Liars!
What struck me about the whole experience was that, prior to the birth, the benefits of breastfeeding are rammed down your throat so forcefully and continuously that you feel horrendously guilty if you later think about giving it up. It's made to sound like some magical fairy land of bonding and happiness (also possibly unicorns on candyfloss clouds). What is not mentioned is that it can sometimes be difficult to get junior to feed and that there are unpleasant and common side effects such as pain, mastitis and hormone disruption.

I reckon that a happy, relaxed and pain-free mother is probably of massive benefit to the child, even compared with getting breast milk. So give it a try to start with and if you can't do it and/or it's making you miserable then (i) you're not alone and (ii) don't feel guilty about finding some method of feeding that works for you.

ETA: Also, nipple shields can be well worth looking into.
(flimflam_machine, Wed 2 Jun 2010, 12:08, Reply)