That doesn’t mean that your baby won’t grow on it, or end up healthy. Some do and some don’t. Just like some people can eat processed food / junk food for their whole lives and not apparently suffer for it – and others end up overweight and unhealthy. But we don’t then decide that all processed food is good for us just because some folks can eat it – we know what it is and we say what it is and that’s why we call it junk and not “healthy” food.

As someone who had to supplement my first child with formula because I had an undiagnosed thyroid condition and was not producing enough milk, I understand the pain in saying those words “sub-standard choice”. I understand it intimately, because I had to choose formula or not have enough to feed my son. So, I did what any parent would: I fed him the best I could. I breastfed as much as possible, and made sure that he got enough overall with formula.

So, we should not scorn anyone who *has* to use formula. But that doesn’t mean that we should lie about what formula is. It is the choice you make after you have exhausted all avenues for getting breastmilk into your child – and that’s all it is.