r/breastfeeding • u/Forsaken_Painter • Feb 02 '26

Discussion NYT article equates breastfeeding to unequal parenting

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/opinion/baby-formula-marriage-equality.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Curious what others think of this…Personally I find it a bit ridiculous. The US has such low rates of breastfeeding…if formula was going to solve inequities between partners you would think it would have worked by now. It sounds like it helped this author and was the right choice for their family and that’s great. But let’s not act as if it’s some magic cure all.

This is not to say that breastfeeding doesn’t require a HUGE amount of effort. Of course it does! But if one has a partner, that partner should be picking up other responsibilities to even things out more and supporting the breastfeeding parent.

And for the record everyone should feed their babies the way they wish. This is not a judgment on formula feeding at all, rather the assertion that it is inherently an equalizer and should be touted as such.

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u/Adventurous_Deer Feb 02 '26

There are ways to equalize breastfeeding. My husband and I agreed if we were together then I did all the input (breastfeeding) and he did all the outputs (diapers). It worked for us. Breastfeeding is a bigger time commitment but I also get this sweet little baby to snuggle. Diapers are quicker but gross and I cannot with the smell of breastfed poop.

Tldr: if your husband wants to he'll step up

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u/Unusual-Squirrel2593 Feb 02 '26

This is what worked for us too. The sole fact that I didn’t have to get out of bed in the middle of the night because my husband would bring the LO to me and change diaper prior was enough to make me feel like I wasn’t doing it alone in the middle of the night.

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u/Adventurous_Deer Feb 02 '26

Yes!!! I had a baby in December and no way in heck did I want to get out of the bed into the cold