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Chrissy Teigen is back with a public service announcement: Normalize formula.
Breastfeeding has been a more favorable option for many mothers for its proven benefits like being more nutritious, cost-effective and reducing risk of asthma, diabetes, obesity and infections. Despite its benefits, Teigen wants everyone to acknowledge that there is nothing wrong with feeding your child baby formula. The mother of two went to social media with this message and shared her experience with breastfeeding.
“Ok I’m gonna say something and you all are definitely gonna make it a thing but here goes: normalize formula,
she wrote on Twitter. “I remember pumping my A** OFF, highest mode, so often, because I didn’t trust milk was going into their mouths if I breastfed. it drove me mad to the point I could only get an ounce. an ounce!”
Teigen said she also experienced being guilty about not being able to pump breastmilk abundantly. She shared some encouragement to women who may feel mixed feelings about giving their baby formula over breastmilk.
“The stress of it, combined with the guilt that you cannot do nature’s most natural thing for your own baby is too much. I dunno why this is my crusade now. I just remember the sadness I felt and want you to know you are doing it right if your baby is fed, mama.”
American Pregnancy pointed out that while formula allows anyone to feed the baby when they are hungry, giving the baby formula can be costly and some babies do not tolerate formula well. The cost of formula can range from $54 to $198 a month and human error can make it more nutritionally deficient. With breastfeeding, experts say bonding is stronger thanks to the skin-to-skin contact and oxytocin, a hormone that assists with milk flow from the breasts and promotes a “sense of bonding, affection, calmness and stress-reduction.”
With all these pros to breastfeeding, it is understandable if a woman feels a social pressure to choose that over buying formula. To echo Teigen’s point, as long as you are feeding your baby, that’s all that matters.
