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I think formula gets a bad rap because we're always bombarded with "breast is best" slogans and at least for me, I've always thought breastfeeding should feel natural and easy (boy, was I wrong!). I suppose that yeah, breastmilk is probably the best food for a baby but I hate that we beat ourselves to a pulp when it doesn't work out.

I wasn't breastfed and I like to think that I ended up alright!

From what I know, formula is derived from cows milk, and nature only intended that for calves, not humans, so it isn't the perfect source of nutrition for human babies. Also, the content of breastmilk changes to suit the baby's requirements and immunities from the mother are passed to the child, which doesn't happen in formula. One last thing, not sure really how much water this holds though, is that since you can't overfeed a breastfed baby, they are less likely to develop habits that lead to overeating as they aren't as strictly held to drinking a specific number of ounces as formula fed babies are.

I formula fed our son, I don't apologize for it. I had a horrible start to breastfeeding and should have done things differently, but I didn't and my son seems to be developing on track.

There's just so much pressure on moms to breastfeed exclusively and moms are made to feel so guilty. I know this, and I'm not immune!

The funny thing is in my mom's generation everyone exclusively breastfed, but my mom and most asian moms I know seem to be pro formula so you can get some rest!

I really wanted to do it for essentially the reasons junebugmama listed above.
LO was exclusively breastmilk-fed (nursed or pumped-milk-bottles) for about 6.5 months, and then we started supplementing quite a bit with formula since I can't pump enough to keep up with his demand.
I will say that, while breastfeeding at the beginning was crazy hard and frustrating, now that it's established I find formula more frustrating. Mainly because it seems to cause more gas and stomach discomfort than breastmilk ever did, so now we worry about whether we should switch kinds, or whether something else is up... DS seemed to tolerate breastmilk perfectly and is just fussier on formula. Plus, while it's certainly easier to make more formula than to make more breastmilk, milk was easier in a way because I was far less worried about timing (in the sense that with formula, we are vigilant about making sure it's not in use for more than 2 hours, whereas we were pretty relaxed about breastmilk).

Kinda of along the lines of what coastinganon was saying... I think the whole "to breastfeed or not to breastfeed" issue is, for most moms, the first time when you really have to pick your battles re: your LO.
No parent is able to do everything they'd like to/for/with their child. It's just not possible. And I think that as your kid gets older, you probably get more accustomed to the fact that you have limited time, money, energy, sanity... and therefore you sometimes have to say "Well, while it would probably be great for little Billy's cognitive development if I were to sit here and show him stimulating high-contrast flash cards while singing nursery rhymes in Mandarin, I think that instead I will stick him in his swing while I take a shower and check Facebook for thirty minutes, after which I will be a much more excited mother and all-around pleasant person."
And I don't know about you other first-time moms, but I was a crazy person those first few weeks post-partum, and it was really easy to get caught up in the idea that I still could do anything and everything that I'd ever wanted for my child! It wasn't too late! I could breastfeed and cloth diaper and do EC and make him bilingual and engender a love of vegetables and classical music!
And while I can still catch up on the vegetables and Mozart, breastfeeding is a "do it now or forever hold your peace (at least with this child)" kind of thing. And it really sucks to want to breastfeed and then face all kinds of challenges and think "really? I'm failing at something ALREADY?" And I really, really, really do not believe that choosing to formula feed is "failing", but I do think that it's easy to feel like it is in those first couple weeks if it's something that you'd really wanted to do.

Like many mom's out there, I started out all gung-ho about breastfeeding. I researched, took a class, etc. I was going to breastfeed and there was no other if, and's, or buts about it.

And then my LO came. And that was the worst week of my boob's life. I tried. I tried hard. I cried and cried and cried. Feeding wasn't fun for anyone. It wasn't a bonding experience, it was awful. So finally I switched to formula and I cried some more. I felt so guilty!

But now my LO is 4 months old and so healthy. I get awful migraines and my hubby is able to take over and feed her when I'm in bed in pain, and I don't have to worry about waking up to pump or anything. And really, my hubby wasn't breastfed for a second and he has way more smarts than I ever will.

