SUMMARY :
- Breast or bottle, why is the subject so divisive?
- Breastfeeding or bottle-feeding: breaking the chains of guilt
- Making the best choice for the baby and for the mother
- Choosing a breastfeeding bottle for your child
When your child is born (and even before), you're faced with many choices. Choosing between breastfeeding and bottle-feeding is one of them, right from the start. Subject to intense debate, this question, however intimate, mixes personal history, social pressure, conflicting advice, and judgments, too often forgetting what truly matters: the happiness of the mother and her child. Indeed, feeding your baby also means cultivating a strong and fulfilling family bond, regardless of the method chosen. So, breastfeed or bottle-feed? Above all, express your love without guilt.
Breast or bottle, why is the subject so divisive?
The benefits of breast milk are real and well-established. Easy to digest, rich in nutrients, and adapted to babies' needs according to their age, breastfeeding also fosters a unique intimacy and symbiosis between mother and infant. However, breastfeeding is also described as painful and restrictive , difficult for the breasts, very tiring, and not always sufficiently nourishing for the child.
Bottle-feeding, on the other hand, allows parents to know the exact amount of milk their baby drinks , to benefit from a more regular feeding/sleep rhythm, and to establish shared breastfeeding between both parents. However, it is often criticized for being made too frequently from plastic and for using powdered milk, which is still often criticized and expensive.
While both options have advantages and disadvantages, after decades of praise for bottle-feeding, the tide has turned. For the past few years, the glorification of breastfeeding has been back on track. Even before leaving the maternity ward, mothers are asked to make a choice . Many report that this decision is not as free or respected as it should be.
Tender breastfeeding: a dance of shared emotions
Sharing a bottle is both a way to nourish your baby and to nurture their senses . A tender alternative to breastfeeding, bottle-feeding blends formula or breast milk, maternal and paternal love. Thanks to it, the whole family, from siblings to grandparents, can participate in the intimate and bonding moment of baby's mealtime.
How many fathers discover their newborn and its little expressions during the first bottle feedings? How many then feel the power of the father-child relationship ? From these first exchanges are born the notions of sharing, support and responsibility which outline family life, as a family of three.
However, while the French Ministry of Health recommends – like the WHO – exclusive breastfeeding for a period of 6 months, many people denounce bottle-feeding, primarily as a comfortable choice for the mother.
Breastfeeding in symbiosis: a passionate embrace of love
Breastfeeding is like an incredible sensory journey during which intimacy and connection are established as naturally and instinctively as possible. The softness of skin-to-skin contact, gazes, smells, caresses, and whispers—breastfeeding is an intimate and positive experience, far beyond the nutritional benefits for the newborn and the advantages for the mother .
At the same time, breastfeeding can be a real challenge. Lack of milk, positioning the baby, disrupted nights, the mother's diet, breastfeeding in public… Some even call it anti-feminist.
Breastfeeding or bottle-feeding: breaking the chains of guilt
"Are you going to breastfeed?" at home, or "Are you going to breastfeed?" at the maternity ward, the question is on everyone's lips. "Breastfeeding is better for your baby." "You should give him the breast instead, it's so convenient." "Babies prefer breast milk." "What do you mean you can't get him to latch?" "Why, don't you like breastfeeding?"
It's true, breastfeeding can be practical and even economical, pleasant, easy or even magical, but above all, it has to be your choice .
The baby bottle, for its part, has been seen alternately as an object of women's liberation, capable of giving them back control of their bodies and their time, and then as a dangerous object, a breeding ground for microplastics. Infant formula, too, has long been criticized for its poor quality.
Today, more open discussion about topics such as birth, delivery, postpartum, and breastfeeding allows new mothers to make their own choices and take responsibility for them more easily . The quality of powdered milk has improved, while Élhée has chosen to develop a healthy and sensory baby bottle, a unique combination of sensitivity and safety.
However, all these conflicting questions led mothers and parents to doubt their own judgment, and many mothers saw their self-confidence erode. This painful situation still leads today to sudden, often difficult breastfeeding and to growing guilt among mothers towards their babies.
What if kindness were the key? What if listening only to oneself and one's instincts could alleviate doubt and guilt? Let's not doubt that every parent nourishes their child first and foremost with their love, and that they do so more freely when at peace.
