Agreed--and even if you can, how much should you have to go through? I'm lying here now I'm serious pain because after months of it being okay feeding my five ~~year~~ MONTH (shit) old is suddenly AGONY. It hurts like a motherfucker for an hour after each feeding, and he eats every two hours. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow to rule out thrush, but likelihood is I'll be told he's got teething pain and I just have to stick it out.

And I'm going to try, but I'm starting to dread the next feeding. I want to cry. I want to quit. And the fact that I know I CAN quit if it gets too much is all that's keeping me going.

I have many friends who had it worse than that in the early days. Nipples cracked and bleeding, affecting their bond with the baby because it's hard to bond with someone who only brings you physical pain. 

There are women with DMER, dysphoric milk ejection response, where upon milk letdown they have the most terrible physical and emotional feelings.

Women in all of these situations CAN breastfeed. Should we be forced to?