Most women quit breastfeeding quickly

First the good news: Three out of four U.S. mothers are now breastfeeding their newborns, according to a recent study from Brigham Young University. I’ve heard horror stories from older women of babies being fed mixtures of Karo syrup, so let’s hear it for some enlightenment.

But now the bad news: Although the American Academy of Pediatricians recommends breastfeeding through the first year and the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for two years. most women have quit breastfeeding by the time their baby reaches six months.

The researchers found that children who were most likely to be breast-fed for more than six months typically had mothers with higher levels of education and incomes. Before we all leap to blaming stupid moms, surely a major cause of the drop-off is the lack of paid family leave in this country, the pathetic part-time job market, lack of flexibility in most work places, and the downright hostility of most workplaces to pumping and breastfeeding. Those women with more education are more likely to be able to take significant time off and to have higher-status jobs where pumping is a viable option (Starbucks, for example, wins kudos for supporting mothers among its managerial staff, but just try being a barista and breastfeeding).

I’m here to tell you that breastfeeding is great—no need to remember to lug any food with you! And it’s free!—but pumping sucks. Itoffers nearly all the stupidity of formula feeding—endless bottle washing—and you have to hide in a bathroom or cleaning closet and hook yourself up to a milking machine, all the while watching the clock tick and hoping nobody else is noticing that, once again, you’re not at your desk. Which stress of course tends to reduce your milk production, which in turn ups your stress. I understand why women quit breastfeeding after they return to paid work.

But here’s to my fellow Western staters and to immigrants—the populations most likely to breastfeed.