This post is for all my formula feeding moms out there. Before we go any further, no matter how you choose to feed your baby, I think you are a total badass for bringing life into this world.

So, don’t let anyone, especially anyone on social media, make you feel otherwise. 

Before my oldest was born, I prepared as best as I could for that magical experience of breastfeeding – took classes, did  research on the best pumps, bought all the “necessary” nursing products, and boom, I was ready to breastfeed my child.

At three days old, I was urged to take my son to a lactation consultant as he was not gaining weight “according to plan.” That appointment was a total shock to my system – a total stranger manhandled my boobs, watched my son breastfeed from me, watched me pump to see how much milk I was producing, and then weighed my son to see how much he got from my breast and how much I pumped.

The verdict was that I was not producing enough to sustain his life. I was heartbroken and felt like a complete failure.

My body was literally built to do this, and it wasn’t working. From there, I began triple feeding to try to jump-start my milk production before it was “too late.” First, I would pump while my son napped, save that milk in a bottle. At his next feeding, I would nurse him for about 20 minutes per boob, then have my husband feed him the bottle of milk I pumped earlier, and then finish off with a bottle of formula. While he was getting those bottles, I would start pumping again to save milk in a bottle for the next feeding…so on and so forth. This process took ~60 minutes, so I would literally have maybe 20 minutes to myself before he was up from his next nap and ready to party again. 

I did this for four long months, desperate for it to make my supply magically increase.

Enter in postpartum depression.

This was the lowest point in my life. Beyond the sleep deprivation of having a newborn, pumping literally around the clock, and not seeing my efforts result in increased milk supply, I felt so hopeless.

Out of desperation, I finally decided it was time to switch to full formula (this could be a whole additional post on that decision process and the gut wrenching guilt that came along with it). Fast forward to my second baby, I felt like I was going into it eyes wide open. I promised myself that I would give breastfeeding another try, adjust a few things that might have led to failure the first time, and be okay with switching to formula early if it didn’t work. Easier said than done. Spoiler alert, it did not work again. While the switch to formula was not AS hard, it still was met with a lot of tears and a lot of guilt. 

Now that I am a bit past those times, I can see so clearly that it was the best decision for me and my babies. They now had a happier and healthier mom, full bellies of milk, and they are thriving. Now, don’t get me wrong, formula/bottle feeding is still incredibly demanding in so many different ways. I’ve learned a lot through my journey and am so excited to share all the best products we found through lots of trial and error to hopefully make the transition easier on you and your family. Let me know what you think in the comments!

See below for our bottle command center. Maybe one day we will have fun drinks and snacks here, but I wouldn’t have it any other way right now. 

Bobbie organic formula 

This formula saved our feeding journey. It is founded by moms and made from the best organic ingredients to ensure proper nutrition for your growing baby. It is also the first FDA-regulated baby formula to receive the Clean Label ProjectTM Purity Award and Pesticide Free Certification. We’ve been loyal Bobbie subscribers (we receive monthly shipments to ensure we never run out) since September 2021, and I have to say that this subscription was so crucial during the massive formula shortage in the U.S. We could trust 100% that our baby would be fed because of how they managed their supply chain and subscription strategy. So many parents were in a terrible position when they could not find the formula brand they needed for their babies due to the recalls with the major brands. We are forever grateful to Bobbie for taking a stand for what is right by babies. 

Baby Brezza Water Heater 

Okay, this is important. Run, do not walk, to get this product. With our first child, we heated his bottles by microwaving water in a measuring cup and letting the bottle sit in that hot water for several minutes before it was ready. This is an eternity if you have a hungry, screaming baby waiting to eat. I have zero clue why I did not know about this product, but I am so glad we got it for our second! To be clear, we did not get the one that mixes formula, rather just heats the water so we could make bottles on the spot by adding formula to the hot water. I am a control freak and don’t trust any machine mixing formula because of how important precise measurements are. 

Dr. Brown Bottles

I can’t even count how many different bottles we went through to get to these. I was hesitant at first because there are so. many. parts. Which means more bottle washing duties. However, these ended up working best for both my babies and worth the few extra pieces to wash. I like the glass versions as we try to avoid plastic as best as we can with our baby products!

Bottle Sterilizer

For the past two years, we’ve run this bad boy at least once a day. It both sterilizes and dries the bottles. Sterilizing bottles is extremely important for the first few months of your baby’s life as their little immune systems develop. We kept using this sterilizer past those early months simply because it dries them and saves us from unloading and waiting for them to dry. If you are in the market for a good drying rack, we love this one.

A few more items we love that you’ll see in our bottle command center are these silicone bottle brushes, a basin (not pictured because it is in the sink) to contain dirty bottles before they get washed and sterilized, this cutie little white board that helps caretakers leave important baby notes, these teethers kept cold in our fridge, a soap dispenser I am obsessed with (have them all throughout the house), and babyproofing items to keep our toddler out of harm’s way – fridge blocker and magnetic cabinet locks. 

If any of my story resonated with you, please know that you are not alone, your feelings are valid, and no one will ever, ever understand the guilt and sadness that comes with feeling that your body is failing you and your baby.

Even though that is so not true, it doesn’t make the pain go away. Please speak up and get the help you need, whether it is therapy, medication, or both. Just because people don’t talk about postpartum depression or anxiety does not mean it is uncommon…it happens to so many people.

Stay strong mamas!

Kari