Navigating the Emotional Weight of Feeding Your Baby with Mallory, The Formula Mom

When deciding upon how to feed your baby, how can you trust your instincts when advice feels overwhelming?

Feeding a baby often becomes one of the most emotionally charged parts of early parenthood, especially when expectations collide with reality. In this episode with guest Mallory Whitmore, you’ll hear an honest, validating conversation about why formula feeding isn’t a failure, but one of many legitimate ways to nourish your child and yourself.

As a parent, educator, and founder of The Formula Mom, Mallory Whitmore is helping redefine infant feeding conversations with compassion and evidence-based guidance. Her book, "Bottle Service: Education and Encouragement for Guilt-Free and Successful Formula Feeding," is out in February.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

(02:41) Why feeding plans often fall apart after birth and why that’s normal.
(04:00) How shame around feeding can affect your mental health and bonding with your baby.
(08:32) The subtle ways feeding stress can impact both parents and babies.
(10:09) Where formula stigma comes from and how culture reinforced it.
(14:20) How social media makes trusting your parenting instincts harder.
(19:08) Why validation matters more than advice when making feeding decisions.
(24:03) How many feeding options exist beyond formula or breast milk.
(25:28) Why infant feeding choices often don’t matter years down the line.

Thank you to Mallory Whitmore for being on our show!

Learn more about Mallory and The Formula Mom: https://www.instagram.com/theformulamom and https://www.tiktok.com/@theformulamom

Want more formula education, tips, and support? Visit www.bottleservicebook.com to purchase Mallory's new guidebook, BOTTLE SERVICE: Education and Encouragement for Guilt Free and Successful Formula Feeding.

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We’re Doing Great is the parenting podcast that helps you navigate the hard stuff, savor the good stuff, and remember you’re not alone. Hosts and moms, Melissa Cash and Esther Huybreghts, team up with experts to share practical guidance on how to stay anchored when the waters get rough. Join us on the frontlines of modern parenting as we explore what it really means to be good at the hardest job on earth.

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This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/