Breastfeeding is in vogue again and for good reason. It's a wonderful, natural way to supply necessary and nutrient-rich milk to a newborn.

But while many women are able to breastfeed so easily they make it seem an instinctual process, even more new mothers don't find breastfeeding so simple and trouble-free. And for them, the best choice may be to reach for the formula bottle.

Let's first take a look at some of the benefits and challenges of breastfeeding.

Most importantly for the child, breastfeeding easily supplies precious disease-fighting protection against infections that may attack a vulnerable infant whose immune system has yet to mature. Breastfeeding is also a great bonding opportunity for both mother and infant, after those long months of anticipating the arrival of the baby dancing within.

Breastfeeding bestows many other benefits on the mother. It helps accelerate weight loss after childbirth so the mother can get back to her pre-pregnancy weight ASAP. It may even decrease her breast cancer risk.

Last, the hormones stimulated during breastfeeding act to suppress ovulation and so are a natural, if temporary, method of birth control - but don't rely solely on breastfeeding if you don't want to have another pregnancy just yet.

So what's not to like about breastfeeding?

After my son was born, even though I had followed a lactation specialist around the labor wards for a day, I still had little sense of the many challenges to successful breastfeeding. There is a lot of learning, both for the mother and the infant: how the mother sits, how she holds the baby, how she offers her breast. All these and more affect how the baby latches on.

My own experience with breastfeeding was difficult. I suffered two bouts of mastitis, an infection of the breast with fevers, body aches, and a flaming red rash. I dealt with cracked nipples for months, until I eventually realized I had a yeast infection that was preventing proper healing. And by the time my infant and I got into a comfortable rhythm - boom! - back to work I went.

My next challenge was to maintain an adequate milk supply while his appetite grew and my stress level rose.

I felt guilty about all this and over the years, I have met lots of other mothers who were riddled with guilt about not being able to breastfeed. One of them, a young nurse with her first child, was so upset as she fed her beautiful baby a bottle of formula that she actually missed the wonderful moment happening right then. Another friend struggled to breastfeed her third child, even though the baby was born with a cleft palate (an opening at the roof of the mouth). The doctors had told her that formula would be toxic to the tissues deep in her daughter's cleft, but my friend was physically unable to make an adequate seal so that the baby could suck. More guilt.

So, based on my own and others' experiences, I have developed an appreciation for formula and have come to see it as a perfectly fine option for new mothers and their babies.

As a mother, the most important thing you can do is provide love and attention to your newborn. Either breast milk or formula will provide adequate nutrients for the growth of your infant.