Preparing for Baby, (Breast/Bottle)feeding and Life with a Newborn with Walmart

This post is sponsored by Walmart. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If there is one thing you are never 100% ready for, it’s having a baby. Whether it’s your first or your fifth there are so many unknowns that you just can’t be prepared for! Will the baby sleep ok? Will the baby be colic? What about reaching milestones?

One of the things that was always on my mind-not in a good or bad way-was and is breastfeeding/bottle feeding. This month just so happens to be National Breastfeeding Month, and with baby on the brain, I wanted to share and chat a little bit about feeding baby and how I am preparing for it with the help of Walmart.

When I was pregnant with Ella, my oldest, I hadn’t thought much about breastfeeding, or feeding in general. I just thought it was one of those things that would most likely come naturally to me. I mean, why wouldn’t it? I would be a Mom, and isn’t that something that you just innately know how to do??

Fast forward, and it was quite the opposite. I remember thinking before I had Ella “I don’t know why people get so upset if they can’t breastfeed-it’s ok. Just formula feed!” Needless to say breastfeeding didn’t work for me. I even visited a lactation consultant and it just wouldn’t work. I don’t know why, or what the culprit was, but it got to the point where I dreaded feeding Ella, and I cried every time I had to feed her. Even pumping never really produced much. I finally understood why people who couldn’t breastfeed but wanted to, got so upset -I felt like I was letting the world down. Finally, my husband had to all but beg me to stop-not that I needed permission from anyone to switch to bottles and formula, but it’s almost as though him telling me it’s ok to stop was what I needed. There was such a sense of relief when I decided to stop-I felt like a huge weight was lifted and I sort of felt like me again (minus all that was going on down below after having a baby-haha!). I was sad that I couldn’t provide what I thought I should for my baby but became content in knowing that I was ultimately make the right decision for US.

When it came time to start thinking about Charlotte and what I was going to do as far as feeding her, I went into it with an open mind. I had an idea of what to expect because of having Ella, but I also knew and remembered vividly the struggles I had with trying to breastfeed. This time around I felt like I had a better handle on things, simply because I had experience. Long story short, it wasn’t any easier, and I breastfed for a less amount of time than with Ella (if that was even possible). I still had the same sense of disappointment in myself and my body for not being able to do what I thought it naturally should. But I also sort of felt a sense of peace and contentment when it came time to switch to bottles/formula. I knew Charlotte was getting what she needed and that was the most important thing to me!

Fast forward seven years, and here we are again, navigating the whole “what should we do this time?” Like Ella and Charlotte, breastfeeding is 100% a thought in my mind. It has been so long since I have done it, and I am open to it, but I am trying to go into it with more of an open mind-if it works, great if it doesn’t, that’s ok too.

I feel like there is just so much pressure we put on ourselves that breastfeeding is the only way to go, and honestly society is a culprit as well!

I really wanted to prepare myself for Baby Girl W in the best way (in terms of feeding…clearly you can see the nursery is far from done-haha!). Whether it is breastfeeding or formula feeding-I wanted to stock myself with the right tools- various bottles (hoping some of these stick and we don’t have to try a ton), along with some breastfeeding essentials to get me started (I know there are other things I will most likely need, as well).

Like with everything else when it comes to getting ready for the baby, we have a budget that we really like to stick to. Of course this is a time where we are spending a bit more than usual but there is still no free reign! Being that we do have a budget, but there are so many different scenarios we need to be prepared for (breastfeeding vs. formula feeding), we reach for Walmart to help us. Their selection is great in terms of being able to find what you need for specific things (like these Stay Dry Nursing Pads) and their prices are great-I know it’s been several years for me but I forgot how affordable Boppy Nursing Pillows are and how pricey other things are like the Owlet Baby Monitor (but worth it, I hear for peace of mind)!

We were huge fans of Dr. Browns bottles for both of the girls, so we grabbed some to have on hand for this baby, hoping she takes to them if/when the time comes! We also grabbed these Comotomo bottles to give a try as well! If there is one thing I remember about babies (and it may be the only thing at this point haha) is that they choose the bottle, so having options is great!

Regardless of whether or not this baby is breast or formula fed, I know it will be what’s best for her and for us. She will get what she needs, however that may be! I have always been of the mindset that a fed baby is the best baby, whether its from a breast or from formula. We all have different journeys and should not be ashamed of them! After all, we are all just trying to do our best, and we should all support each other, no matter what!

Tell me, what was your breast-feeding journey like? Was it similar to mine? Was breastfeeding successful for you? Share below-I love to hear!