I think the biggest obstacle is our society's emphasis on separation of
mother and baby. New mothers are encouraged to make plans to "go out without
the baby" from the first week after the birth! I have had many women tell me
that their doctor advised them to start giving bottles early on so they
could go out and "not to make a martyr of yourself." I know that many women
do breastfeed despite being separated from their babies for various reasons,
but I think that when separation is stressed so early in a baby's life it
often ends up leading to weaning.

Teresa Pitman