I think I want to formula feed and I’m feeling guilty about this…

Advice

FTM, 35 weeks pregnant currently, and I know nothing about babies. My thoughts on breastfeeding have mainly been along the lines of “I’ll give it a try, and if it doesn’t work out, I’ll switch to formula.” So I took a breastfeeding class a couple of weeks ago, and what I took away from that class is that I don’t want to breastfeed at all… I walked away in tears, feeling incredibly overwhelmed. What I’m looking forward to most about not being pregnant anymore is having my body back after all these months of sacrificing myself, but it doesn’t seem like that’s the case at all with breastfeeding. In fact, it sounds like pure torture for someone who deeply values bodily autonomy. And sleep (to some degree)? And my mental health? The whole vibe of the class was “breastfeeding is amazing and the best thing for you and your baby!” So when I walked away feeling totally turned off by the idea of breastfeeding, I felt so disheartened and guilty and like something is wrong with me for feeling that way. I wished someone had said during that class, “and if this is all too much or it doesn’t work out, there are other options to feed your baby that are just as wonderful.” My husband joined the class with me and took all these notes, and he seems very excited for me to breastfeed. I know he’ll be supportive either way, but I feel like if I choose not to breastfeed, I’ll be letting both him AND my baby down. And I know it sounds selfish - but I am just SO tired of sacrificing my body, and I want a break. I want it to be over😭 Any thoughts or advice or words of encouragement would be appreciated.

Posted Aug 14, 2025, 12:33 AM UTC

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