There's no doubt about it: Millennials do motherhood differently. They use apps to track their pregnancies, social media to broadcast their news, and their voices to highlight some important parenting issues. And, if a 2017 survey's findings are any indication, they make one major parenting choice for a very specific reason.
Perrigo Nutritionals, a manufacturer of store brand formulas, surveyed this generation of moms on their baby-feeding habits. And according to their findings, formula feeding numbers jumped significantly. But while 79 percent of the formula-feeding moms over age 35 reported feelings of guilt surrounding their feeding choice, nearly 68 percent of formula-feeding millennial moms (defined as those 34 and younger) felt confident in their choice to bottle feed.
Millennials moms also shared their reasons for not breastfeeding—and convenience topped the list. It's no secret that the outdated gender roles are being replaced with a more equitable approach to parenting. But with more and more moms working, fathers have been taking on a greater share of daily responsibilities. Formula feeding lets both parents to share baby-feeding duties.
Not surprisingly, moms reported that they'd breastfeed if their maternity leaves were longer, and moms with multiple children were also less likely to breastfeed as well.
While breastfeeding offers seriously incredible benefits for both moms and babies, the world doesn't exactly make it easy for mothers to keep up (blame too-short or nonexistent maternity leave, nursing shamers, and a lack of provisions for breastfeeding moms, among other things).
When it comes down to it, every mom has to figure out the setup that works best for her family. Fed is best, and whether that means breast or bottle, if it works for you, it will work for your baby, too.
