Beschreibung:
<jats:p>Although breastfeeding (BF) initiation rates are up, duration of BF remains less than ideal. The objective of this study was to determine when and why a sample of 121 women who had participated in a previous study and were predominately BF when their infants were 3 months old stopped BF. The sample was predominately white, well‐educated and married. The on‐line survey (47% response) asked women to indicate the degree to which 21 factors influenced their decision to stop BF. The survey included open ended questions asking what physicians and communities could do to support BF. Participants were also asked where they received most of their support during their BF experience. Age of infant was the major reason for stopping BF. Two major themes from the qualitative questions were that women wanted access to private spaces to BF their infant outside the home and that husbands were critical supports for BF success. Regional differences in barriers to BF duration need to be understood to meet public health goals. Supported by National Research Initiative Grant 2008–35200‐18779 from USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold><jats:italic>Grant Funding Source</jats:italic></jats:bold><jats:italic>: USDA</jats:italic></jats:p>