By the 1970s, proprietary formulas were extremely popular in the US, for a variety of reasons, and breastfeeding rates were in freefall. Rates have since climbed again – 84% of babies born in the US in 2017 were breastfed for some period of time – but formula is here to stay. While a breastmilk replacement might have started out as a food of desperation, having an alternative has radically altered for the better the lives of parents of all kinds.