To wish feel a bit sad that my friends didn't even want to try breastfeeding?

[ClaireandGeorge]

I know I'm probably going to get flamed for this.
Saw a friend with her 3 day old baby and she was moaning as her boobs were engorged and sore and I couldn't help but feel a bit sad that, that milk was meant for baby.
I understand a lot of women try and struggle or have problems that mean they can't. I totally get breastfeeding is difficult.
Another friend didn't want to breastfeed as her partner had said her boobs were for sex.
I guess what I'm trying to say is I understand it's a free world and we can all choose to do as we so wish. I have absolutely nothing against formula and I know plenty of beautiful babies and children that have thrived on it. It's just that it makes me a bit sad that my friends have chosen to ignore mother nature and not even give it a go.

Why is it ok that most of the people who say it hurts them or makes it sad to add that of course it is personal choice? Either it is ok for people to choose or not?

This thread has made me feel sad (and guilty) yet again about my choices, decisions and needs of dc as babies.

I bf DD for 13 days, through severely bleeding nipples. It did not get better as I went along. It didn't get easier, it got worse. And having her head wrestled into place by a midwife while she cried only made things worse. I didn't have it in me to be so rough with her! We moved to ff - happy, content baby, happy, content Mum.

I went through the same thing with DS. Exactly the same. I reached a point with both where milk wasn't coming out, just blood from my cracked nipples.

With DS2, I just went straight to ff.

Before anyone jumps in and congratulates me for the minimal amount of bf I did, please don't. The whole 'oh, well done you, you gave them colostrum, at least you tried' (as displayed on this thread) is actually quite patronising and depressing, whether intentional or not.

All three of my dc are happy, healthy, bright, no allergies. I only ever feel the guilt when I read threads like this where people are feeling 'sad' on behalf of my dc. Why? As I said, my dc are happy and healthy little people now. They haven't suffered for not being bf. No allergies, rarely ill.

I don't judge anyone on their feeding choices (even if it's a conscious 'I'm not doing it because of X, Y or Z) because it's nothing to do with me.

I do judge those who think it's ok to look down their noses at what other people choose to do simply because it doesn't fit in with their scheme of thinking. Lots of that on here.

Ice you can judge as many things as you like but the fact remains there are things far more worthy to judge about.Think I mentioned a few.

Have you thought at any point that maybe this mum may have been sexually bullied or abused and anything to do with her boobs makes her feel very uncomfortable??