r/FormulaFeedingUK•
Yyvern

Frustrated about the extremely anti-formula NHS approach

Hi everyone! I'm still pregnant with my first, but due to mental health risks, ADHD and medication (among other reasons), I will be formula feeding. I'll say that my own midwife was actually extremely lovely about this in my booking appointment, and totally supportive!

However, all the anti-formula propaganda in all the NHS settings makes me feel so unsupported and frustrated. So many posters with 'breast fed is best fed'.

There's an entire booklet I was given called 'Off to a good start' that I thought would also help with advice on the early newborn phase, but is instead just page after page repeating that breastfeeding is the best thing with extremely one-sided arguments.

It had one 'tip' that was just 'Did you know that a supportive dad can help their partner make the decision to breastfeed?'. Which just reads like 'dads did you know that you can pressure mum into breastfeeding too'...

I don't know, maybe the pregnancy hormones just make me more sensitive, but as someone who is trying hard to make sure I can take care of my child in a way that is sustainable for me, seeing absolutely no advice regarding formula feeding just deflated me.

If you made it this far, thanks for listening to my rant!

I guess the follow-up question to my rant is if anyone knows where I can find advice about feeding my newborn when I'm doing formula-fed?

Posted Feb 20, 2026, 4:29 PM UTC

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