Chapter 3. Infant Feeding

Table 3.72. Percent of mothers indicating each reason for pumping milk in the past two weeks by infant age1,2, among mothers who pumped milk at each age

Infant Feeding Practices Study II
Reasons for pumping milk Month 2 Month 5 Month 7
To relieve engorgement 42.0 32.2 34.0
Because my nipples were too sore to nurse 4.2 0.9 1.6
To increase my milk supply 33.2 26.5 22.7
To get milk for someone else to feed to my baby 67.8 69.8 62.4
For me to feed to my baby when I do not want to breastfeed or when baby cannot breastfeed 30.7 23.6 19.0
To keep my milk supply up when my baby could not nurse (such as while you were away from your baby or when your baby was too sick to nurse) 26.9 32.2 32.7
To mix with cereal or other food 3.9 34.5 38.5
To have an emergency supply of milk 41.9 34.5 36.7
To donate to a baby other than my own 0.5 0.7 0.5
N 1,104 695 441

1Table is based on variables: M2D36A-I, M5D35A-I, M7D35A-I
2Column percentages do not add up to 100% because mothers could choose all that apply