ate really won't be one of them!

Nope, didn't want to even try. I just have been lucky as midwife asked me how I was going to feed and just pointed me towards the room to get bottles from. Even my health visitor never said anything.
You do what's right for you and never mind what anyone else thinks. It's your decision, your baby, your body

I regret trying hard to BF with my eldest. I felt like I would be the worst mum in the world if I didn't and kept on trying despite the fact it wasn't working. I wish people had just told me it would have been better to give up - "it's your choice" felt like it was followed by an unspoken "and it's a selfish choice not to keep trying".

I never planned to breastfeed my twins as the very thought of it was just a no for me. However, they were born very early and I was essentially forced into expressing milk because they had to be tube fed and I was told if I didn't do it they would have to be given donor breastmilk as they couldn't have formula. I was utterly crap at pumping due to a terrible supply and it dominated every minute of the day trying to fit it in while constantly being asked if I was doing it 8-10 times a day when it was taking me 30 minutes to even get an ounce then having to wash and dry the pump parts every time etc Also trying to fit this in with twins in NICU. I was actually left quite traumatised by it and was absolutely thrilled to hand the hospital back their pump when they reached the required 34 weeks gestation (although not inside anymore that's just how they counted the weeks) and inform them the babies, while still only around 4lbs, would be getting weaned onto formula because I wasn't doing this anymore. So yeah if anybody wants to judge someone for not breastfeeding I'm sure I would be first in line after denying it to my extremely premature infants. I feel no guilt though. I tried my best. Oh I also got horrific mastitis at around week 6 which was so awful and I was so unwell they thought I had sepsis.

The next two babies were given formula from birth and again, zero guilt and zero regrets. I still would have made that decision even without the prior experience.

All the baby will care about is being fed - l never even tried breastfeeding cos l didn't want to - no guilt here! My 14 year old daughter doesn't care how she was fed as a newborn!

I always aimed for the first 6 weeks, so 9 weeks is not any sort of failure, quite the opposite.

Hope it goes well the next time, whatever you decide or happens.

Nope!!! Do what is best for you!!

No, when a child is an adult will ot matter how they were fed as a baby, women dont have to do this endless guilt thing they just choose too

I have no regrets at all FF my 3rd from birth. I do regret the hard time I gave myself after I had my first baby and totally failed to get her to take the breast. 2nd baby I managed for a grand total of 3 days and I really beat myself up about it at the time too. 3rd time round I was adamant to everyone (MW, husband, MIL 🙄and most importantly myself) that baby would be FF and everything would be fine and it was.

Nope. Horrendous pregnancy and birth. I needed my body back or i would have sunk into depression. Didn't stop MIL from accusing me of poisoning her 'poor precious baby' though. Nearly divorced DH over it when DD was 10 days old.

No not at all. DC1 was FF from birth (not even colostrum), he’s fine, fit and healthy. We had a good routine and he slept fairly well.

DC2 was a premmie and we were in the hospital longer, I attempted feeding her mainly so they would keep us together. We added one FF per day even in hospital at their advice and by 8 weeks she was full time formula as she wasn’t gaining weight.

I breast fed all of mine but with my last one she did have latching issues early on and I think I would have moved to FF if I hadn’t had the experience to know what it should be like when it is working well.

Ultimately, parents need to make the best choice for them and their baby and wider family and it’s unlikely you’ll give it much thought five or ten years from now.

I really tried to BF but couldn't get a latch and no-one offered any help. Apart from dsis who breastfed her 3. To be fair, her manhandling my boobs was the final straw and I gave up after that. Dd is nearly 22, has rarely been ill and I never gave the whole thing any headspace. Fed is best.

Nope and I will be formula feeding my second due in May.

I struggled hugely with my first and switched to FF after 2 weeks. I beat myself up but why? He’s now in his 20’s, barely had a day sick in his life, about to run the London marathon and in an incredible job. I haven’t a clue how a single one of his friends were fed. It just doesn’t matter at all

I always wanted to BF but after a really difficult pregnancy,very prem birth and c section I decided not to but was really pushed into it by the SCBU nurses. I wish I'd had the strength to say no because I really believe it was the final straw and a huge contributing reason to my breakdown. Fed is best and by the time they are teens the only thing you're worried about is if they're necking energy drinks on the way to school!

Nah mine is 3, FF from birth and I never think about it. She eats a varied diet now, loves fruit and veg and is rarely sick. Once I'd made the decision I didn't give it a second thought.