Does any of this sound familiar? If you've been to a prenatal breastfeeding class with the mother of your child, it may be a fresh wound in your psyche. Breastfeeding is no longer nature's simple way of providing nourishment for your child--and it's certainly not the optional choice it was for your parents. Breastfeeding is now a science and a necessity for creating the uber-human that we, as young parents, so love to pressure ourselves to make of our children. We get it from OBGYNs , pregnancy literature, friends with babies, and especially lactation consultants. If breastfeeding is effortless for your partner, the lactation consultant is a mentor; if not, you may be calling her a Nazi before you're through.

But let's put this all into perspective. The medical community supports formula feeding as a healthy alternative to breastfeeding. Let's dispel the myths. Contrary to what a lactation consultant will lead you to believe, there is no conclusive medical evidence to suggest that formula feeding alone is the cause of impaired IQ, obesity, or any debilitating health issues in infancy, adolescence, or adulthood. There is truth, however, in the claim that formula can replicate all of the benefits of breastmilk except for the antibodies and hormones passed between mother and baby. For peace of mind on this issue, you're going to have to look for anecdotal evidence. But fear not, it's out there: this writer was formula fed from day one and has never had an ear infection, has no allergies to food, and has developed with enough intelligence and vitality to spot specious rhetoric and combat it when necessary.