Why moms stop breast-feeding early: 3 theories

A new study finds that the majority of women who intend to feed their babies breast milk for a set period wind up falling short of their goals

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends six months of breast-feeding, but hospital policies and societal pressures are preventing many new moms from reaching that goal.
(Image credit: Vladimir Godnik/beyond/Corbis)

Increasingly, new mothers who plan to breast-feed their babies are giving up early, according to a study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. Of the 1,457 pregnant women interviewed by researchers, 85 percent said they intended to breast-feed exclusively for at least three months, but only 32 percent met their goal. Fifteen percent stopped nursing before they even left the hospital. Why are so many new moms stopping early? Here, three theories:

1. Their plans are being thwarted... by hospitals

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