Table 1 Questionnaire investigating the main reasons associated with breastfeeding discontinuation

Lactational factors

 Infant’s difficulty in sucking or latching

 Presence of nipple cracks and fissures

 Presence of breast engorgement or mastitis

 Painful breastfeeding

 Delayed lactogenesis II

Milk pumping factors

 Mother could not or intended not to pump or breastfeed at work

 Pumping was too tiring and time consuming

Psychosocial factors

 Breastfeeding was too inconvenient

 Breastfeeding was too tiring

 Need or wish to have the infant fed by someone else

Nutritional factors

 According to my opinion, breast milk did not satisfy the infant’s nutritional requirements

 Perception of inadequate milk supply

 A health professional said the baby was not gaining enough weight

Lifestyle factors

 Wish to lose weight

 Wish to stop breastfeeding

 Wish to follow the usual diet

 Wish to smoke again or more than allowed while breastfeeding

Medical factors

 New pregnancy or wish to have a new pregnancy

 Drug consumption and/or maternal disease

 The infant was sick and could not be breastfed

Factors related to the infant

 The baby began to bite

 The baby lost interest in nursing or began to wean him or herself

 The infant was growing, and the difference between breast milk and formula was no longer important