Reasons why women fail to breastfeed or wean too early

(These are not in any particular order of importance.)

Bottle-feeding is perceived as the norm. People in the USA and many western cultures simply live in a bottle-feeding culture. It is very unusual to see a breastfeeding mother, and even more unusual to see a mother nursing a toddler or an older child - yet even World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for at least two years. Television, books, and media usually show a baby with a bottle, not a baby at its mother's breast. Little girls grow up perceiving formula-feeding as the norm.

Breastfeeding is natural but not instinctive. It needs to be learned. However, it is hard to learn about breastfeeding in a bottle-feeding culture. (Bottle-feeding culture at Childfun.com)