Is breastmilk really better than formula?

And if it is… why does this question feel so loaded?

In this episode of Surviving Tiny Humans: 10-Minute Triage for Your Baby, Body, and Mind, Dr. Kailey Buller—physician, mom of two, and author of Surviving Tiny Humans—breaks down the medical reality, the emotional weight, and the systemic pressures behind infant feeding decisions.

We talk honestly about:

• The actual medical differences between breastmilk and formula

• Why, for most healthy babies, those differences are smaller than you’ve been led to believe

• The most common barriers to breastfeeding—and why they’re usually systems failures, not personal ones

• Why “fed is best” often gets said… but not truly supported

• The benefits and trade-offs of both breastmilk and formula

• Why feeding doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing (hello, combo feeding and expressed breast milk)

This episode also tackles the myth that not breastfeeding is a personal failure—and why praising breastmilk without supporting women (paid leave, access to lactation care, partner support, realistic workplaces) misses the entire point.

Key takeaway:

Feeding your baby is not a morality contest.

You don’t owe anyone an explanation.

Your job is to nourish your baby and protect your family system.

Whether you breastfeed, formula feed, pump, combo feed, or change plans along the way—you are doing your job.

If this episode helped, hit subscribe and join me for the next dose of sanity.

Few parenting beliefs are as emotionally loaded as this one:

You should never let your baby cry.

For many parents, this single idea creates exhaustion, anxiety, and deep guilt—along with the fear that one wrong decision could cause permanent harm. In this episode of Surviving Tiny Humans: 10-Minute Triage for Your Baby, Body, and Mind, Dr. Kailey Buller—physician, mom of two, and author of Surviving Tiny Humans—slows this myth down and triages it properly.

We unpack where this belief comes from, what the evidence actually says, and—most importantly—how to tell the difference between responsive waiting and neglect (because they are not the same).

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why crying is communication—not automatically harm

• The difference between protest, frustration, and true distress

• What research says about crying, cortisol, attachment, and brain development

• Why responding doesn’t always mean intervening immediately

• How pausing—when done safely—can actually help babies learn sleep skills

• Why your own nervous system, tolerance, and values matter too

We also talk honestly about the emotional side of this: listening to your baby cry can feel unbearable, even when something is safe. And no parenting approach should force you to choose between guilt and exhaustion.

Key takeaway:

Crying alone is not necessarily harmful.

But fear, shame, and chronic exhaustion absolutely are.

If this episode helped, download the free “7 Sleep Training Lies” guide for a simple, reassuring breakdown of this myth and the others. You can find it here:

https://www.vitalswithdrbuller.com/sleep7

And follow the show so you don’t miss the next triage -- where we switch gears for a minute to talk about that age old question: is breastmilk superior to formula?

Few parenting topics carry as much confusion, fear, and guilt as sleep training. Is it cruel? Does it harm attachment? Should you avoid it completely—or is avoiding sleep help actually making things worse?

In this episode of Surviving Tiny Humans: 10-Minute Triage for Your Baby, Body, and Mind, Dr. Kailey Buller—physician, mom of two, and author of Surviving Tiny Humans—kicks off a new mini-series called “7 Myths”, starting with the myths that keep parents stuck and exhausted when it comes to baby sleep.

We reframe “sleep training” as sleep teaching—a skill that can be taught in many developmentally appropriate, responsive, and loving ways—and break down what the evidence actually says.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why sleep training isn’t automatically harmful or cruel

• What research says about attachment, brain development, and crying

• Why chronic sleep deprivation matters more than most parents are told

• The difference between responsive waiting and neglect

• Why there’s no single “right” method—and how to find what fits your family

You’ll also hear a practical, no-pressure starting point for what to do tonight—without becoming a sleep expert or making drastic changes.

Key takeaway:

Sleep is not a luxury. It’s a biological need—for babies and parents.

And there is no prize for suffering.

Download the free companion guide “7 Lies You’ve Been Sold About Sleep Training” here: https://www.vitalswithdrbuller.com/sleep7

And subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode—where we dive deeper into the myth that trips parents up the most.