I reviewed this study, and, while it reconfirms the fact that women will breastfeed longer if not working, the conclusion is not warranted. They note that they do not know what women's original intention was. One could equally conclude from these data that women who breastfeed choose to take more time off or choose jobs that allow them to take more time. Whether cause or effect, the fact is that until women are able to project that they can swing it, they may not plan to breastfeed or continue the optimal exclusive pattern of breastfeeding.

It's also entirely possible that those who WANT to go back to work sooner are those who choose NOT to breastfeed. That was my situation. I didn't WANT to breastfeed, and my kids were perfectly healthy. 2 of my 4 have NEVER had an ear infection, one didn't have one til the age of 6. No allergies - which is amazing, considering all the allergies in my family.

Huh.

I managed to breatfeed exclusively even though I was back at the office after 6 weeks. Work didn't make breasfeeding a "chore", it was a wonderful way to bond again after a day apart.

I think it's likely true that the amount of time off work might, on average, reflect more on a mother's intentions than on how hard it was to combine work and parenting.

Gross. How 'bout just doing the bottle thing instead of toating around human-juice in a bottle.

I managed to work full time, be away from my daughter ten hours a day, and still breastfeed exclusively until six months. My daughter is now 14 months, and I still breastfeed her (although now that she eats regular table food I don't have to pump anymore). I went back to work full time when my daughter was just shy of three months old - I pumped every two hours even though it was a terrible hassle. I made it clear to my employer that my daughter's health was my top priority and that if they wanted me to stay on, I would be scheduling time to pump on a regular basis.

At the end of the day, it comes down to making sacrifices to do what is best for a baby. A lot of women won't do that because it isn't convenient, but what is convenient and what is best / healthiest for a baby, who naturally would be with their mother 24/7 at such an early age, do not always go hand in hand. I also have never fed my daughter a drop of formula or ever given her processed food of any kind. Everything she's ever eaten has been organic and made from scratch. I manage to do that even though I work 50 hours a week. It's just a matter of prioritizing. Do I have a life right now? Sadly, no, lol, my husband and I are busy all the time between work, baby duties, chores, etc. But I'm investing in the long-term health and well-being of my daughter, which is a parent's responsibility, and I am truly happy to do so because I love her and feel devoted to her.

Although not all mother's are fortunate enough to have the choices that I had (especially not single moms - I realize how lucky I am to have a husband who is involved with his daughter and who shares child-rearing responsibilities), it makes me sad that our society is not more supportive of breastfeeding, of families and of people who care for children.

There is nothing gross about breastfeeding a baby - that is what breasts are for. And, there is nothing gross about being "animalistic" - that is what we are, mammalian animals. I think it's amazing and cool. Although I'm exhausted (all the time) I feel blessed to have the opportunity to make these sacrifices. Creating and nurturing life is amazing and profound, and it's about time it is recognized and acknowledged as such.

I had NO issues whatsoever with breastfeeding when i went back to work. i pumped. i had the breaks i needed and my son was bottle-fed breast milk at daycare. i mean, you pump what they eat, so nothing changed. when i got home, i exclusively breastfed. it took about a week to get the pumping thing 'underway' and 'regular' but once i did it, it worked great! he exclusively breastfed until 4 months... then the usual introductions of solid foods. i breast fed him at least twice a day until 11 months... then it was just time to stop for us. no complaints and would do it again in a heartbeat. my kids was well worth that little bit of extra effort on my part. a small cooler and ice-pack is all i needed. i left my pump at work. it was easy an NO ONE minded whatsoever.