Most Breastfeeding Mothers Stop Early

In a new survey, about 60% of new mothers who started breastfeeding said they had stopped before they planned. The study included 1,177 U.S. women. They responded to monthly surveys that began when their babies were 2 months old and ended at age 1 year. Women were asked each time whether they had stopped breastfeeding. If the answer was yes, they were asked whether they breastfed as long as they wanted. They also rated the importance of 32 possible reasons for stopping. Problems with breastfeeding ranked at the top of the list. These included difficulties with getting the baby to latch on, cracked or bleeding nipples and infected breasts. The other most common reasons were concerns about the baby’s nutrition and weight, the mother’s illness or need to take medicine, and the effort required to pump milk.