This message is excerpted from one sent to another list by LLLLeader
Maggie Heeger, who gave me permission to post it here.
--Kate Pennington, LLLL, Newcastle, Maine

Have any of y'all seen Prevention Magazine's special publication
called "New Mom"? It's not a monthly magazine; it's a special edition.
I saw it in the grocery store at the check-out aisle. On the cover,
there was a teaser about articles featured inside. One said "The Truth
about Breastfeeding. At last some honest answers." I had to get it.
Prevention is a very healthy, natural-based magazine, and I usually
agree with much of what they say. This article, which really, really
slams breastfeeding, shocked me. Shocked me that it even exists, and
shocked me that Prevention published it. A few excerpts:

"Breastfeeding's tough. In the early days, you'll be  nursing every 2
hours or so, depending on the appetite of your baby. And breast
soreness, leaking and bleeding are common. So if you don't really want
to breastfeed, don't force yourself out of guilt or pressure. Cut
yourself a break. The last thing you need as a new mother is more
stress. And the last thing your baby needs is a stressed-out mom.

Take Maureen, who gave breastfeeding a try for 10 days a couple years
ago. "My baby wouldn't latch on," she says of her son. "I was very
nervous and so he would get upset and even hungrier." Finally Maureen
switched to the bottle. "The poor little guy was starving," she says.
Since then, Maureen says her son has been healthy and happy on the
bottle. An added bonus: Her husband got to help with feedings.

Breastfeeding's anything but convenient. Yes, it's healthy. Yes, it's
satisfying. Yes, it can be wonderful. ...But the fact remains,
nursing's not for everybody. The trick is to breastfeed only if you
really want to, to learn everything you can before you try it and to
give it your best shot for as long as you comfortably can--no longer.
And whatever happens, be good to yourself and your baby. What really
matters is that you give your child your love, not your breasts."

The article is "Breastfeed or Bust" by Annabelle Lee. The author
sometimes writes true enough material in some places, but her tone is
extremely sarcastic and negative. And she writes from the perspective
that she had a very successful nursing experience, but knows that
she's the exception to the rule. She gives LLL's phone number and
address as a resource but doesn't say much more than that.

Prevention's address (I don't see any email information):
Rodale Press Inc
33 E. Minor Street
Emmaus, PA 18098