Successful infant feeding is crucial to the survival of babies and the human race. Throughout history and across the world, societies have had to address alternatives to maternal breastfeeding. We will present an overview of the history of infant feeding, including the forces involved in the decline of breastfeeding and wet nursing and the rise of “scientific” infant feeding, commercial infant formulas and milk banking. We will also define and discuss milk kinship practiced in Islam, and throughout the Far East and Middle East. We will cover as well the forces and organizations involved in the rise of breastfeeding, milk sharing and milk banking over the last 2-3 decades, and the social, economic and commercial forces impacting infant feeding today. We will conclude with a discussion of how history can help us understand and influence future trends.