Our study population are predominantly low-risk healthy professional mothers with a tertiary education, in current
employment and non-smokers. All infants are singleton and most were born at term without medical complications. Previous research would indicate that this population would be the most highly motivated to continue breast feeding their infant after hospital discharge (Ekströmetal.,2003). In examining this population of breast-feeding mothers we have found that the characteristics involved in exclusive breast feeding differed to what influenced breast feeding duration and the effect of various characteristics on breast feeding duration changed over time. This are important findings which we hope will inform effective breast feeding promotion and support (Simardetal.,2005;ThulierandMercer,2009).