Yes, I will relate the two subjects-this isn't just to count 2 posts as 1! Women, especially the young ones, often decide to have breast reconstruction (I'm talking about cosmetic, not as the result of losing a breast or part of it) without even thinking beyond what they see as the immediate benefits to them. I doubt that it is ever pointed out to them that the surgery may impact future breastfeeding. Even if it is, one aspect of teenage thinking is that it often deals more with the immediate than the future. When a woman joins the military, it is voluntary. I wonder if she is counseled to think about how it might impact future family plans/needs. Also, I suspect many joined the National Guard or Reserves in past years because they saw it as a way to make extra income and believed that the possibility of being called into active service was remote. We certainly sympathize with women who now must be separated from their families, especially very young children and babies for whom the separation can be even more difficult. However, this should have been presented as a possibility when they first enlisted, just as women should be informed about future impact of breast reconstruction. In countries where serving in the military is not voluntary, she would have a stronger case for exemption for lactation. Yes, making breastfeeding more the norm and more widely accepted as a medical necessary "choice" would help, but I doubt if it would wipe out the idea that the choice was made knowing all the ramifications. Winnie *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html