Marianne:

I don't think breastfeeding mothers are better than ABM mothers, and I certainly never will. However, there is no question in my mind that breastfeeding is a better health practice. I myself have 3 children-2 of whom were breastfed and 1 who never received a drop of breastmilk.

My oldest who was never breastfed was seperated from me for the first 2 weeks of life (due to a post-partum heart surgery that I had), even though there was the seperation, I hadn't fully intended on breastfeeding. I was younger and less aware, but do I have an equal amount of love for all my children.

Do I feel guilt about not breastfeeding my first...heck yeah! But, do I think the wrong decision was been made at the time-nope. Guilt has many definitions:
a. The fact of being responsible for the commission of an offense. See Synonyms at blame.
b. Law The fact of having been found to have violated a criminal law; legal culpability.
c. Responsibility for a mistake or error.
2. 
a. Remorseful awareness of having done something wrong.
b. Self-reproach for supposed inadequacy or wrongdoing.


No, obviously all parents are not equally good...but I do not think their choice of feeding practices have anything to do with thier parenting (unless they are abusing the child) and we should understand that. 

When a mother in a 3rd world country feeds her baby formula becuase she thinks it will increase her ranks in society is she better than the mother in the ritzy neighborhood who formula feeds her child because it makes her physically uncomfortable to breastfeed?

No, they are just different ways of doing things. I am about the interest of the mother, the baby, and education. 

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