Convenience of breastmilk versus formula

The other day I was reading the Australian Breastfeeding Association's magazine that I received in the mail (I eagerly joined the ABA when I was pregnant with the expectation that I would breastfeed for at least 6 months or so). They had asked their readers to write in and share their experience where breastfeeding has saved the day (having mentioned a mother who was stuck in a car in the snow for days in Northern California and breastfed her 7 month old and 4 year old children while awaiting help). I was quite keen to read the responses (although a bit scared that I would read something that made me disappointed that I'm no longer breastfeeding).

I thought I would read of scenarios where mothers were able to conveniently breastfeed their baby, while any mother who formula-fed her baby would have been "in the poo" in that same situation. Interestingly, I read of no such scenario. It was reassuring to me that of all the women who wrote in (professing of how "breastfeeding saved their bacon") there was none that convinced me that I would be in difficulty in that same situation because my baby is formula-fed. Yes, I can see that, for the mother in California who was stranded in a car, in the snow and miles away from boiled water and sterilised bottles, breastfeeding literally saved the lives of her children. Praise God! But all the women who wrote in to the magazine had much less exciting scenarios, and quite frankly, I couldn't see how breastfeeding made any difference. Here was one of the scenarios:

One mother had to fly interstate to visit her sick mother. Able to feed her baby upon take off and landing, she felt sorry for another mother on the plane who was trying to bottle-feed a fussy baby. The breastfeeding mum also mentioned that she had her baby in a sling too and she felt sorry for other mothers at the airport who had prams and all that baggage. Well, all I can say is that whether those babies were breast or formula fed had nothing to do with it! I had a very fussy baby while he was breastfed and a blissful baby when he was bottle fed (because he was finally getting enough to be happy!!!). I could travel interstate too if I needed to, with my baby in a Baby Bjorn (same effect as a sling) and prepared bottles in my bag. No fuss at all. I could also feed my baby the bottle upon take off and landing. I can absolutely understand the breastfeeding mother thinking that breastfeeding is more convenient (because it is) but mum's who feed their baby formula in a bottle just need to think ahead and be prepared. It's all in the preparation! It's not that big of a deal!

So, that scenario did not convince me that breastfeeding saved the day.

Another scenario was a mother who liked camping and because she breastfed her baby, the family was able to head out on a usual camping trip. Yep, for that mother and family it was definitely a good thing to be able to breastfeed. But if you don't like camping (like myself) then it's not a problem. Most scenarios were along those same lines. For the every-day usual life experience, formula feeding is not that much of an inconvenience.

Mmm. It may sound like I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about it (and I probably do), but truly, breastfeeding is great (if you are able to do it) and provides the best type of nourishment for a baby. I guess I'm just sick of receiving comments from strangers about ... "is that breastmilk or formula in that bottle?", and "weren't you able to breastfeed?". YES it's formula! And YES I was able to breastfeed! (but was always battling low milk supply and put Wes on full-formula at 8 weeks). Thank goodness we live in a society where we have access to formula that now, for me, means that I have a happy baby who is finally putting on weight (he wasn't doing great on breastmilk and was very unsettled)!!!!! Thank goodness, too, that I have friends and family who always encourage and don't judge.

Perhaps I should just stop reading literature by the Breastfeeding Association. They, understandably, have a bias. They also refer to formula-feeding as "artificial" feeding. Don't get me started .........