Breastfeeding VS Bottle Feeding: the Pros and Cons of each

Whether you are bottle feeding using formula or breastmilk, it is something that many mothers choose to do. And, if you are considering it, you might want to know what the pros and cons of breastfeeding vs bottle feeding are.

After formula feeding my first daughter and exclusively breastfeeding my second one, I can say I have come across various pros and cons of each.

And even though direct breastfeeding might be the “best” solution for your baby, I know it’s not always what works best for the family.

Here’s all the advantages and disadvantages of both feeding methods.

All from a non-medical perspective! So that you can decide what fits best in your lifestyle and family routine.

Breastfeeding VS Bottle Feeding: The Pros and Cons of Each

PARTNER INVOLVEMENT

Let’s start by the biggest advantage of bottle feeding: your partner can help!

Now, this might not seem like a big thing, particularly if you are still pregnant and haven’t experienced the newborn stages yet. But, let me tell you, the first few weeks (and months) of baby’s life are HARD.

If you are breastfeeding, you’ll hardly have the time to have a nap or go for a nice walk on your own, that you’ll be back with your boobs out feeding your newborn. Sometimes it just feels like all you are is a milking machine!

I remember it scared me to leave my daughter with my parents for too long, in case she woke up hungry and started screaming for food while I was not there. Having your partner (or anyone else really) ready to step in and take over some of the feeds can be a great help. Particularly at night.

My wife and I use to alternate feedings when my daughter was little, so that we could both share the load and have a good rest. Once she dropped to one feed a night, we even started alternating nights.

Another advantage is that your partner can also experience feeding their own child. My wife gave birth to our first daughter, so I never thought I was going to be involved in any way. But when she found out she couldn’t breastfeed, I can’t deny I felt a bit of joy that I was also going to be able to feed her as well.

FEEDING WHILE TRAVELLING

Breastfeeding is SO much easier when travelling, and the main reason for this is that you literally don’t need to take anything with you to feed your child.

On the other hand, if you are bottle feeding and going away for a weekend, you need to take at least the following: formula or breast milk, access to clean water, bottles, a bottle warmer, a bottle brush, a sterilizer or sterilizing tablets and extra bibs.

I travelled with my first daughter from New Zealand to Italy and back twice before she even turned two. And let me tell you: one of our hand luggage was just for feeding. Plus, we had to think how to get the milk warmed (we couldn’t take the bottle warmer on the plane), the bottle sterilized, etc.

We came up with some useful feeding tips, but it always felt like quite a mission. 

When I went back to Italy with my second daughter and I was breastfeeding her it was so much easier. We didn’t have to worry about any of that and it was way less stressful.

POSTPARTUM

Postpartum pain when breastfeeding is no joke. You might be one of those lucky women that feel no pain when breastfeeding for the first time … and if that’s the case, I really envy you!

But most women will experience some sort of pain: sore or cracked nipples, engorged breasts, etc. I had extremely sore nipples (the kind of pain that used to wake me up in the middle of the night) for almost two months: I honestly didn’t think I could make it at some point.

Not to mention the stress of a first-time mom trying to figure out the latch, stressing about when the milk is going to come or if you are producing enough milk.

Bottle feeding takes all this pain and stress away. You won’t experience some breasts or nipples, and you’ll know exactly how much milk you are producing, as well as how much you baby is actually drinking.

SLEEP TRAINING

I have found sleep training to be much easier with my first daughter who was bottle fed, compared to my second daughter who’s been breastfed. Mainly because it’s been much harder to drop the night feeds while breastfeeding.

The breast also offers comfort, not just milk. And I found my second daughter was struggling to fall back to sleep without sucking at the breast first. I knew she didn’t need to feed anymore, but it took quite a long time to teach her how to go back to sleep without necessarily having to breastfeed first.

FEEDING AT NIGHT

Contrary to the above, breastfeeding has made the nighttime routine so much easier compared to bottle feeding. Particularly when baby was quite small and still feeding quite frequently, even at night.

