Table 1 Any breastfeeding, breastfeeding duration, reasons for not starting breastfeeding (among those reporting they did not breastfeed/breastfed 0 weeks/none only), and reasons for stopping breastfeeding (among those reporting any breastfeeding but < 10 weeks duration), stratified by race/ethnicity, weighted to be site representative, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System Phase 8, 2016–2019

Any breastfeeding

 Yes

5,204,758

(87.5)

30,464

(82.3)

5,555

(91.5)

293,247

(92.6)

655,357

(77.1)

954,835

(91.2)

968

(99.5)

3,138,993

(88.5)

125,338

(89.7)

 No

740,260

(12.5)

6,546

(17.7)

514

(8.5)

23,461

(7.4)

195,124

(22.9)

91,723

(8.8)

5

(0.5)

408,433

(11.5)

14,455

(10.3)

Breastfeeding duration^a

  < 10 weeks

1,563,609

(30.0)

12,033

(39.5)

1,473

(26.5)

56,912

(19.4)

280,310

(42.8)

340,377

(35.6)

183

(18.9)

834,960

(26.6)

37,362

(29.8)

  ≥ 10 weeks

3,641,149

(70.0)

18,432

(60.5)

4,082

(73.5)

236,335

(80.6)

375,047

(57.2)

614,458

(64.4)

785

(81.1)

2,304,033

(73.4)

87,976

(70.2)

Reasons for not starting^b

 Sick/on medicine

44,984

(12.9)

228

(28.8)

N/A^d

254

(7.1)

11,104

(9.9)

5,352

(14.3)

N/A^d

27,097

(14.2)

948

(16.7)

 Take care of other children

82,408

(23.5)

65

(8.2)

N/A^d

286

(8.1)

22,314

(19.9)

9,568

(25.6)

N/A^d

48,867

(25.6)

1,308

(23.1)

 Too many household duties

48,399

(13.8)

86

(10.8)

N/A^d

155

(4.4)

15,171

(13.6)

5,214

(13.9)

N/A^d

26,623

(14.0)

1,151

(20.3)

 Didn’t like it

94,815

(27.1)

264

(33.4)

N/A^d

639

(18.0)

36,089

(32.3)

9,251

(24.7)

N/A^d

47,115

(24.8)

1,458

(25.7)

 Tried but too hard

56,589

(16.2)

78

(9.9)

N/A^d

620

(17.5)

20,848

(18.6)

10,769

(28.8)

N/A^d

23,135

(12.1)

1,138

(20.1)

 Didn’t want to

163,751

(46.8)

614

(77.5)

N/A^d

971

(27.3)

56,698

(50.7)

10,616

(28.4)

N/A^d

92,298

(48.4)

2,554

(45.1)

 Went back to work

66,154

(18.9)

211

(26.6)

N/A^d

505

(14.2)

23,260

(20.8)

4,785

(12.8)

N/A^d

36,270

(19.0)

1,123

(19.8)

 Went back to school

9,943

(2.8)

187

(23.7)

N/A^d

232

(6.5)

4,324

(3.9)

289

(0.8)

N/A^d

4,816

(2.5)

94

(1.7)

 Other

77,773

(22.2)

113

(14.3)

N/A^d

691

(19.6)

17,196

(15.4)

10,125

(27.1)

N/A^d

47,856

(25.1)

1,792

(31.6)

Reasons for stopping^c

N/A^d

N/A^d

 Baby had difficulty latching

232,286

(38.7)

1,559

(37.7)

N/A^d

10,486

(42.4)

33,670

(32.9)

42,987

(39.5)

N/A^d

138,607

(40.2)

4,956

(34.8)

 Breastmilk not enough

230,168

(38.5)

1,320

(32.1)

N/A^d

11,138

(45.3)

30,183

(29.5)

45,788

(42.3)

N/A^d

136,081

(39.5)

5,653

(39.8)

 Baby not gaining enough weight

102,866

(17.2)

792

(19.2)

N/A^d

2,878

(11.7)

14,245

(13.9)

16,497

(15.2)

N/A^d

66,266

(19.2)

2,183

(15.3)

 Nipple pain/soreness

152,869

(25.5)

1,404

(34.1)

N/A^d

5,661

(23.0)

33,284

(32.5)

29,089

(26.8)

N/A^d

79,475

(23.0)

3,939

(27.7)

 Not producing enough milk

344,969

(57.6)

2,491

(60.5)

N/A^d

14,961

(60.7)

49,920

(48.8)

63,826

(58.7)

N/A^d

204,420

(59.2)

9,278

(65.2)

 Got sick/medical reasons

62,011

(10.4)

494

(12.0)

N/A^d

2,031

(8.3)

10,714

(10.5)

14,581

(13.4)

N/A^d

32,837

(9.5)

1,336

(9.5)

 Too many household duties

103,157

(17.2)

900

(21.9)

N/A^d

3,876

(15.8)

20,670

(20.2)

15,433

(14.2)

N/A^d

59,395

(17.2)

2,866

(20.3)

 Felt it was right time to stop

65,227

(10.9)

460

(11.2)

N/A^d

1,726

(7.0)

14,397

(14.1)

11,722

(10.8)

N/A^d

35,129

(10.2)

1,776

(12.6)

 Went back to work

99,867

(16.7)

655

(16.0)

N/A^d

4,793

(19.5)

24,404

(23.8)

15,548

(14.3)

N/A^d

52,617

(15.3)

1,782

(12.6)

 Went back to school

15,600

(2.6)

165

(4.0)

N/A^d

718

(2.9)

4,918

(4.8)

3,369

(3.1)

N/A^d

5,598

(1.6)

832

(5.9)

 Other

115,428

(19.3)

827

(20.1)

N/A^d

3,791

(15.3)

14,596

(14.3)

18,877

(17.3)

N/A^d

74,873

(21.7)

2,463

(17.3)