We all know there’s a ton of support out there for breastfeeding. But what if you just don’t want to? When I was pregnant, I found myself in the minority of people who did not want to breastfeed. I would say that most women want to breastfeed, or at least try it out because either they feel like they have to or that it’s better for their child. This can be a controversial topic, and I’m definitely not trying to start a debate here, I just want to share my experience and hope that it helps if you are someone in the same boat!
This post is for you if:
– You don’t want to breast-feed and want to bottle feed
– You tried breastfeeding and for whatever reason can’t or don’t want to anymore
– You are supplementing with bottles
If you find yourself in any of these situations, you will find some great tips and products to make your life easier in this post.
During Pregnancy
While I was pregnant, I was having anxiety about breastfeeding. I felt like I “had” to and that people would be disappointed in me if I didn’t try it. But I really didn’t want to. The whole idea of it grossed me out. My mental health was suffering while I was pregnant because of it and I was having so much anxiety. I talked to my mom and my doctor, who both (to my surprise) reassured me that my baby would be fine either way, and to do what I wanted to do. My doctor even said, if you know you are not going to breastfeed, then why would you start in the hospital? This made me feel a whole lot better and reassured me of my decision. I was actually excited to bottle feed!
If you are in the same position, please do what you want to do. Don’t do something because you think other people want you to. I am still in the process of unlearning this as a people-pleaser myself. At the end of the day, YOU are the one feeding your baby (every 2 hours) – not anyone else! Either way, it is hard and time consuming, so make the best decision for you, your baby & your mental health.
In the hospital
If you decide not to breastfeed and exclusively bottle feed, here’s what you can expect in the hospital and the first week at home from my experience. I told my nurses I was not breastfeeding so I did not need to see a lactation consultant. I think the nurses actually liked this, because it was less work for them! A lot of moms struggle with breastfeeding and I did not want or need that stress on top of learning how to take care of a new baby. I am so happy and confident in my decision.
The hospital supplied little 2 oz bottles of formula for us with nipples that attached. I saved these, took them home and washed and reused these for months because they don’t sell them in the stores! We ended up using these when we traveled and they were the perfect size! See my post on traveling with a newborn here.
Because we decided to bottle feed, my husband could share the feeding responsibilities and I could sleep a little more than if I was doing 100% of the feedings. One huge PRO about bottle feeding!
When your milk comes in
Here’s how to stop your milk from coming in if you are not breastfeeding. Your milk will start to come in by the end of the first week after giving birth. For me, it lasted 3-5 days. My boobs got HUGE and rock hard. It was insane! My nurse suggested wearing tight sports bras, so I doubled up and wore two of these sports bras I got for pretty cheap on Amazon. When you shower, face away from the water and don’t let the hot water touch your boobs. I showered either in a bathing suit top or the sports bras and never experienced any leaking. I have also heard that if you do leak, raw cabbage leaves can help dry it up. I bought some Cabo cream (one of my nurse’s recommendations) but thankfully I never had to use it. You can also put Bamboobies in your bra in case you do experience a little leaking during the first week.
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The PROS of not breastfeeding & exclusively bottle feeding
#1 is SLEEP!!! Take shifts with your partner and get as much sleep as you can! Split the feeding responsibilities.
Mental health. Being a new mom is HARD. Bottle feeding takes the frustration of learning to breastfeed out of the equation.
TIME. If you are sharing feeding responsibility you get so much of your time back!
You can bottle feed anywhere and don’t have to worry about finding a room or wearing a drape over you while you’re out and about.
You know exactly how much food your baby is getting & can make sure they are eating enough. Some breastfed babies can get cranky because they are not eating enough, but there’s no way to know how many oz they are getting unless you pump or bottle feed.
You can drink alcohol and eat whatever you want! You don’t have to worry about what you’re eating or drinking. No need to pump & dump! Have that margarita, mama…you deserve it!!!
Bottle feeding products that helped us the most
Since I decided not to breastfeed, that meant we had a lot of bottles to make & wash! Below are the products we bought that helped us out a ton.
Dockatot or somewhere to put your baby & give a bottle. This will save your arms! The product we used has since been recalled, so I won’t recommend it. If we have another kid, next time we are buying a Dockatot.
Formula dispenser. This one is great for a lot of formula, and this one has compartments. We have both.
Boon bottle drying rack. This has become an accessory on our kitchen countertop. It’s cute and looks like grass, and we use it to dry our bottles. We use the dishwasher to wash them, or hand wash. Be warned though: the picture looks like the twig tree is included – it’s not! You will have to purchase that separately here. I do think it is necessary to have both parts so you can hang the lids on the tree 🙂
Think about it this way: your baby only drinks formula for about one year of their life. We just had our one year appointment earlier this week and our pediatrician said we can stop formula and switch to whole milk. I’m doing a happy dance over here! It is a big decision, but it’s not really one to lose sleep over in the whole scheme of things one year is not that long. Your baby will be perfectly fine & healthy either way!
If you found this post and are currently deciding between breast-feeding and bottle feeding, I hope this provided some insight and clarity. Always do what you think is best for yourself, your baby, and your family. Don’t care what other people say – they’re not the ones up all night with your baby, you are! At the time I am writing this post (March 2022) our baby boy is strong, happy &healthy! A happy mom is the best mom 🙂
I also wanted to add, I don’t have anything against breastfeeding – I just didn’t want to do it!
Formula & Coupons
Jett drank Similac pro-sensitive formula for one year. I signed up for Similac and Enfamil’s rewards program and they sent me a sample box of formulas to try and will mail coupons every so often. Most of the time they are $5 off, but sometimes they sent $20 off coupons. We were also lucky to get some free cans of formula from our neighborhood Facebook page. Sign up for the Similac Rewards Program and Enfamil Rewards Program to get free coupons & samples.
