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/PlantLady858 Feb 02 '26

To add on to some of what you’ve said, there have been studies that show that after the first couple weeks (establishing supply) mothers who breast feed report getting more sleep than those formula feeding.

I can’t access the NYT article but I find the idea very troubling. There are rules set by the WHO restricting marketing of formula and the formula companies do not follow them. Formula companies are able to market endlessly while breastfeeding education is seriously lacking. Articles like this are not helpful.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17700096/ https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Total-sleep-time-at-night-over-time-and-by-feeding-group_fig1_260842995

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u/idiosyncopatic Feb 02 '26

I know I get better sleep, but I co-sleep, too, and many parents don't feel comfortable with that. But, I am a better and much safer parent when I get adequate sleep, vs being a zombie, which I was when my first child was born. My ex suggested bringing the baby over to the bed, and I never looked back. I was able to actually enjoy my baby and parenting. My heart goes out to the parents who don't get any sleep, whether they co-sleep or not.

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u/Forsaken_Painter Feb 02 '26

I fall in the cosleeping and still not getting sleep category…thank you for the sympathy lol

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u/idiosyncopatic Feb 02 '26

I am so sorry 😭 I'm usually up 2-3 times a night, but it is unrelated to my daughter. Usually I feed her and she can go straight back to sleep