I too received a lot of criticism about not breastfeeding my now 14 month old son. It is extremely hurtful when anyone condones your choice as to what is best for your child.

I want you to know that this too shall pass and just as Prudence responded those same people will have something new to say within a couple of months. We as mothers just have to learn to grow thicker skin and recognize ignorance when its given.

WE'VE LEFT ONE OF THEM ALIVE!!!

QUICKLY, GET THE STAKE AND MY VIAL OF HOLY WATER!!!

Ignorance breeds ignorance. I think women who support breastfeeding tend to be OVERLY exuberant at times because of the abuse THEY'VE received. It doesn't make it right, but the looks I've gotten while nursing my daughters (discreetly) and the comments that have been made to me (or about me just loud enogh for me to hear) have been hurtful as well. I think as a breastfeeding mother when you know you're giving your child what they need and what is normal and optimal and people give you a hard time it makes you a little...short with them.

Again, this doesn't make it right for anyone to give a mother a hard time, especially when they CAN'T nurse, but I understand why the mentality is there.

Just like people who berate those with handicapped parking permits because they don't "look" handicapped, people who abuse women for not breastfeeding are jerks. They don't know her story. She could be on drugs harmful to the child, could have AIDS, could be a foster/adoptive mother or an aunt, may have had her breasts removed, may work 16 hours a day, or may simply not feel comfortable with it and feels a happy bottle experience is better than a tense breast experience. I'm sure there are other possibilities, as well.

As I said before, be happy the child is being fed, and move on.

(Full disclosure: I nursed all mine past the age of 12 months.)

My husband dated a girl many years who had had spina bifida (sp?) who was in a wheel-chair and blind. He said it was amazing how many people would yell at him when he pulled into a handicap spot. Not one appologized after he ran around to the other side, got her wheel chair and helped her into it.

I think this sort of behavior happens because people want to feel superior to someone else. It's sort of like, "Look at you, you evil person! You have taken a spot away from a handicap person! I bet you kick puppies in your spare time as well."

For those of us who have and are brast feeding our children take a good look at our children and the relationship that we have with them, if you are one of the lucky or should I say blessed ones the relationship with your children is and has been based on love respect and understanding. I breast fed my son he's now 16 years and six feet tall, and I never regretted nursing my son. So to all you detractors of breast feeding mothers out there, I'm sorry if you cant nurse your baby and i feel your pain, to the others who think that there is some thing wrong with us who do support" breast fed is best fed" Don't knock what women have been doing since Eve.