As a mom scrolling social media, there is probably no hotter debate than "Fed is Best" vs. "Breast is Best"... But as a mom of 5 and IBCLC who has been working with moms who value breastfeeding for nearly 10 years, I have to be honest with you... This debate is fruitless and causes harm.
Breast is Best
Did you know "breast is best" as a phrase was actually coined by formula companies? In their quest to appear as altruistic organizations, they publicly admitted that breast is best, but their product is there for when breast isn't possible... On the surface, this seems benign and objectivley accurate... They're positioning their product subconciously as a life-saving measure when there is no other option... But their marketing practices and tactics promote and position formula as the only option or a necessary "option" even when it's actually.... not. (We can talk more about predatory formula marketing another time).
Why is breast best? Objectively speaking, breastmilk is optimal nutrition and breastfeeding is optimal for development. It's how we were designed, as any other mammal. We are, indeed, mammals, and mammals are categorized as such based on how they feed their infants.
From immune benefits, changing milk composition, to the physical impact of breastfeeding on craniofacial development and the airway, breastfeeding as the baseline is critical for optimal nutritional, physical, and neurological development.
But what about when it's not an option? That's when people say "Fed is Best".
Understanding "Fed is Best"
The term "fed is best" was actually coined by the Fed is Best Foundation, an organization born out of the tragic story of a doctor who's daughter became extremely ill due to starvation when breastfeeding. The heartbreaking story has been used as a catlyst for formula promotion, undermining breastfeeding education and support in the process. The trauma-rooted, fear-based messaging is "Sure breastfeeding is good, but it's dangerous, and formula feeding is objectively safer because we can visualize volume". The truth of the matter, however, is that formula comes with inherent risks as it is an intervention by default (ie. it varies from the natural baseline of breastfeeding). The truth is Fed is Necessary. Feeding your baby is the minimum. If you were in a desert starving to death, and randomly arrived upon a well filled with vodka and a mountain of McDonald's cheeseburgers, it wouldn't be ideal, in fact it would come with serious risks to indulge... but you would still eat and drink because it's the only option. That doesn't make it "best".
I often see the phrase "Fed is Best" used to gaslight mothers asking for help. When breastfeeding is hard, mothers deserve help identifying the cause of their challenges, and creating a customized plan for resolving them... sometimes that includes exclusive breastfeeding, sometimes that includes supplementing with donor milk or formula. But the "fed is best" response brushes off the very real concerns of mothers, blocks them from getting answers, and doesn't solve a single problem.
Fed is Best is such a narrow point of view and approach to postpartum support because it is primarily focused on calories. Some poeple will pretend it's also focused on mental health, but as I just explained, it's often utilized in a gaslighting approach to fake support.
The truth is, Fed is not best, and breast is not best.... Informed & Confident Decision making is best.
If you choose to use formula because you simply want to, you don't need to "justify" your decision to anyone. The need to justify comes from lack of confidence in your decision making.
If you need to use formula, that decision should be made from a place of information and confidence. The sad reality is many women are told they have no choice but to use formula when the truth is they needed better guidance and support. Intrinsically they know this, and something feels instinctually off, but they either don't know how to advocate, don't know who to turn to, or are exhausted from "the fight" that they concede, but inside know they deserved better guidance, better support, and don't feel fully convinced that formula was necessary. This is when women often have strong responses to education around breastfeeding and avoiding unnecessary formula.... their decision to use formula felt forced, and telling themselves "fed is best" over and over is the only thing that brought them peace... so they cling to the phrase, not admitting what they really needed (and deserved) was enough information to make a confident decision.
At the end of the day, your most important job as a new parent is frequent feeding... Whether that's at breast, pumped milk, formula, or a combination of the above, feeding is necessary. Fed is the minimum. Fed is the standard. And fed takes work and effort...
Breastmilk is the baseline. Fed is necessary. But best? Informed, supported, confident decision making is best.
If you want to build a strong foundation for making informed infant feeding decisions, Latching With Confidence is where you really need to be... Inside Latching With Confidence you learn how to create a strong foundation for breastfeeding success by learing to prevent & overcome latching challenges. You also get access to the Confident MamaBear Society where you have access to a variety of workshops that teach you how to advocate for avoiding unnecessary formula, safely supplement with formula when necessary, and learn how to navigate concerns about low milk supply. You also get access to expert guidance and support, while learning how to advocate for good support, trust your instincts, and make confident feeding decisions.
If you're ready to set yourself up for breastfeeding success, join Latching With Confidence so you can feel confident as you navigate the early days breastfeeding.
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