Is it normal I detest moms who don't breastfeed?

Sometimes they can't because of pain, chafed nipples, or even bleeding. Sometimes they aren't producing enough milk for the baby and the baby needs formula as a supplement or as a sole source of food. Sometimes the baby has a difficult temperament. Sometimes the mother is suffering from PND and doesn't bond with her baby. Sometimes the mother is so stressed from other factors that she is physically unable to feed her child. Sometimes there are other medical factors. Some new first time mothers do not have the education, or the access to education, about lactation, and quit through frustration brought upon themselves AND their child. Sometimes women like my stepmother are so emotionally downtrodden by their partners that they completely lack the self worth to cope with new parenthood, or anything in life, and when their partner tells them that they have to bottle feed, they do. This is just off the top of my head. I'm sure there are many, many other reasons.

Most of those reasons would heap enough guilt on most new mothers. Them hearing that mothers who don't breast feed are scum does NOT help the already volatile situation.

Imagine you're exhausted, possibly still in pain from the birth, you've got a small baby that does not stop screaming, an earpiercing blood curdling scream. You know your child needs to be fed. You try to feed it. There is searing pain in your nipple, the child becomes more hysterical, you become more hysterical. You haven't slept properly in the week since you brought your child home. Your husband/partner has had to go back to work, leaving you alone in the house with the child. Your child doesn't seem to be gaining weight, you think you are starving your child. You want to ask for help, but you feel like a failure - breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world, right? But you don't seem to be doing it. Why can't you get it right? You believe you're a failure as a mother. You need to stop this child screaming before you go insane. You feel like you ARE going insane.

This might sound extreme, but it happens. Not always to that level, but there will be difficulties with every new mother/baby. If there are the right people and resources around the new mum, then hopefully she will get on track, and all will be good for the whole family.

I believe that babies should be breastfed, but sometimes it is just not a possibility, for a range of reasons that can be physical, emotional or mental. I don't think it is anyone else's place to call them scum.

I'm not saying there aren't women that make the choice not to breastfeed for no reason other than they don't want to. Obviously, there are women like that, and I assume that is the sort of mother you are talking about, but I imagine they are in the minority. And once again, expressing hatred and disgust does nothing to help. You're entitled to your feelings, but it really isn't of much good to anyone.

I ranted a bit. Sorry. I do realise you were refering to mothers who CHOOSE not to breastfeed, but I also think that people don't full understand that a lot of women aren't actually making this 'choice' but are forced into it. And it can be hard to know, seeing a woman out and about, feeding a child with a bottle, why this situation has come to be.