Factors associated with the decision to breast-feed among Irish women.

On the day of discharge from the postnatal ward a questionnaire was administered to 100 consecutive breastfeeding mothers (BRM) and 100 consecutive bottle-feeding mothers (BOTM). The significant results were as follows. BRM were older than BOTM, were more likely to come from social classes I and II, to be married, to be living with their partner, to have received third level education and to have attended semi-private/private clinics. BRM were less likely to smoke, more likely to have planned their pregnancy, to have been breastfed themselves and to have at least one sibling who was breastfed. They were also more likely to have a sister/sister-in law and a close friend who breastfed, to have discussed infant feeding with their partner and to have been encouraged to breast-feed by him. The reason most commonly quoted for breastfeeding was that it was better for the baby while that for bottle-feeding was that it was more convenient.