Society and motherhood: the weight of shame
Society's view of mothers and motherhood can be demanding and overwhelming. Idealized expectations often surround new mothers , particularly regarding breastfeeding, sometimes presented as the ultimate way to show love, care, and devotion.
This pressure, exerted in the form of recommendations, advice, opinions, and sometimes criticism , creates a gap between the ideal and the reality of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is presented as simple and natural? Yet, it is normal and common to encounter difficulties with latching, fatigue, or milk expression. This situation can easily lead to feelings of shame and guilt, especially for mothers for whom breastfeeding is not always easy.
Because every family is unique, the choice to breastfeed or bottle-feed is an intimate and personal decision that should never be influenced.
The breast war
Society still too often contrasts the image of the mother devoted to her children with that of the liberated woman who lives selfishly, the maternal breast with the carnal breast . This conflict is particularly evident in the choice of whether or not to breastfeed. Those who opt for bottle-feeding may be accused of prioritizing their image (breastfeeding can damage the breasts), their attractiveness, and their freedom over the well-being of their child.
Maternal well-being and child well-being, too often seen as opposing forces
While breastfeeding offers many physiological benefits for both mother and child, psychologically it can also be a source of stress . Fear of doing it wrong, fear that the child won't get enough milk or gain enough weight, lack of time…
Breastfeeding should always be a tender and bonding experience between a mother and her baby. If it causes anxiety or distress, then bottle-feeding might be a better option. Especially since a breast pump allows you to continue providing breast milk even after choosing to bottle-feed .
Women are too often expected to become mothers as soon as their child is born. However, motherhood is something that is learned and understood , and anyone who gives their opinion on a new mother's choice to breastfeed or bottle-feed is intruding on her privacy, without always having the right to do so.
Follow your instincts and aim for harmony
Beyond external opinions, it is essential to take the time to reflect, to feel, to listen to yourself, and to recognize your needs. When it comes to feeding your baby, the emotional connection between parent and baby is crucial and just as strong with a bottle as with breastfeeding .
Respect women and listen to mothers
At the heart of the debate between breastfeeding and bottle-feeding, and the choice of the best option for newborns, it is essential not to forget the mothers. The decision to breastfeed should never be made under duress, just as the choice of bottle-feeding should never be considered an easy way out or a way of disengaging from one's child.
On the contrary, respecting one's own choice is an act of kindness towards oneself and one's baby. Because what truly matters is the love and attention a mother gives her child, regardless of the feeding method chosen.
Making the best choice for the baby and for the mother
In 2016, the Department of Psychology at the University of Liverpool conducted a study of 845 mothers of children aged 26 weeks or younger, focusing on maternal feelings about breastfeeding and mixed feeding (breast and bottle): 15% of respondents reported feeling guilty about their choice, 38% felt stigmatized by it, and 54.5% felt the need to justify it.
This complex situation clearly demonstrates the importance for the mother of having a free and respected choice. It's the only one likely to be a positive experience.
Do you want to start by breastfeeding and then see what happens? Does extended breastfeeding appeal to you? Does mixed feeding tempt you? For you, will it be bottle-feeding from birth, or just after the first breastfeed?
Your choice is and will remain the right one. If you are happy with it, your child will be happy too. Remember that babies are like sponges. A radiant and calm mother is therefore much more beneficial to them than a stressed one, whether she is breastfeeding or bottle-feeding .
Choosing a breastfeeding bottle for your child
At Élhée, we have chosen to promote a free and uninhibited approach to motherhood and, more broadly, parenthood .
At a time when bottle-feeding your baby is still not a trivial act, we have imagined and developed a bottle that every parent can use without fear and with pride , in parallel or not, with breastfeeding their child.
Safe and healthy , the Bib Rond is made from medical-grade silicone, free of chemicals and microplastics. Almost as soft and supple as a mother's breast , the Bib Rond offers a unique, peach-like feel. Equipped with physiological and anti-colic teats in slow, medium, or fast flow, the Bib Rond adapts to the palate and appetite of babies. Iconic , our breastfeeding bottle accompanies your family in their daily life and choices.
As a follow-up to breastfeeding, to ease the weaning period, to practice mixed feeding as a couple, because you are pumping your milk or simply to bottle-feed your newborn, the Bib Rond Élhée is by nature, designed as an ode to the parent-child relationship.
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