All I had to do when my daughter woke up for a feed was pick her up, put her on me in bed (or you could do the same on a nursing chair) and feed her. Then put her back to bed. All done without turning a single light on! It was relatively easy to fall back to sleep and have a good rest, even if waking up multiple times a night.

Bottle feeding, on the other hand, means you have to get up, turn the lights on, prepare the bottle and warm it up, feed the baby, put the bottle away, turn the light off and finally go back to bad.

By the end of all that I was completely awake and it used to take me forever to go back to sleep.

I guess you can counterbalance the being awake for longer with sharing the feeds with your partner. But, still, I have found breastfeeding at night to be much easier than bottle feeding.

GAS WHEN FEEDING

Bottle feeding is more likely to cause gas and lead to overfeeding, which can cause discomfort for the baby and be associated with colic symptoms.

We did struggle with our first daughter at the beginning of our bottle-feeding journey. She used to gulp to keep up with the flow of milk and used to inhale so much air. We soon realized we were not feeding her the right way and learnt about paced bottle feeding, which made a huge difference.

Breastfeeding babies can also experience taking in lots of air during feedings, particularly if they are not latching properly. However, once you have a good latch, the chances of your baby having discomfort from trapped gas are much lower than with a bottle-fed baby.

BABY FEEDING THE RIGHT AMOUNT

If you are stressing about your baby not feeding properly and not gaining enough weight, then bottle feeding might be the best solution for you. With a bottle you know exactly how much your baby is feeding every time, and can put your mind at ease.

Breastfeeding, on the other hand, can be a bit stressful from this point of view. You don’t know how much your baby is taking in every time, nor how much milk your body is producing. Plus, there are so many factors that could affect your milk supply, causing disruptions to your baby’s feeds and lead to a very fussy child.

I have gone through a couple of sudden drops in milk supply and I can tell you it wasn’t much fun.

FEEDING IN PUBLIC

Now, I am the kind of person that breastfed my child anywhere, no matter what. In the middle of a park, on a plane, at the restaurant, etc. Breastfeeding in public never bothered me.

However, I also understand I am privileged enough to live in a place where it’s not frowned upon. Not everyone has the same privilege.

If you live somewhere where they do not allow you to breastfeed in public, or if you simply don’t feel comfortable doing so, then bottle feeding is probably the best way to go for you.

Or a breastfeeding cover is also an option! I used one when I was in transit in Doha, as that’s the only place I have been where I honestly didn’t feel comfortable showing my boobs to total strangers. I can’t say I really enjoyed using it, but I also wasn’t used to it.

CONNECTION TO BABY

Last but not least, I think breastfeeding my second daughter gave me a very special connection to her, particularly during the first few months. Something I never experienced with my first daughter.

This is totally based on my personal experience, but I really think breastfeeding creates something magical between you and your child. I don’t know if it’s the fact that you have a human baby that’s 100% dependent on you for survival, or the way you hold your baby while you feed them. I have just loved every single minute of it.

And I am not saying bottle feeding my first daughter didn’t give me any connection to her. It’s just been two totally different experiences.

If you can endure the first weeks of pain and find the perfect latch, then I believe breastfeeding is definitely something that will reward you with something extra special.

Final Thoughts About Breastfeeding vs Bottle Feeding

So, it’s clear that both breastfeeding and bottle feeding have their pros and cons, and I don’t think one method is better than the other. What makes one of them the best for you, will depend only on you, on your family and on what works best for you and your baby.

If you are unsure of whether to breastfeed or bottle feed, I’d say try breastfeeding first, or mix it up. There are so many women that breastfeed and bottle feed at the same time successfully, using either formula or breast milk with a breast pump.

And if your dream was to breastfeed, but it turns out that you can’t, or it becomes too hard and you start bottle feeding, don’t beat yourself up! The beautiful thing is that you have options and, no matter what you end up doing, I promise you it’s going to be a wonderful experience!