If You Didn't Breastfeed Your Baby, We Want To Hear Your Story

With the scary formula shortage in the US, we're seeing a lot of very unhelpful advice, such as, "just breastfeed."

empty formula shelf with a sign advising customers that they are limited to buying only four containers each

First of all, have you ever noticed how when a suggestion starts with "just" it's usually sooooo much more complicated than the speaker thinks it is? Anyway...

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Breastfeeding often gets pushed on new moms as the one and only way to go, but it's simply not a fit for everyone. There are so many reasons why breastfeeding isn't always the answer, so we want to hear from you about how and why you decided not to breastfeed your baby.

Maybe you take a medication that's vital for your well-being, but it can be passed through your breastmilk to your baby. So for your health and the health of your baby, you've chosen to feed with formula instead.

woman bottle feeding her baby
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Or perhaps your baby struggled to latch, and your attempts at breastfeeding only ended with both of you in tears. So you've decided to pump and bottle feed instead, and you're both so much happier now.

baby drinking out of a bottle
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Or maybe your breast milk was late coming in or you had a low supply. There are a number of reasons why this may happen, and women shouldn't be shamed about the very natural way our bodies work. As long as your baby is fed, that's all that really matters.

baby drinking from a bottle
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Or perhaps you're the breadwinner in your family so you had to go back to work and you're not able to be around to breastfeed all the time. You pump, and you try to breastfeed when you can, but most of the time it's just not practical.

dad holding a baby
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Tell us about your journey with breastfeeding and why you gave it up in the comments below or via this anonymous form and you could be featured in a BuzzFeed Community post.