The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusively breastfeeding until babies are 6 months of age followed by breastfeeding in combination with the introduction of complementary foods until at least 12 months of age. However, only about half of moms in the US are still breastfeeding at 6 months.

Breastfeeding can be challenging, so health care providers encourage new parents to take classes that provide information on benefits and tips on breastfeeding while managing other responsibilities like caring for other children or going back to work.