I think breastfeeding is awesome. If I could do it, I would. I'll try again when I have another baby. But I'll also try not to be so hard on myself if I can't.

So true. I tried to breastfeed but it was hard, I tried my best and she's on formula now. I totally felt the mommy guilt. If you say you are formula feeding because it was hard, ppl will say you didn't try hard enough, get a LC, the breast is best, formula is poison!

You can do all that, but it still doesn't work. Sometimes milk dries up like mine did. She got a month's worth and it helped.

Like a PP said, a sane mommy is best.

@coastinganon Right back at ya

I cringe at the conversations regarding breastfeeding vs formula now. before I had LO I was all about breastmilk and even in my own ways secretly criticized mothers who didn't breastfeed. After my LO came, I never really had any problems with breastfeeding, she had a good latch from the very beginning. My supply was enough to meet her demand, but I just had problems with pumping. I could not keep a stash for those days I wanted to just sleep a few extra hours and have someone else get up in the middle of the night to feed her. After pumping to the point where I saw blood in my breastmilk, I threw the accessories in the sink, washed it, packed it up and said "the hell with it." My mom and my MIL had always told me to supplement with formula and I refused. I hated to admit it, but it was partially a pride thing. I thought, I'm a woman, I gave birth to a child, I was going to be able to produce the food that nourished her. I EBF for 3 months and I was breaking down...and this is with an easy child who never gave me any other problems.

There is so much thrown at us mothers and parents, that if we don't meet these expectations, we are made to feel that we have failed our children, ourselves and our society. With my next child, I'm not going to be as critical on myself, I'm not going to judge others for their decisions. Formula is there for a reason and no woman should feel less of a woman for choosing or having to use it to nourish their child.

I think that there is a place for both breastmilk and formula. It all depends on each family, their situation, their comfort level, and the health of mom and baby.

I think the goal of the mother/baby dyad is happy healthy mom, and healthy happy baby. This is how I approach the mom/baby dyad at work (I am an NICU nurse). If breastfeeding is working well, and makes everyone healthy and happy that perfect. If there is a massive struggle, mom is super unhappy, or the baby is suffering from lack of breastmilk supply, then it is time to look at other options.

You just can't really know what will work best for you until you are in the situation, and really think and reflect, and give it a shot.

@Lozza: LMAO, so true! It's all about the greater good.

I do believe "Breast is Best" but formula isn't bad either.

What's funny is that my mother raised my little brother when formula was considered better than breast milk and keeps asking me why I'm not using formula.

I intend to try my hardest to breastfeed, but I'm buying formula to get me by for the first few weeks - just in case!

Both me and my brother were formula fed, my Mom said it was way too painful. DH on the other hand, was exclusively breastfed. He has allergies, I don't.

My LO is almost 10 months now, but when I was pregnant, I subscribed to the whole idea that breast is best. I still feel, with all that I've read, that breastmilk is the best source of nutrients for my baby. That said, I had a very difficult time with it. After the pain of breastfeeding subsided, my LO was always fussy and after calling a lactation consultant to monitor what was going on, we came to the conclusion that LO was not able to effectively nurse, and was not removing breastmilk. Long story short, my milk supply was affected by this and I was never able to keep up with his demand after that. So came the "heartbreaking" decision to supplement him with formula (1 bottle a day was all I needed.) I felt like i wanted to avoid formula as much as possible...while my parents and all others kept reminding me that "you were a formula-fed baby and you turned out fine). Now we are at 10 months and I have to say I'm glad to be pumping less and spending more time with my baby. Formula lets me do this. He is now on 3 bottles a day, with 1 bottle of breastmilk.

Of course I would have LOVED to have breastfed exclusively. I would have loved to have ample milk and feel bonded to baby and do things the "natural" way. The way nature intended. It did not work out that way. In the end, I am grateful that formula was there to help me.

I've come to the conclusion that as mothers, we just need to try out best. In the end, our babies will grow up regardless of breastmilk v. formula, and be cared for and loved..and that is the best we can do for them.