Hi, friends. I thought I'd share about my experiences breastfeeding. My partner knew my passion about the subject, and I was to deliver at a hospital that supported breastfeeding as well, so I didn't think there would be a problem.
First of all, we had a birth that wasn't quite what I had planned. I am much weaker than I thought! I wanted all natural, no drugs. I ended up having painful contractions for three days with no sleep and very little progression. I was sure I could have lasted if it was only 24 or even 48 hours or so, but I caved in to morphine to help me relax and sleep a few hours; amazingly the relaxation helped me progress faster and I was finally admitted (I wish I would have hired a doula or midwife!!!). I then had an epidural

, failed to continue to progress after 6 cm and pitocin for 7 hours, and then went for a c-cection since they said it was impossible to deliver naturally. I was drugged up, and my baby was born drugged up. But he was absolutely beautiful, it was New Year's Day, and I didn't care at the time.
Well, the nurses were great at helping me start breastfeeding. They told me to breastfeed every 2-3 hours for 15-20 min on both sides. They failed to mention, and it didn't cross my vicodin-soaked mind that the baby might be more or less hungry than that and I could breastfeed on demand. Our son failed to pee for 24 hours by his second day, a lactation consultant said he wasn't feeding correctly (it was getting very painful), and a pediatrician suggested we give him some formula since he was dehydrated. I said ok since I thought she meant just ONCE, but she told the nurses to feed him formula AFTER EVERY SINGLE TIME I BREASTFED HIM. For the rest of the time in the hospital, I sat crying each time my partner allowed a nurse to force-feed our son a bottle.
Additional formula (a large supply was provided free of charge from the hospital) was fed to our son for the next month (even though I cried almost every day) because my partner enjoyed it so much (I was easy to convince in the middle of the night), because my nipples were very sore and bleeding, and because we were stuck with the doubts that he wasn't eating enough, even though I had switched to feeding him whenever he was hungry. Formula feeding was much easier and took 1/10 the amount of time (or less). However, I was determined to give him the best, and by the end of the first month, I was able to take over breastfeeding him exclusively. After a month and a half, it stopped hurting (with the help of a breast shield for a couple weeks), and now it's so easy it's silly. Our son has also gained a tremendous amount of weight, and now we're actually worried he's feeding too much.
I'd like to concur with the OP that it's near impossible to put down a child to cry while pumping for half an hour, or doing anything else for half an hour. BUT I don't agree that it's physically impossible to pump for a year and a half (even with a manual pump), and if I were to try, I could pump while my child sits in his front carrier or sling, which is where he spends most of his day anyway. (Which reminds me: I should be filling up the freezer with backup so my partner can start helping again.)
Whew! Anyway, I'd like to reiterate that failure is indeed a learning tool and not the end of the world. No matter how strong or well-informed you might think you are, something might turn that upside-down. We all can continue to learn.
Also, I'm giving birth at home next time, after at least a year on the sample diet!!!
"Dada is the sun. Dada is the egg. Dada is the Police of the Police." - Richard Huelsenbeck