If you are a parent or have spent time with expectant and new parents, you’ve probably heard the phrase, “Breast is best.” The phrase is used to promote breastfeeding as a superior way to feed a baby, and it has terrorized many new parents along the way. My guest is Mallory Whitmore, “The Formula Mom,” who is a passionate advocate for formula-feeding parents. Join us for the discussion!
Show Highlights:
● How and when “breast is best” originated and became a popular slogan
● The tragic and manipulative history of formula marketing
● How “Breast is best” has come to symbolize superior parenting choices and not merely nutrition
● How breastfeeding is often the first failure in parenthood and one that causes extreme mom guilt
● Mallory’s take on the question: Is breast best?
● Why most parenting choices are a cost/benefit decision
● The truth about the data behind “Breast is Best”---and why the research is skewed
● KC’s personal experience of struggling to breastfeed and switching to formula
● Why the fundamental issue here is a woman’s bodily autonomy, something most people support in every other circumstance
● Why the “lacti-vism” movement is wrong in assigning moral superiority to the act of breastfeeding
● The realities of life around breastfeeding on the job and a lack of empathy
● Why Mallory’s mission is to support and empower formula moms to combat the shame—not to convince people not to breastfeed
Resources and Links:
Connect with Mallory: Instagram, TikTok, and Milk Drunk
Connect with KC: Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning
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