Hey I have two boys that were both bottle fed with formula and you always have to do what you feel best at the time....however, I have heard bad things said about Similac, and one of my boys had problems on it, have heard other bad things about several brands and I was told there really isn't one formula better than the other really....however they are getting better every year with the quality of formula, so it isn't like it is horrible, because it is the second best thing you can give them(otherwise women that were unable to breastfeed wouldn't have it advised to them by doctors)....and I have heard many things like, it isn't hard to pump breast milk, and several different ideas on how to do it, but my first two boys, I bottle fed....the most important thing is to make sure that the information you are getting is legit, and backed by research, and making an informed decision. Both my boys are perfectly healthy and very smart and have hit the milestones that they should be and they were both bottle fed....

I think that everyone here is not trying to make you feel guilty, they are just making sure you are INFORMED.....also if you do decide to bottle feed I would suggest that you do your own research on the formulas available and look them up and look at the research that has been done on them and see what the results say. Also another note after deciding which formula to use, check at your hospital to see which one they administer, because one hospital I was at did one brand and another hospital did another brand....and if you are firm in your decision about which formula to use(that you think is best) then you might need to supply your own if you are going to send the baby to the nursery at all, or let them know that you plan on using your own and how to go about it.....

Also for future reference, even if you do decide to bottle feed now because that is what is best for you right now, doesn't mean that you can't breastfeed your subsequent children.....you don't have to do the same for all....and don't feel guilty about it if you did decide to change what you did....I say this because I am considering breastfeeding with this one that I am pg with now.....and don't take what they said above to heart they just want you to be informed, I wish I had been more informed with my other pregnancies/children, and with you being young like I was when I got married, there truly are alot of uninformed people, even regardless of age, but specifically with those that have children at a "younger" age....it is better that you get all of the best legitimate info(like they are posting for you above) that you can to make an informed decision

some sites on bottle feeding:

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/bottle-feeding-9/baby-formula

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/bottle-feeding-9/baby-formula

http://www.webmd.com/video/breastfeeding-vs-formula

http://www.webmd.com/baby/breastfeeding-bottle-feeding

http://www.webmd.com/baby/breastfeeding-bottle-feeding?page=14

Bottle-feeding your baby

Although breast milk offers some advantages that formula can't provide, formula feeding is a perfectly acceptable alternative if you choose not to breastfeed your baby.

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/your-babys-feeding-breast-vs-bottle

Breast vs. Bottle for Feeding Your Baby Many new mothers struggle with the decision to breast or bottle feed their new baby. Here's some guidance to help you choose what's right for you.

Breastfeeding Breast milk is the perfect food for infants, with numerous advantages over baby formula, especially in the first four months or so.

* It's always available.

* It's free.

* It contains active infection-fighting white blood cells and antibodies that give increased protection against infections in the first months of baby's life, when these infections can be the most serious.

* It contains the perfect proportion of nutrients that your baby needs, including protein, carbohydrates, and calcium.

* It is easily digestible.

* It may protect against allergies and asthma in the future.

* It may decrease a baby's risk of obesity in the future.

* It contains some fatty acids that promote brain development.

* Breastfeeding can help new mothers lose weight more easily. Additionally, there probably are other beneficial components of breast milk that we are not aware of and so are not added to formula.

Bottle Feeding

With all these advantages of breast milk, should you feel guilty if you choose not to breastfeed? Absolutely not!

* Infant formulas have gotten better and better at matching the ingredients and their proportions to that of human milk.

* While breastfed babies may have relatively fewer infections, the vast majority of infants won't get a serious infection in the first months whether breast or bottle fed. A happy, unstressed mother is the best mother. If you feel that bottle feeding best fits your needs, then it's the best for meeting your baby's needs as well. Some experts recommend at least giving breastfeeding a try. Once breastfeeding is established, the benefits can occur even if you breastfeed only once or twice a day. If you're having trouble breastfeeding, ask your health care provider to recommend a lactation consultant.

Tips for Formula Feeding Your Baby

* There's no need to heat the formula for your baby. Drinking it at room temperature is fine.

* Once a bottle has been used but there is still milk in it, it's OK to store it in the refrigerator until the next feeding, but it should be thrown out after that. Tips for Choosing a Formula

* Don't hesitate to pick a less expensive brand of formula if finances are a factor. Most formulas are pretty much the same. More expensive does not necessarily mean better.

* Select an iron-fortified formula. There is a lot of evidence that iron deficiency in the first years adversely affects brain development. And side effects from iron (gas, constipation, discomfort) while much discussed, are actually very rare.

* Pick whichever type of formula -- powder, concentrate, or ready-to-feed -- best suits your needs. There is no nutritional difference between them.

* Choose cow's milk formula over soy to start with unless there is a family history of milk allergy or lactose intolerance. If that's the case, discuss your concerns with your baby's doctor.

Hope this helps!!

Actually, it is perfectly safe to breastfeed on most medications, or there is a breastfeeding safe alternative in nearly every category of drugs. If anyone is told not to breastfeed because of a medication, be sure you have a reliable source of information such as "Medications and Mothers' Milk" by Thomas Hale, and do not rely only on the package inserts from the drug companies as your source of information about this. Discuss with your pediatrician your desire to breastfeed and ask about the medications you have been prescribed. I have seen many mothers who wanted to breastfeed told to stop because of information that was incorrect; some have been told not to breastfeed by a pharmacist or doctor not fully familiar with breastfeeding issues, even though the medication was approved by the American Academy of Pediatricians for use in breastfeeding mothers. Of course, there are some things that should never be taken while breastfeeding, but be sure of your information before letting your breastfeeding be sacrificed because of a needed medicine.

 A very good online source of information can be found at http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/htmlgen?LACT.  Always discuss your questions about medications with your baby's pediatrician.

Here is some information about medications and breastfeeding from Dr. Jack Newman, a prominent Canadian pediatrician. You can read more at the website below.

 "Does the addition of a small amount of medication to the mother’s milk make breastfeeding more hazardous than formula feeding?  The answer is almost never. Breastfeeding with a little drug in the milk is almost always safer. In other words, being careful means continuing breastfeeding, not stopping. "

"Remember that stopping breastfeeding for a week may result in permanent weaning since the baby may then not take the breast again. On the other hand, it should be taken into consideration that some babies may refuse to take the bottle completely, so that the advice to stop is not only wrong, but often impractical as well. On top of that it is easy to advise the mother to pump her milk while the baby is not breastfeeding, but this is not always easy in practice and the mother may end up painfully engorged.

Breastfeeding and Maternal Medications
Most drugs appear in the milk, but usually only in tiny amounts. Although a very few drugs may still cause problems for infants even in tiny doses, this is not the case for the vast majority. Breastfeeding mothers who are told they must stop breastfeeding because of a certain drug should ask the physician to make sure of this by checking with reliable sources.  Note that the CPS (in Canada) and the PDR (in the USA) are not reliable sources of information about drugs and breastfeeding.  Or the mother should ask the physician to prescribe an alternate medication that is acceptable during breastfeeding. In this day and age, it should not be a problem to find a safe alternative.  If the prescribing physician is not flexible, the mother should seek another opinion, but not stop breastfeeding. "

http://www.drjacknewman.com/help/Breastfeeding%20and%20Medications.asp